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OPINION
AI’s role in writing
How do AEC industry businesses use artificial intelligence effectively and responsibly for writing?
T he glitz and glam of artificial intelligence tools have hit the business world with a head- on tackle that would make even the best NFL linebacker jealous. The promise of saving money and time with automation has some flocking to the ChatGPTs, Grammarlys, and OtterAi notetakers of the market. But, if you’re like me, you may feel some hesitancy toward the “AI solves all” trend.
Elizabeth Preston, Ph.D.
Perhaps this uncertainty stems from being cautious about in vogue things being pricey fads with low rates of return or from concern about the unknown. How do we know that generative AI-produced writing contains accurate information free of plagiarism and problematic material? Who is ultimately responsible for the texts that go into generative AI databases and come out of AI machines? Who owns and can profit from AI-produced material? As someone who makes her living writing and teaching writing, these questions plague me, and I can’t help but wonder if we’re opening the door to I, Robot or Millennium Man becoming our realities – neither of which I’m excited to see come to fruition (although they are good movies). As a bit of background, generative AI finds information in a database, puts it together, and produces a
combination of output in line with what you request of the AI. For example, I could ask ChatGPT for a technical report on acid rain’s three most harmful effects. With one click, boom! There’s my report. But therein lies the problem: Is the technical report really mine? Is the information correct? Is it something that my readers will positively respond to? Many public-facing generative AIs’ databases often consist of the entire internet. Everything that was, is, or has been posted on the internet is supposedly fair game. That’s a lot of material. But what about those authors who don’t want their copyrighted texts subject to being plagiarized in my technical report? Too bad. What about those who don’t want their information
See ELIZABETH PRESTON, page 8
THE ZWEIG LETTER MAY 13, 2024, ISSUE 1537
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