AI Writing Tools: Tribeca’s Dos and Don’ts
As generative AI tools become integral to content creation and campaign management, brands worldwide face new challenges and opportunities. In particular, AI copywriting technology promises time-saving efficiencies, but using it effectively requires a careful balance.
To extract the real-world benefits of generative AI, PR, comms, and digital content teams should automate selectively to preserve the human touch behind campaigns that stand out from the crowd.
We’ve consulted Tribeca Public Relations’ Managing Director and co-founder, Nicky James to hear how agencies can adapt and thrive in the new era of generative AI-aided marketing.
DON’T: Abandon proof-reading
While AI tools can generate text quickly and, for the most part, accurately, they still lack a human’s ability to fully understand context, tone, and nuance. While an AI’s knowledge base grows and the more data it has access to, it is still susceptible to errors – also known as hallucinations – where incorrect information is presented as fact.
When it comes to PR, comms and content work, an understanding of complex or industry-specific terminology, cultural references, or subtle language cues can significantly impact the authority of copy. AI lacks an understanding of these essential elements, which shows the indispensable nature of human copywriters and editors.
Nicky points out:
“A truly efficient and effective AI-assisted workflow has human fact-checking built-in to ensure everything makes sense, is grammatically correct, and is clear enough for the target audience to understand in context.”
Human oversight is essential to ensure clarity, accuracy, and authenticity. A thorough review maintains content quality and accountability, ensuring the final output meets professional standards and strengthens client trust.
DO: Check for the tell-tale signs of AI
Just like content written by the same person is likely to contain their habitual patterns and preferences, copy written by an AI tool can be recognised for its repeated stylistic and grammatical choices. With millions of people generating AI copy each day using the same handful of popular tools, the work generated is becoming recognisable – not just to marketers, but to the everyday consumer too.
Once you notice the predictable formulas, you can’t un-notice them. Obvious AI-generated copy can leave readers feeling jaded and distrustful towards your so-called “expert voice”.
Nicky says:
“Some tell-tale signs that something has been written by ChatGPT include:
- American English as the default – for example, Z in place of S.
- The repeated use of three adjectives in a row – for example, “smart, funny, and amazing”.
- The use of the words and phrases ‘foster’, ‘seamless’, ‘leverage’, ‘cutting-edge’ ‘unparalleled’, and ‘ever-evolving world of’, amongst others – these words are not necessarily “bad”, but repeated use of them does identify your copy with ChatGPT generation.
- Headlines and sub-headings that follow the structure of two phrases separated by a colon – for example, ‘The Ethical Use of AI: What to Look Out For’. “
This is just another reason why expert editing by an experienced copy editor and proofreader – who understands your brand, campaigns, and goals inside out – is indispensable in the new era of AI.
DON’T: Upload private information from your organisation or clients
Nicky points out:
“While AI has the power to transform industries and make our lives more efficient, it also comes with data security and transparency challenges. We must be aware of how the data we’re inputting into AI platforms is being used, who has access to it, and the long-term implications of sharing personal information with these platforms.”
Many generative AI models store and analyse user input to improve their responses. While this means tools are continually improving the content they generate, it can also expose users to unintended risks.
Entering sensitive, timely or entirely confidential information into models like ChatGPT can risk data leakage, non-compliance to standards like GDPR, and a loss of client trust.
Ensure everyone across your organisation is aware of the best practices and prescribed uses of AI to prevent data security and privacy from becoming an issue for yourselves and your clients.
DO: Put company AI guidelines and policies in place
Just like any new technology, tool or process, for value to be extracted from AI tools, they must be used consistently, responsibly, and ethically across the entire organisation. Official policies can help to ensure shared understanding across roles, teams, and seniority levels.
Nicky advises:
“Companies must develop an “Ethical use of AI” policy that outlines best practices for ensuring transparency and accountability. “Data privacy and AI” policies are also essential. These ensure sensitive information is protected when using AI tools and platforms.”
Frameworks for safe and correct usage not only help to protect sensitive information but also give the entire team the confidence to experiment with generative AI tools and reap the benefits without fear of incorrect use.
Alongside upskilling, official guidelines and policies are crucial for responsibly navigating the ethical concerns presented by generative AI tools, like data privacy and content authenticity.
DON’T: Forget the human touch
As all experts know, great PR and marketing is about creating impactful, lasting connections between real brands and real people. While AI generation offers a way to streamline the work to create these connections, we cannot create truly meaningful results without human input.
Nicky says:
“While AI can help with repetitive tasks, it still needs a human hand to ensure originality and authenticity. AI-generated content lacks nuance such as the ability to adapt subtlety and emotional tone for different audiences. This is where a combination of AI and human input is non-negotiable. Use AI to enhance your work, not to do everything for you. Let it assist with efficiency, while you provide the creativity – there’s no replacement for this after all.”
Teams – both internal and external – should always ensure their work is informed by unique insights, directed by expert instincts, and expressed through human creativity. Oversight from informed human experts at every step of the content creation journey helps to ensure that AI-generated content aligns with the relevant brand voice, resonates with the intended audience, and generates the intended results.
DO: Reskill your teams to get the most from AI writing tools
To harness the full potential of AI writing tools to enhance efficiency, the teams tasked with using them must have a solid understanding of the technology’s capabilities –and weaknesses – so they can adapt their ways of working accordingly.
As these tools become more advanced and embedded in daily workflows, organisations with a comprehensive, holistic understanding of the technology stand to reap the biggest rewards.
Nicky says:
“We must consider how AI impacts skills development and ultimately employment. As more tasks become automated, we should focus not only on upskilling but reskilling our teams to integrate AI into what we do, instead of letting it take over.”
Reskilling supports creative adaptability, empowering teams to enhance, rather than replace, their skill sets. This approach helps experts balance automation with the nuances of human-driven content, like tone, context, and emotional resonance —essential qualities that AI can’t yet fully replicate.
Generative AI tools open up an exciting era for PR, communications, and digital content teams, offering enhanced efficiency and new creative possibilities. However, to get the most from them, we must approach generative AI with a blend of strategy, responsibility, and a commitment to maintaining the human touch.
As you integrate AI into your workflows, keep these dos and don’ts in mind to ensure your experts remain trusted leaders with a reputation for authentic output.
All L’Attitude partner agencies operate on the basis that AI is a powerful collaborator, not a replacement for human expertise. When used thoughtfully, it has the potential to amplify creativity and drive impactful campaigns.
With international bases across Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, APAC and Africa, the L’Attitude network combines innovative insights with unrivalled creativity and best-in-class PR practice to achieve powerful outcomes for some of the world’s leading brands.
Ready to take your brand global? Visit www.lattitudeglobal.com.
