My AI usage policy
I do not use AI to generate any of my content.
Full stop.
I’ve been writing professionally for a long time. Long before AI hit the scene as the “solution” for creating content.
I call BS on that belief. At least if you want content with human insights, taste, and a unique style that reflects your brand.
I also don’t use tools like Hemingway or Grammarly at all. Frankly, they just aren’t as good as an experienced writer and editor, notwithstanding their aspirational names.
When you get copy from me, you can rest assured it is 100% original, straight from my mind to the page.
I’m not a luddite, though. I believe most tech tools, even AI in its still-nascent stage, have potential value.
Where I do use AI
- Research starting point. I occasionally leverage Gemini or Claude to surface basic information about a topic. However, I triple-check any “facts” it gives me, because…you know…hallucinations.
- Technical topics. I write a lot about highly-technical and complex subjects. To ensure I fully understand a new concept, I will sometimes ask Gemini or Claude to check my thoughts for gaps in knowledge. Just like with my research, though, I triple-check anything either tool spits out. See hallucinations, above.
- Personal assistant. Claude Cowork keeps me organized. Claude Code helps me build dashboard solutions. Claude Chat helps me get creative with leftovers.
Where I never use AI
- Writing. I pride myself on my writing skills. I’ve honed my craft over decades of practice. To turn over that responsibility to an LLM with no soul is not something I will ever do. Every single piece of content you get from me is 100% my own. That includes headlines, sub-heads, body copy, etc.
- Spelling and grammar. I use a mix of Google Docs and Microsoft Word, depending on client preference, to capture my ideas and words. Both platforms have built in spellchecking tools. I rely on those to catch spelling errors as I write. But that’s it.
- Editing. I don’t use any tool to rewrite any of my text at any time. I carefully review everything I write with my own two eyes to check for grammar, syntax, and general awesomeness. If my copy sucks on the first (or second) pass, I keep refining it until it shines. You get 100% original copy powered exclusively by me, every time.
Final thoughts on AI
As a writer, I take my craft seriously. I also guard my creative output fiercely.
Much of my work is on behalf of clients, and they own the final product. What they do with it is up to them. I trust them to use my words for good.
For everything else I write, including work published with my byline, I do not consent to any of my work being used to train any form of AI, LLM, or machine learning device.
Just file that last sentence under “things I never imagined having to say.”