Here at the UWC, we can help you with any part of the writing process as a peer-to-peer resource, but we won’t do the work for you. Similarly, GenAI should be used as a tool to assist you with the writing process, not a replacement for your own effort. To use AI effectively in the writing process, you still need a certain awareness of writing conventions, like audience, tone, and genre. Below, we provide suggestions for how to use AI as an effective tool in your writing process when it is allowed by your instructor.

Prompt Engineering

When communicating with generative AI programs like ChatGPT or Copilot, you prompt the program for responses. Understanding how to write a prompt is essential to getting accurate and helpful responses. Check out Learn Prompting, an educational site dedicated to teaching people about the best practices of what's known as "prompt engineering."

In each of the steps below, there are many AI tools that could be helpful. For example, there are tools specifically for finding sources or keeping track of your research. Which GenAI tool you use will depend on what you’re trying to accomplish.

Below, we outline ways AI can be used as a tool for the five main parts of the writing process: brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising, and citing. 

Brainstorming

When considering using AI as a tool for brainstorming, AI can…

• Stand in as an expert on a topic. If you are writing about a topic that your instructor or a peer cannot advise you on, you can use AI as a stand-in “expert” to bounce ideas off of and learn more. 
• List out appropriate topics. If you are struggling to find a good topic for a project, you can use AI to help suggest ideas. 
• Provide starting points. If you know your topic but are stuck on where to begin, AI can help give you direction. Remember, though, that AI will be providing ideas or topics that have already been written or discussed. Although you can talk about something someone has already published, make sure your contribution is unique.

Outlining

When considering using AI as a tool for outlining, AI can…

• Help organize your thoughts. If you like to freewrite and struggle to put your thoughts in order, you can use AI to help you organize them in a way that makes sense for your topic or audience. 
• Generate models to reference. If you’re assigned a type of writing you’ve never written before, you can use AI to generate outlines of typical examples of that genre. However, be sure to follow the guidelines from your instructor since they may ask for specifics that differ from a generic model.
• Suggest areas to bulk up your outline. If you already have an outline and want to make sure it is balanced and clear, you can use AI to double-check where you may need to expand or delete ideas. Remember that your prompts need to include the details of what your overall goal for the project is to ensure the GenAI tool generates an effective response.

Drafting

When considering using AI as a tool for drafting, AI can…

• Be your writing assistant. If you are feeling stuck, looking for a way to get started on a paragraph, or struggling to articulate your thoughts in the appropriate writing style, AI can help you generate the first part of your text to have a starting point, even giving you several options to work from. Make sure, though, that AI is functioning as an assistant and not writing the content for you. If you copy and paste AI-generated text, it is no longer your original writing being used for the assignment.
• Help understand tone and audience. If you are writing for an audience or in a field that you are unfamiliar with, you can use AI to help you understand the expectations of the audience and the norms of the field. 
• Assist in varying your writing style. If you are struggling to make your writing flow or you tend to overuse a particular sentence pattern, you can use AI to learn new ways to express the same ideas. Keep in mind, though, that AI tools often give you the same sentence structures each time by default, so you may need to write prompts to encourage creativity. You’ll also need to make sure that any styles it suggests are appropriate for the audience and occasion you’re writing for. 

Revising

When considering using AI as a tool for drafting, AI can…

• Indicate where you need to improve. If you are struggling to edit your own work, you can use some AI tools in ways similar to an asynchronous writing center appointment, where AI can point out areas for improvement. This is an appropriate way to have AI point to errors but still learn how to resolve them yourself.
• Revise for clarity and cohesion. Gen AI tools can help you rewrite awkward sentences or improve the organization of your information. Always double-check content that AI has revised, though, because it may alter your original meaning. Remember that AI is following a prompt request, and if you are not specific or particular, it may revise in ways you weren’t expecting.
• Review for missing requirements and content. If you are unsure about meeting the expectations of your instructor, you can use AI to double-check that you are meeting the rubric or assignment prompt. Make sure you still review the final document before submission as well, to ensure that you are confident in what you will submit.

Citing with AI

Because AI is changing so rapidly, most style guides are opting to update their electronic style guides rather than their physical publications. The University Libraries have created guides for citing AI-use in common citation styles like APA and MLA.

If you’re using AI for work you intend to publish, make sure you follow the publisher’s guidelines for how to cite your AI use.

Further Resources

Check out our other webpages about AI Support at the UWC and Protecting Against Accusations of Inappropriate AI Use.