A lot of writers claim they’re dead-set against AI—at least for now.

I’m not one of them.

In business, it’s foolish to cling to slow, arduous, inefficient methods just to resist change that’s inevitable.

Why grind harder when you can work smarter?

Working smart includes using the tools at your fingertips to save time and boost your output.

So many people associate AI with harm. Well, if you’re a blogger, journalist, or freelance writer, here are 11 ways AI can help you:

1) Search

More folks are using AI tools, such as ChatGPT, like a traditional search engine because, in many cases, it’s a superior experience.

Traditional search engines, like Google, dump links on you. Then, you have to click through, gambling on whether each one has what you need. It’s a hunting game.

AI delivers answers in a quick, clear, conversational manner, cutting through the clutter. When you do get lists, they’re curated with summaries, showing exactly what each source has and how it answers your query.

2) Research

AI is a research powerhouse. It slashes the time spent digging through sources by pointing you to what matters and where to find it, and helping you navigate the sites you.

With AI, you can start with a complex query and have the answers to a list of questions answered within seconds.

For example, if a criminal case has multiple defendants, you could ask [What are the names of the six defendants in the ABC murders, what were there sentences, when were they released, and which are still living?] 

An AI tool will deliver all of that information in an organized manner in seconds. And, the tool may provide additional background on the case.

Some will argue, you can’t trust AI because it hallucinates. You can’t trust anything.

That’s why I said it cuts research, not replaces it.

3) Quick Outlining

Writer’s block. Ever experienced it?

AI-powered tools can generate detailed outlines for your next blog post, article, or eBook in seconds. Just input your topic, ideas you want to cover, and any other requirements you may have, and you’ll get a clear structure with key points, subheadings, and even a solid conclusion to kickstart your draft.

4) Summarizing & Compiling Content

AI is a game-changer for tackling mountains of information.

Whether it’s dense reports, interview transcripts, or long email threads, AI can summarize key points and flag relevant details fast.

If you’re a CTRL+F junkie, think of AI as that tool on steroids plus some. It’s smarter, quicker, and way more insightful.

5) Transcription

Transcribing long interviews, meetings, or presentations by hand is so outdated and such an inefficient use of time.

AI tools can transcribe, create lists of keywords, make those keywords searchable across multiple files, and even tag the audio of speakers so you can quickly sort just one person’s statements.

But how can you rely on AI? You don’t have to. Listen to the sections of audio you need to confirm the wording.

AI-driven transcription is also a game-changer when you’re searching for clips for podcasts or videos.

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6) Article Ideas and Angles

Some clients demand a steady stream of articles daily or weekly. Work with them long enough, and you’ll hit a creative wall.

That’s where AI, your ole’ faithful sidekick steps in.

Feed it prompts, notes or previous articles, and it’ll churn out fresh ideas or unique angles to keep your content pipeline flowing.

7) Headline Writing

If you’ve never stared at a finished piece, stumped on the headline, you probably haven’t written much. Don’t worry—you’ll get your turn.

AI can toss out a list of headline options tailored to your needs, whether you want specific keywords, need a character limit, or need something that lands with a particular audience.

Pick one, tweak one, or gather inspiration to write your own.

8) Trends and Sentiment

AI tools can spot trends in data, news coverage, or your previous work faster than you can brew coffee.

AI tools, can also gauge public sentiment on a topic or analyze comments on a piece of content so you don’t have to wade through hundreds of reactions yourself.

9) Detection

Ever heard of being blind to your own bias? AI can catch it.

When you’re writing for pay, especially for picky clients, that’s a big deal. AI can also flag clichés, jargon, or phrasing that might miss the mark with a certain audience.

Think of it like spell check and grammar check but the smarter cousin who always knows better.

10) Repurposing Content

AI tools can analyze your content and whip up tailored social media posts for specific platforms to drive traffic to your work.
In minutes, you can have engaging snippets that hit the way you want them to.

You can use AI to repurpose content in a variety of ways, including transforming your articles into podcast scripts or vice versa.

11) Emails

When you’re a freelancer looking for clients, pitching is a numbers game. Manually tweaking your resume or crafting custom cover letters and proposals for each prospect is slow and tedious.

AI can cut that time from hours to minutes, letting you reach far more prospective clients while still having plenty of time to do other things.

When you’re working through your inbox,  you can also use AI to speed up your replies.

And for anybody who tries to argue there’s value in crafting every reply or proposal from scratch—the line’s busy. You can’t through.

Make AI work for you

For skeptics, the reality is, you can’t wish AI away. You can’t pack it up and ship it off. It’s here!

You could, and likely will, contribute to it involuntarily.

So put it to work for you. It’s free labor. Pimp it out!

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