The attract of modifying is the chance it offers to be on the middle of the connection between the author and the viewers.
Modifying teaches me to grasp the author’s thoughts — how they suppose, how they write, what they know, and the way a lot of that interprets to their pc display. Having written and edited for the SaaS tech business up to now, I can say that, to some extent, I perceive writing; to some extent, I’m additionally the viewers.
The guts of an editor’s function is placing a stability between the writer’s ideas and what the target market needs to learn whereas making certain writing high quality. It’s also essential to contribute to crew targets and meet our service degree settlement (SLA).
To ensure high quality and meet deadlines, it is important to arrange environment friendly processes. Ask any editor, and so they’ll probably say an article is rarely actually “completed” — it is the deadline that decides its destiny.
When AI turned all of the hype, with the promise of effectivity, I couldn’t cease fascinated by its potential for editors. The character of a brand new expertise is horrifying at first, however that’s what I considered Fb (umm…Meta?) so a few years again, and look the place that’s now. So, I made a decision to provide AI-assisted modifying a go.
I may say the remainder is historical past, however then I’d be mendacity to you. However it does have numerous promise, and I don’t say that on a whim however after rounds of experimentation making an attempt to include AI into modifying processes at G2.
And to reply the largest query ever – will AI steal my job? Let’s discover out.
The promise of AI to remodel content material modifying workflows
I handle the modifying crew at G2. On a standard day, my crew of worldwide editors works on and publishes a wide range of articles written by in-house writers, freelancers, and exterior thought leaders. Effectivity-wise, the chances have been by no means in our favor, however we’re a robust, gifted crew, so we persevered.
When ChatGPT turned everybody’s new favourite content material creator, G2 launched a program to do “ten p.c extra” with AI — an initiative to make use of AI to enhance each day productiveness. This motivated me to problem the crew and discover whether or not we may use AI to resolve our underlying issues of assembly our effectivity targets.
Establishing our take a look at run
My expectation at that time was to make use of AI to provide a while again to my crew so they might begin fascinated by the author’s voice and viewers wants and never simply run by copy edits and customary line edits to suit our model voice.
To this finish, we began by establishing a take a look at run.
Experiment spherical 1
No agenda-driven experiment can run effectively with no methodology in place. With the above effectivity challenges in thoughts, we arrange the framework for our first spherical of experiments.
Each editor on the crew was assigned a specific AI device and some articles from the modifying pipeline. The ask was for them to edit these articles with the AI device and doc their learnings.
The method was subjective. It was as much as the editors how they needed to make use of the AI device and for what use circumstances.
Their solely goal was to reply a questionnaire and assist their solutions with screenshots of the device, in addition to their perspective or understanding of the way it went.
Right here’s what the questionnaire seemed like:
So, what did we study within the first spherical?
The nice:
- AI helped enhance the structural move and logical development of content material, successfully contextualizing scattered concepts.
- It proved adept at filling content material gaps and increasing on present content material, figuring out probably missed concepts that might be integrated into the article, and serving as a very good supply of inspiration for framing sentences or if you find yourself caught creatively.
- AI was useful in enhancing grammar and spelling accuracy.
- AI has the potential to save lots of time through the content material modifying course of, however it is dependent upon the sort and complexity of the content material piece.
- AI-generated compelling, various title choices and refined headlines.
- AI successfully edited content material to match particular model tips or editorial requirements.
The unhealthy:
- AI generally misunderstands the context, resulting in incorrect ideas.
- There have been situations the place the AI-generated content material was robotic or unnatural.
- Integrating AI into present workflows could also be difficult.
- Reviewing and verifying adjustments made by the AI device is time-consuming.
- AI just isn’t well-suited for contextual modifying or long-form articles.
- AI appears higher suited to writers than editors.
- At occasions, AI made pointless adjustments to the context or broken the originality of the writing.
- Even after inputting a particular immediate, AI could rewrite the article as a substitute of adjusting grammar or sentence construction.
- Sure modifying duties appear past the present capabilities of AI.
Sure, these are blended outcomes!
Whereas one editor stated the AI device helped construct context gaps, one other crew member stated it was unsuited for contextual modifying.
However all in all, the outcomes have been positively higher than we anticipated.
Experiment spherical 2
For our second spherical, we moved from a subjective to a extra goal course of.
Editors have been instructed to make use of AI in each step of the modifying course of — from the primary spherical of favor edits to developmental modifying to remaining proofreading. And whereas they did so, they have been required to notice the time it took them to finish the modifying spherical.
Right here’s an instance of what it seemed like:
We adopted the identical approach for analyzing the AI device’s work. This included prompts associated to enhancing article introductions, suggesting adjustments to condemn construction, and proofreading.
What did we study within the second spherical?
- AI didn’t assist cut back the time taken to edit however helped convey down effort associated to ideation.
- AI can assist with viewers persona alignment and generate an ideally suited buyer profile (ICP).
- AI takes the cake with proofreading.
- AI helps determine the usage of pointless metaphors, misplaced jokes, awkwardness, and redundancy within the article and helps change the language to suit the specified model voice.
- AI can scan for sarcasm and assist make the textual content extra constructive.
- AI can determine absolutes in textual content, akin to “by no means,” “at all times,” and so forth., and counsel adjustments to the sentence.
In comparison with spherical 1, this spherical gave us extra promising outcomes, main us to conclude that AI may assist us in additional methods than one.
However there was nonetheless a protracted approach to go.
Establishing use circumstances
After two rounds of experimentation with two completely different methodologies, we now had a reasonably stable concept of what AI may and couldn’t do. Regardless of limitations, it was turning into more and more clear to me that AI might be the messiah of our effectivity challenges.
This meant that it was time to delve deeper and conduct a minimum of one other spherical of experimentation. However this time, we wanted a extra acute construction to our methodology in an effort to work out AI’s particular use circumstances in modifying.
Experiment spherical 3
The third spherical consisted of making a template with a immediate for every use case, which can be utilized in each sub-step of the modifying course of. Every immediate we used on this stage was tried and examined through the first two rounds of experimentation to supply the specified outcomes.
The template was additionally accompanied by a set of tips for the editors, which have been knowledgeable by our learnings. The rules included which AI device to make use of for sure use circumstances. For instance, whereas Google’s Gemini might be used to seek out contextual gaps, ChatGPT can be useful to ideate higher article introductions. This documentation would function a singular set of tips (or supply of reality) for the crew.
As soon as the template was prepared, the editors reviewed and ran the prompts with the recommended AI device. The ultimate step was to share their ideas on the above as a crew and resolve any roadblocks.
Listed here are some examples of what it seemed like:
The editors may now simply copy-paste the usual set of prompts into the AI device and measure effectivity positive aspects or losses.
Second of reality: experiment outcomes
Now it’s time for the large reveal.
On common, modifying a medium-complexity, 2,000-word article about software program opinions took editors 25.25 minutes with the assistance of AI.
With guide modifying, the modifying course of would, on common, take one hour to edit.
Nonetheless, it is very important acknowledge that an effectivity acquire to this extent just isn’t potential after one or two iterations. It might additionally not be true for all circumstances. We’ve had a number of situations the place an editor spent extra time with AI than they’d with guide modifying.
However for now, let’s have a good time this win.
Key takeaways
AI does an excellent job of searching for gaps in writing. However it might, each now and again, determine a spot that isn’t there. Most of the time, AI will change the voice of the author, making a human’s voice sound like robots from Skynet days. AI will nearly positively begin your articles with “Within the ever-evolving enterprise panorama” or worse, flip phrases like “worker happiness” into “laborer’s prosperity.”
The trick is to seek out what works for you. We discovered our greatest prompts after working by a number of unhealthy ones. One of the best use case of AI is what you may make.
My remaining verdict on utilizing AI in modifying is that it does resolve our effectivity challenges. However it might not at all times give us the most effective path ahead. Editors want to make use of their finest judgment always.
It does, nonetheless, grow to be the device that we didn’t know we wanted.
With AI, we are able to now confidently meet a strict deadline and cling to our SLA. AI additionally helps us get “unstuck” sooner. Whereas modifying, we’re usually caught considering if there are gaps within the article we didn’t discover or if there are higher methods to construction a sentence.
AI helps pace up ideation and, therefore, improves effectivity.
Based mostly on our learnings, the next AI content material information highlights the one use circumstances the place we discovered AI useful with modifying. However keep in mind that it is dependent upon the sort and complexity of the article.
Obtain your AI content material modifying information!
So, will AI steal my job?
Quick reply: not but. AI doesn’t have a character but.
Whereas AI could excel in grammar checks and filling structural gaps, it doesn’t have authentic ideas, and that’s the sting, the most effective, and the largest factor we, as people, convey to the desk.
AI can’t change the human aspect of with the ability to determine context, nuance, sarcasm, voice, and intent.
“The content material creation sport is altering quick. As editors, we juggle deadlines with the necessity for polished, constant items. However what if there was a approach to streamline the modifying course of with out sacrificing our human contact? That is the place AI assistants like ChatGPT and Gemini are available in – they don’t seem to be right here to steal our jobs; they’re right here to make us even higher storytellers.
These tireless instruments can deal with all of the grunt work, like grammar checks, fact-finding, and repetitive edits. This frees us seasoned editors to give attention to the actual magic — crafting compelling narratives, making certain the message resonates with readers, and preserving the author’s voice. The outcome? Content material that is not simply correct however fascinating.
AI is a strong device to spice up our effectivity and polish our work, however the human contact is irreplaceable. So, let’s embrace this modifying revolution, one completely edited sentence at a time.”
– Jigmee Bhutia, Senior Content material Editor, G2
The nice, the unhealthy, and the ugly of AI-assisted modifying
Once I first requested my crew about engaged on an AI experiment, I began questioning if I’d make AI obligatory or non-obligatory to make use of if the experiment was profitable. Now that I’m right here and we’re profitable, I’ve chosen to maintain it non-obligatory. In artistic processes, freedom is important.
Whereas we found the worth AI brings, integrating it into present workflows was not with out challenges.
There’s a enormous studying curve with any new expertise. Each editor has their very own distinctive model of modifying. Incorporating a device into that workflow means disrupting their creativity. So it takes a while to get used to this alteration. However as soon as your experiments bear fruit, it’s tough to return to thoroughly conventional modifying processes.
Greater than that, what is required is perseverance.
It’s not a simple job to maintain going at it even after rounds of experiments fail. Utilizing AI as a device to reinforce and never change their present expertise and the will to do ten p.c extra, modifying groups may positively discover a win with AI on the finish of all of it.
Searching for extra information about how AI is altering the world of content material? Study extra about the way forward for AI in writing.
