Writing is a skill that requires training. Writing originally and responsibly with AI requires even more training.
Sep 13, 2023
By Rhea Wessel
The Institute for Thought Leadership is focused on teaching subject-matter experts to find and frame their best ideas. As we continue to work full speed ahead with this, ChatGPT has appeared on the landscape.
I paid some attention to the initial buzz but more or less ignored it. Then, this summer, I was in the middle of a webinar about AI for content creators when something struck me.
This tool is amazing. It will change everything. Writers will be put out of work, but not all writers. Those who embrace AI will be in even higher demand. Those who don’t, well, they better look for other jobs.
More polished articles, but...
I began to dive deeper into the possibilities with AI and interview people. Soon, I realized that the subject-matter experts we train in writing will be able to write much more polished stories than before with the help of AI.
But many of those stories will still lack dramatic story architecture or originality.
Within a month, I decided to do a brand pivot. I had planned a second edition of my book Write Like a Thought Leader, and now that book will come out sooner rather than later, also with a little help from ChatGPT.
It will be focused on helping subject-matter experts harvest their ideas and opinions and get those out there faster, better and in a more elegant way with the power AI.
A new direction for us
So, without really anticipating it, we’re launched on a new, adventurous path. Fortunately, this fits very well with what we’re already doing and our values.
The essence of our new brand is this: We help subject-matter experts write originally and responsibly with AI.
Journalistic skills and ethics
We are owned and operated by journalists, and we believe that journalistic skills and ethics are the way forward in the world of corporate writing.
We also know and love storytelling, and we have a deep understanding of story architecture and narrative drive.
Although experts now have a tool that can make it quicker and easier to publish for their business, media will soon be flooded with machine-written texts that put readers to sleep and do the opposite of what they intend if the tool isn’t used wisely.
Trust is the biggest brand asset and with ChatGPT, it’s even more necessary to cultivate trust.
This will require training at scale. If communications people don’t watch out, it will be like letting thousands of new drivers on the road without a license. Writing has always been a skill that requires training. Writing originally and responsibly with ChatGPT requires even more training.
I’m excited about our future.
Teaching originality, creativity, publishing ethics and responsibility is a grand calling.
And these skills are just what experts and emerging thought leaders need in this new world of AI.
-Rhea Wessel is the Founder and Head of the Institute for Thought Leadership. She can be reached at [email protected]
