Why I Use AI to Help Write (and Why I’m Not Hiding It)
“I’ve got to ask,” a friend said to me recently, “are you writing all this yourself, or are you just writing prompts for AI?”
It was a fair question. And honestly, it made me pause, not so much because I felt called out, but because it pointed to a bigger conversation we need to have: what does it mean to code, create, and write in the age of AI?
So here’s my answer:
Yes, I write. And yes, I use AI.
As someone with dyslexia, writing has always been something I can do, but not always something I’ve felt fast or confident about. The ideas have never been the problem. It’s the translating, taking what’s in my head and shaping it clearly, smoothly, and (hopefully) with some flow. That’s where I used to burn out.
AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude, to name a few, have changed that. They don’t do the thinking for me. They help me see my thinking more clearly. They suggest structure when I’ve got too many ideas. They offer drafts to push against or refine. They even help me explore different tones, without judgment.
It’s made me faster, yes. But more importantly, it’s made me braver.
I share more. I second-guess less.
But I’m also learning from these tools. I’ve seen where they shine (clarity, consistency, structure) and where they fall short (nuance, restraint, lived experience). I’ve seen how easily they generate confidence, without necessarily earning it. And I’ve learned not to treat their first, second, or even third output as “done,” but as a draft to be challenged, reworked, and made more me.
This is especially relevant for leaders and professionals who want to communicate better but feel blocked by time, self-doubt, or the blank page. AI won’t fix that, but it can help.
It’s a collaborative process: my ideas, my voice, shaped with support.
I’m doing the work, with a new kind of tool at my side.
And I think being open about that matters. Because when we normalize how people really get things done, especially those of us with different ways of thinking and working, we open the door for more people to show up, share, and grow.
Whether you use AI or not, my question is:
Are you learning? Are you becoming clearer, faster, more courageous in how you share your ideas?
For me, today, the answer is yes.
#AIWriting #DyslexicThinking #Neurodiversity #HumanCenteredTech #Leadership #AuthenticLeadership #WritingWithAI #DigitalTools #TechnologyAndHumanity
Human-made, AI-assisted.
