Erin Servais, expert in AI for editors, dives deep into the world of generative AI, discussing its capabilities and the need for editors to embrace it as a tool. They explore AI's fact-checking abilities and the challenges of keeping up with its updates. The podcast also touches on overcoming fear and embracing the change AI brings, as well as editing-related topics like ACES and affirmation cards for editors.
AI can be used as a tool in the editing process to enhance productivity and quality.
Editors should embrace AI programs like chat GPT to handle routine tasks, allowing them to focus on refining and elevating the text.
Deep dives
Editors and AI: Embracing the Shift
In this episode, Nadia Zajapupa interviews Erin Service about the role of AI in the editing industry. Erin highlights how AI, specifically chat GPT, has evolved to support nonfiction editing by fact-checking and generating content. She emphasizes the importance of understanding how to use AI as a tool in the editing process rather than seeing it as a threat. Erin encourages editors to embrace AI and predicts that editors will be using AI programs daily to enhance their work, focusing on evaluating content and refining text rather than basic copy editing tasks.
Implementing AI in the Corporate Setting
When discussing the implementation of AI in the corporate setting, Erin advises editors to start by training AI systems on their style guides. She explains how new advancements, such as custom GPTs, allow companies to have their own private AI that can be used for internal communication editing. Erin addresses concerns about copyright and data privacy and encourages editors to seek out solutions to protect sensitive information. Focusing on the positive aspects, Erin believes that AI will empower editors to be more efficient and elevate their work, allowing them to focus on evaluating content and refining text.
Overcoming Apprehension and Embracing AI
For editors who are apprehensive about using AI, Erin shares words of encouragement. Despite the sensationalized stories and concerns, she highlights the need to understand how to use AI properly and appreciates the power and efficiency it can bring to the editing process. Erin compares the shift towards AI to previous technological advancements and encourages editors to support each other as they navigate this new wave. She suggests editors try the paid version of AI programs and learn to use them as tools to enhance their work rather than as replacements. By embracing AI, editors can adapt and thrive in the changing industry.
The Future of AI in Editing
Looking ahead, Erin predicts that editors will be using AI programs like chat GPT on a daily basis for tasks such as copy editing and evaluating content. She believes that editors will shift towards running AI programs, allowing the technology to handle routine formatting and grammar tasks, while editors focus on refining and elevating the text further. Erin foresees a future where editors become more sophisticated in their evaluation of content and leveraging AI as a tool to improve productivity and quality. She encourages editors to be open to the possibilities AI brings and to embrace the changing landscape of the editing industry.
In this captivating and final episode of 2023, Erin Servais and Nadia Geagea Pupa dive deep into the fascinating world of Generative AI. They discuss several capabilities of ChatGPT and how it's constantly changing. There is still "doom and gloom" surrounding the topic of generative AI, but Erin shares her positive outlook, opinions, and insight for the editorial community. Yes, ChatGPT has been replacing all types of jobs, but it's up to us as editors to learn how to embrace this new technology as a tool and resource to help, not harm, our editorial processes.
Erin Servais is an editor, educator, and coach. She serves on the board of directors for ACES: The Society for Editing and is the founder of the Editors Tea Club. Erin has presented about editing, entrepreneurship, and artificial intelligence for the Professional Editors Network (PEN), the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA), Editors Canada, the Northwest Editors Guild, and ACES, and she has been a guest lecturer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Media. Erin will start teaching copyediting for the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in January 2024.
Her current focus is training editors to uplevel their skills using artificial intelligence. She teaches the ChatGPT for Editors course and blogs about AI editing tips. Visit www.AIforEditors.com to learn more about her course.
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