In this blog post, we discuss our experience of using AI to write articles—what we expected the process to be like, and how the reality differed.
One of the great strengths of AI is content generation. It is capable of writing stories and generating images at remarkable speed. Much has been said about how AI can write blog posts for you and increase your output severalfold. On the surface, it appears to be the perfect way to boost productivity and work smarter. So before writing articles with AI we were expecting that AI would nearly write entire articles on its own and increase output to incredible levels. While this is true to some extent, the reality comes with quite a few caveats.
After using AI to write articles for the past year we thought we would share some of the things we have learned:
The Positives of Using AI to Help Write Articles
Adding Value and Enhancing Content Quality
Firstly, AI adds significant value because it can provide information and ideas for your article that you may not have originally planned to include. This is extremely valuable, as it has the potential to improve the overall quality and depth of the content, which should be a top priority for any article writer or content producer. We found that the information provided by AI complements the material added by our writers, helping to create more well-rounded and informative articles.
Enhancing Language Quality
AI can help rewrite an article to improve grammar, spelling, and overall readability. You can ask it to take both AI-generated and manually written content and turn it into a more coherent and polished piece of writing.
Increasing Output
Another impact of AI for us is a higher rate of article production. We are likely producing more articles per week by using AI to assist with writing than we would if we were writing them entirely by hand. In addition, because the articles contain extra information, they are also somewhat longer than they would have been otherwise.
As a result, AI not only improves productivity but also enables a more efficient workflow, allowing writers to focus more on refining ideas, editing, and ensuring overall quality rather than spending most of their time on initial drafting.
Better Search Engine Optimisation
We also found that AI can help with generating keywords and meta descriptions, especially in situations where it can be difficult to come up with ideas or when you feel blocked creatively. In addition, it can quickly suggest multiple variations, helping you choose the most effective options for SEO and improving the visibility and performance of your articles in search results.
Article Review
After writing an article, you can simply ask AI to review the entire piece, and it can sometimes make valuable suggestions that you may choose to incorporate into your work. This can be a useful approach for many writers, particularly for those who prefer to keep their use of AI to a minimum when producing articles.
The Limitations of Using AI When Writing Articles
Letting AI Write the Article May Not Be the Best Approach
In our experience, simply writing a prompt and allowing AI to generate an article is often not the best approach. We have found that articles frequently require checking and editing to bring them up to standard. Sometimes, individual sentences may not fully make sense, even though most of the article produced by the AI is coherent. What we often see is repetition, with the same ideas being expressed in slightly different words. You therefore have to be careful that AI does not detract from the overall quality of your content.
Rewritten Text Requires Human Review
Another issue is that when you use AI to rewrite an article, you need to be confident that the meaning of your original text has not been altered in any way, and that the revised version is not unintentionally saying something slightly or completely different. This process can be time-consuming and sometimes frustrating. One approach is to rewrite the articles paragraph by paragraph to reduce the risk of confusion and maintain accuracy. Starting with the first paragraph, ask an LLM to rewrite it. You then review the new paragraph and check it against the original paragraph. Over time, you may find that the LLM often produces reliable rewrites, reducing the need for extensive checking. This process is then repeated for every paragraph.
Potential for Search Engine Ranking Issues
One concern we have is that using AI might impact our search engine rankings. However, going forward, this may become less of an issue as more people begin using AI to create and optimise articles, and search engines continue to adapt to AI-assisted content.
Summary
In summary, in our view, AI works best for article writing when used collaboratively with humans rather than independently. It can significantly improve productivity and enhance content quality, although there are also limitations to consider. Ultimately, the degree of AI involvement will vary depending on individual preference and working style.