What’s in an AI edit? It depends.

Purdue communicators are encouraged to use AI tools for a variety of purposes including initial editing and proofreading passes. Purdue GenAI Studio is an option to explore ways AI might help writers identify grammatical errors, inconsistencies and stylistic issues quickly and efficiently.   

AI tools have limitations, however. Users beginning to experiment with AI should test a variety of prompts and instructions and review results carefully to see how different tools perform. Effective AI prompts are specific and precise, using clear and concise language that avoids jargon. 

Asking an AI tool to “edit” a piece of writing could mean the tool does a simple proofread, checking for spelling, punctuation and grammatical mistakes. This “edit” could miss more significant issues, like factual errors. When crafting an editing prompt for AI, make sure to:  

• Define and specify the task the tool should perform (e.g., developmental edit, proofread, fact-check, etc.) 
• Provide context about the audience, tone and style 
• Specify what the tool shouldn’t do (e.g., avoid rewriting) 

As writers increasingly turn to AI tools, it’s important to consider and understand the tools’ strengths and weaknesses. For more information on using AI, review Purdue Brand Studio’s AI content guidelines. 

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