Word of the Year: Evaluate

In this time of growing AI, so much of our thinking and writing can be outsourced.

Not sure how to say something?

Put in a prompt. See what comes out. Looks fine. Now move on to the next task.

In our rush to be efficient, it's tempting to skip that critical step: evaluation.

Your AI writing will be correct and it will likely sound authoritative. (It's very good at sounding authoritative.)

But does it say anything of value? Does it have substance? Does it help the reader?

Or does it just sound like it's on the right track, so you’'ll trust that it is ...

This is where you need to stop and evaluate.

Think about your reader and what they're specifically looking for. This is something that AI can't do for you. This is why you'll always be needed as a human professional.

Whatever you do, you have to be a critical thinker and a problem solver. Don't let your hurry stop you from flexing those muscles.

Whatever you write, you're signing your name to it. It's your reputation on the line.

Sure, use AI to help you at certain times. But then take the time to evaluate it — and make sure it's actually helping you.