AI tools like ChatGPT make fantastic writing partners. They’re fast, convenient, and can help you think of things you haven’t thought of. But like any tool, they’re most effective when being guided by a human.

Here are eight useful tips to upgrade your process for using AI to create posts on Xchange. These helpful habits can keep your content sounding like you, fellow human, instead of a toaster with a thesaurus.

If you find these tips useful, check out the second entry in this series for eight more best practices to improve your human/robot partnership.

1. Start With Your Idea

Before you even consult with your automated author, write down a few lines about what you want to say. How do you want your audience to respond? What do you hope they take away from your work? Why does this topic matter to you?

Once you've chosen a purpose, you can use AI to explore angles, structure your thoughts, or even ask you questions to further shape your content. The better you can define what you want, the more you can keep your voice at the center and avoid the feeling of an “auto-generated blog post.”

Knowing what you want to say (even if you don't know how to say it) gives AI a clearer (and more original) starting point.

2. Copy-Edit > Copy-Paste

AI has been known to get things wrong on occasion. There are many examples of it inventing statistics, misquoting sources, or casually dropping incorrect information into your post without warning. Just because something sounds right doesn’t mean it actually is.

Before publishing, take a moment to verify any facts (names, numbers, dates) or claims AI may have included. A quick Google search or check-in with a reliable source can save you from spreading misinformation... and save your reputation from taking an unnecessary hit. Your credibility is worth more than AI’s best guess.

Write right. If you can't confirm it, don't trust it.

3. Check Your Tone

AI often writes like it’s trying to win the award for “Most Neutral Prose” in a corporate writing contest. While this can work for documentation, it often makes content feel flat and forgettable. Reading your draft out loud can help you overcome this. If it doesn’t sound like something you’d actually say, the tone probably needs some adjustment.

A few simple tweaks can go a long way. Add an opinion, a light joke, or even a quick aside to make the writing feel more human. That extra touch of personality helps turn a bland draft into something people actually want to read.

Adding your voice to AI output brings your content to life.

4. Begone, Buzzwords

Let's be honest. Including words like “cutting-edge,” “disruptive,” or “synergy,” makes your content look like a robot helped write it. Buzzwords can sound impressive, but they rarely make your work more meaningful. Relying on too many of them makes it easy for your post to blend in with every other AI-generated article out there.

You can overcome this trap by being specific. Use real examples, clear language, and even honest reflection to make your point. Readers don’t want perfect, they want real.

If a phrase sounds like it belongs in a startup pitch deck, try rewriting it plainly.

5. Be Specific or Be Forgotten

General statements are easy to write, and just as easy to forget. Lines like “AV is changing fast” don't tell your reader anything they haven’t already heard. But something like “Our team used a three-camera setup with remote PTZ control to stream a live opera” instantly gives your post depth and color.

AI can help shape the structure of your post, but the substance should come from you. Add specific details from your own work, even if they feel small, to make your content stand out. If you can picture your sentence appearing in five other posts, it likely needs a little more you.

Make your story stick by using names, numbers, and real-world context.

6. Edit Everything

AI isn't shy about using its favorite words. Terms like “innovative,” “solution,” “seamless,” and “insightful” tend to pop up repeatedly, even when they don’t add much. Don't rely on AI to determine the best words for your post, jump in and show your content a little editing love.

Scan for overused terms and trade them out for more natural-sounding language. Plainspoken is always best, especially when paired with real-world takeaways or examples. Transform the filler into sentences that actually tells your readers something new.

Use short, punchy words and real, everyday terms... not a cloud of adjectives.

7. Make it Personal

The best content feels human. One well-placed joke, a brief anecdote, or a simple personal insight can shift your post from forgettable to memorable. It signals that there’s a real person behind the words.

No need to overshare or get too personal. A small glimpse of the person behind the post can go a long way. Those glimpses are often the part that people remember, comment on, or share. 

Include a human touch that encourages readers to engage with your content.

8. One More Pass

Always do one final scan for tone mismatches, awkward transitions, formatting glitches, or signs of cybernetic sentience. Even the best AI can use a second set of eyes.

Turn your work into something you'd be proud to share on LinkedIn.

Final Thought: Your Voice Matters Most

AI may be a literal content generation machine, but it's you who brings the real value. Your ideas, your thoughts, and your experience are the engine of your content's success. Think of these tips as ways to stay in the creative loop and avoid looking like you outsourced your thoughts to a digital assistant.

Do you have a favorite way to use AI to support your writing? Drop it in the comments. The machines aren't the only  ones who are always learning.