Can AI tools help us tell better stories, build better businesses,
and serve others? Yes — when used wisely.
AI tools are shaking things up in writing, marketing, and business. They’re powerful tools, and they’re constantly improving. But here’s something we should all be wondering: How do we use AI without losing our voice, our purpose, or our values? If you’re a writer, solopreneur, or marketer, this question matters more than ever. Because your voice is your brand. People trust you because of your values. Your goals make your job matter.
AI can help us a lot, but we need to use it smart.
The Risks of Using AI Without Intention
If you’ve used AI tools before, you get it. Churning out content is a breeze. Fast. Ridiculously fast. But it’s super easy to write stuff that sounds fake or not like you.
Here are some things to watch out for:
1. Blending into the crowd
AI most people use, mostly, is trained on the content of the internet — which means it often writes like the internet. If you rely on it too heavily, your writing can sound like everyone else’s.
As a writer or business owner, your unique voice is one of your greatest assets.
Preserve it.
2. Automating too much connection
Yes — AI can help you draft emails, write captions, and answer messages. But you cannot fully automate the connection between you and who you are communicating with, whether it’s an individual or an audience.
Lose the personal touch, and you’ll kill the trust marketing’s all about.
Use AI to assist. Not to replace you.
3. Prioritizing efficiency over purpose
One of the biggest temptations with AI is to use it simply to create more — faster. But more content isn’t the goal. Meaningful content is.
Stay anchored in why you create in the first place: to serve, inspire, educate, or help others. Purpose should lead. Productivity should follow.
4. Plagiarism – even accidental
One of the biggest risks of using AI without intention is unintentional plagiarism.
AI tools are trained on massive datasets — much of which is scraped from the internet without attribution or permission. If you simply copy and paste AI outputs without review, you may unknowingly publish content that borrows too heavily from existing work, or even mirrors another writer’s voice or structure.
Beyond legal concerns, this undermines trust and integrity — two things that matter deeply if you want to build a values-driven business or creative practice.
AI can assist your process, but it is not a shortcut to originality. Always review, revise, and ensure your final content reflects your voice, your intent, and your standards.
If you want to dig a little yourself on this, check out the Center for Humane Technology. These are the folks that brought us the movie “The Social Dilemma”.
Principles for Using AI Tools as a Writer or Creator
If you want to use AI well — here are a few principles I recommend:
Lead with purpose first
Before opening your favorite AI tool, ask three things: how do I want this content to serve my audience, how do I want my voice to come through, and what’s the main point of the message?
Let those answers guide how you use AI — not the other way around.
Keep your voice human
AI can draft. It can suggest. It can rephrase. But it can’t replace your voice. Always review AI outputs with a critical eye. Does this sound like my own voice? Would my audience recognize my voice here? Does this reflect the tone, care, and intent I want to convey?
If not — edit until it does. Or, gasp, write it yourself.
Use AI Tools to enhance, not replace
For writers and solopreneurs especially, AI works best as a creative assistant — not as your author, not as your voice. Think of it more like a trusted sidekick, or a supercharged version of a spellchecker or thesaurus. Use it to spark ideas. To nudge you when you’re stuck, to suggest new angles, to help you move faster — but always with your voice and your intent guiding the final result.
Use it to:
- Help brainstorm ideas
- Organize outlines
- Suggest alternative headlines or phrasing
- Help with early drafts — but always bring yourself to the final version
The human voice is what will stand out more and more in an AI-driven world.
Practical Tips
Here are a few simple practices that help me keep AI aligned with my purpose and voice:
Be intentional in your prompts
Don’t ask for generic outputs. Be specific.
The more context and intent you give, the better the AI can reflect your values.
I will not dive into this topic in this article, but there are many resources on the web about prompting.
Build a review habit
Before publishing AI-assisted content, ask:
- Is this aligned with my values?
- Does this sound like my authentic voice?
- Will this serve my audience well?
- Am I comfortable standing behind this content?
If the answer is no — slow down. Revise. Or start fresh.
Stay connected to your audience
Let AI help with efficiency — but stay invested in genuine connection.
- Write some posts and messages yourself.
- Engage in comments and replies personally.
- Let your audience know there’s a human behind the work.
Authenticity builds trust. And trust builds relationships.
What Does It All Mean?
As a writer, creator, or marketer, your voice matters. Your values matter. Your purpose matters.
AI is one heck of a tool. Whether it helps or hurts depends on how we use the thing–better stories, or just more noise?
Used wisely, AI can help us:
- Write with greater clarity
- Market with greater purpose
- Build businesses that serve, not just sell
- Stay human — in a digital-first world
That’s the path I’m exploring. And I invite you to join me.
If this resonates, I’d love to connect. Follow me on X (@richardbrashear) or visit richardbrashear.com — where I share more insights on using AI well in life, writing, and business.
