Confidence that relying on AI for note writing won't result in an 'AI-like, inorganic' feel

"Writing that looks like it was clearly written by AI"
I've been seeing that kind of criticism more often. I sympathize with it.

If the content is of a nature where inorganic writing is fine, I have no complaints. I'm happy if it's well-organized and easy to read.
However, when it's a personal blog or a media outlet that presents itself as being run by a person, and you read it only to find it's "super AI-like," don't you feel a bit disappointed, like, "Come on!"? Haven't you had that experience?

Writing that is beautifully polished but somehow lacks a sense of human warmth. When reading such inorganic material, I sometimes even find myself missing little writing quirks or roundabout phrasing.

To avoid any misunderstanding, I am not anti-AI, not at all!
In fact, I rely on AI quite a bit for every note I write. I think it would be impossible to maintain my current pace of 4-5 posts a week without AI. Thank you always, ChatGPT and Claude. Perhaps because I use them so much, I have an "AI police" side that can sense when something feels "AI-like."

So, if anything, I'm a heavy AI user. However, even when I see criticism that "people are getting sick of AI-like writing," I am confident that my own writing doesn't fall into that category. It's not about some superficial trick of being able to hide it well so it doesn't feel like AI, or mastering expressions that make it seem human.

It's true that AI is helping me a lot. But I am the one writing it. I think it's because it's my own content, originating from things I've actually thought about based on my own experiences.

I believe the important thing is who is sitting in the "driver's seat," you or the AI.
Do you put the AI in the driver's seat and just shout instructions from the passenger seat? Or do you sit in the driver's seat and have the AI in the passenger seat help you?

If you want to create content that delivers your own perspective and voice, you should be the one sitting in the driver's seat.Even if you ask AI to "make it look good," if you don't have anything specific you want to convey, you'll end up with content that is beautiful but inorganic and cold. That's not the AI's fault. It's a problem of being in the contradiction of wanting to publish something while having nothing to say.

How I use AI when writing notes

The roles I ask the AI in the passenger seat to take on are mainly four. Five, if you include the bonus.

1. A sounding board for the idea stage

2. Proposing a rough structure

3. A consultant when I'm stuck during writing

4. Checking for typos and omissions

5. (Bonus) Having it praise me when I'm finished

Yesterday, I wrote an article about the merits of paper business cards, and I wrote that with the AI in the passenger seat as well. I'd like to summarize the production process of this article.

[1] A sounding board for the idea stage

At first, I tell the AI about the idea, saying, "I'm thinking of writing about this today." Rather than asking for something specific, I do it to get the ideas out in words and receive a reaction. I do it as a warm-up.

I'll convey this as if I'm talking to a friend, saying 'Hey, listen to this.' In reality, I wrote it a bit more concretely, but for example, it's something like this. ▼

In response to this, ChatGPT nodded along and listed the roles of business cards in bullet points. Because of that, my thoughts started to get organized.

My wavering feelings of 'Digital business cards are good, but it would be lonely if paper disappeared...'
With ChatGPT organizing the roles of business cards, my own thoughts also became a bit clearer.

Like this ↓↓
'There are several roles for business cards, some of which can be replaced by digital and some that cannot. The unique business cards I received at the event taught me the charm that only paper can provide.'

I saw the potential to elevate this beyond just 'my event report' into a theme that readers can think about together.

【2】A sparring partner for the idea stage

Next, I ask the AI to 'roughly propose an article structure' based on the thoughts that have been organized through sparring.
My style is to just scribble down what I want to write in bullet points and toss it over, saying, 'This is what I want to say,' for the time being.

I don't think too much here; I write with momentum and really just toss it over. Since we can rally back and forth without having to pass everything at once, I sometimes send follow-up chats like, 'I forgot to write this earlier, but this too!'

Even if I get a structure proposed, I don't necessarily write exactly according to it.Since I write based on my own raw experiences, sometimes suggestions come up that feel 'a bit... that's not what I meant,' even if the structure is well-organized and doesn't feel strange. Depending on the case, I make adjustments like, 'I want to dig deeper here because it's more important,' or 'This topic can be light.'

If a perfect structure comes out, I sometimes use it as is.What I value is whether I can get into the flow and write with that structure.

For example, the article about paper business cards. ChatGPT proposed a problem statement at the beginning: 'I had a sense of discomfort with the trend of decreasing paper business card exchanges.' However, this is different from reality.
I didn't have any particular discomfort; I was just struck by it while thinking, 'I guess paper business cards will disappear,' and I didn't have any sense of a problem at all.

If you raise a problem and attract attention, it might be effective to impress your argument. However, it is difficult to write in your own words within a 'setting' that wasn't actually the case. Therefore, I didn't adopt it.

【3】A consultant when you're lost while writing

Once I start writing the article, I basically write the text inside myself. However, when I get lost midway, thinking, 'Is this example hard to understand?' or 'This part might be redundant...', I consult the AI. By proceeding while receiving feedback from the AI, I can break through when I get lost more quickly.

※ Reason for writing the inside myself: Because I want to use my own words
I have also tried the flow of having the AI propose the text inside and then adding and correcting it myself as a base. However, I often felt it was double the work when correcting nuances that felt strange or expressions I wouldn't use, so I stopped.

【4】Checking for typos and omissions

Finally, I pass the completed article to the AI to check for typos and omissions. Since I can avoid missing small mistakes, there is a sense of security in the final check.

【5】(Bonus) Getting praised when finished writing

This is not directly related to the work, but I report the finished article to the AI and get praised (lol).
I often write notes at the end of the day, so I close my PC feeling good with this small interaction. Sometimes it even gives me suggestions that I can use for the next article.

The feeling that I am the driver

In this way, AI is strictly the 'passenger seat.' By maintaining the state where I am in the 'driver's seat,' the writing does not become inorganic. While receiving support from the AI in the passenger seat, I do not ignore those feelings of discomfort like 'I want to write it this way,' 'That's not it,' or 'Something doesn't feel right.' Even while borrowing a lot of AI's power, I am firmly holding the steering wheel myself.

That is precisely why, when I finish writing, I don't have the feeling that 'AI made this for me,' but rather a sense of satisfaction that 'I was able to write what I wanted to say.'

Why is it better not to give up the driver's seat?

Once again... why do I want to cherish the feeling that 'I am the driver'? I think it's because, in the case of personal blogs or notes, this is not just a place for providing information, but a place that has a large aspect of conveying one's own voice and perspective.

I want to read it because this person is writing it

Inorganic writing creates a sense of distance from the reader. Expressions that mix in little writing habits or spoken language are often cleaned up nicely when submitted to AI. However, sometimes writing that feels like it has body temperature—conveying that 'this is what this person felt'—becomes the driving force that makes people want to read or engage in dialogue. (Though it is a matter of degree.)
Even if AI writing is beautiful, if there is a feeling that it is somehow not your own, I think it is better not to overlook that unease.

The difficulty of attracting readers with the theme itself is high

Come to think of it, "the theme itself alone" is quite a high hurdle to attract readers with. The story about paper business cards is the same. The perspective of 'the warmth of paper to think about in an era of shifting to digital' itself is not particularly surprising or novel. It shouldn't be something that makes people say, 'I've never seen this angle before!!'
However, it gained uniqueness because I wrote it in my own words from my own position and real experience. Even with the same design, I think I was able to make it a living article because I wrote it while incorporating my own perspective as someone involved in Web design, and my real experience of feeling the futility of exchanging paper business cards.
This should have more uniqueness than an article created by dumping the task from the passenger seat, saying, 'Write an interesting analytical article about paper business cards.'

AI is a reliable partner that helps increase production speed and helps break through when you are lost.In today's article, there was some somewhat negative talk in the context of 'not leaving it entirely to AI,' but it significantly shortens the time to write an article and is an indispensable presence for deepening the content.

With the feeling of having AI in the passenger seat, let's enjoy creating content that only you can make while relying on it effectively!

Thank you for your hard work today too ☕️