Five Tips for Using AI to Aid Your Writing
(Last updated: 3 February 2025)
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Universities are becoming increasingly aware of the generic, low-quality writing AI produces and are taking steps to detect and penalise its misuse. Relying on AI to write your work is not only a risky shortcut to take, but it also leads to repetitive, unoriginal content that lacks depth and critical thought. While there is a place for AI in aiding research and refining your writing, it is essential to understand that it should never substitute the intellectual effort and originality required for high-quality academic work. Here are five suggestions for using AI responsibly when writing essays without engaging in dishonest practices.
1. A Smarter Google
In essence, AI is like a smarter Google that responds to your questions without you having to “google” your way to an answer. This aspect of AI is useful for understanding the material for your essay. If wondering who developed a particular theory, how to define a particular construct, or when a particular event occurred, you can ask AI tools. Keep in mind, however, that AI lacks the nuance and deep understanding that comes with human expertise and can more than often give context-blind and outdated answer.
2. Finishing Sentences
Another obstacle while writing is when you simply get stuck, such as when you write the first part of a sentence and lose grasp of its conclusion. This often happens with the last sentences in paragraphs. AI can be used as an aid here. A useful tip is to ask: “Can you finish this sentence using one sentence?” and then paste your whole paragraph into the AI chat. Remember to check whether the generated end of the sentence actually makes sense in the context of your paragraph. AI-generated text might sound fine in isolation, but it often lacks coherence with the surrounding content. Relying on AI for this kind of task will eventually lead to disjointed writing.
3. Finding Academic Terms
How often does it happen that you cannot find an appropriate term while writing? For example, you type a sentence saying “Viewers freaked out when confronted with the unexpected turn of events”, but the academic term for “freaked out” eludes you. This is another obstacle that AI can solve quickly. You can simply instruct AI to give you five alternatives for the term “freaked out” in your sentence and choose from the provided options. While this can certainly save time, it's important to remember that AI can’t replace your ability to assess context and choose the most appropriate term for your argument.
3. Paraphrasing
Another benefit of AI is that it is skilled in paraphrasing. When re-reading your paper, you might notice that some sentences sound odd, yet you may find it challenging to correct them. To solve this, you can ask AI to paraphrase your sentence. While this can be a useful tool, you must remember that the real value of rewriting lies in understanding your own material and expressing it in your own words. AI cannot replace the depth of comprehension required for clear and thoughtful communication.
5. Re-Formatting References
The final advantage of AI is that it can complete tediously long tasks in seconds. Imagine the frustration felt upon realising you have formatted your references in Vancouver while you actually needed Harvard referencing. AI can accomplish the reformatting in mere seconds, sparing you both stress and time. That being said, over-relying on AI for such tasks can lead to careless mistakes that undermine the quality of your work. Using AI for this process also means neglecting the vital skill of understanding and applying referencing styles yourself. Properly formatting references is a key part of academic work, and AI cannot replace the attention to detail and academic rigour that you, as a student, must develop.
Why AI isn't Enough
While AI may assist in basic tasks, it can never replace the critical thinking, creativity, and in-depth understanding that are essential in academic writing. AI lacks the human element that makes your work unique. It cannot offer the insight needed to evaluate complex arguments, develop an original perspective, or produce work that stands out. So, in summary, there are ways in which AI can benefit your writing without making you a cheater, but it should never be your crutch. That’s why our next post will explore five things to avoid when using AI to aid your writing.
