5 ways to keep your writing human in an AI-heavy workplace 

According to research from HarrisX and Ragan, 76% of communicators say writing and editing are core competencies they need to elevate, and nearly 70% expect AI to dramatically reshape their roles in the next three years.  

Communicators face creative and strategic pressure to maintain professionalism, achieve business goals, craft a trustworthy and credible brand voice that stands out from the drone of bot-speak, often while being encouraged to integrate chatbots into their comms processes.

At Ragan’s upcoming Writing and Content Strategy Virtual Conference, editors, writers, communicators and AI experts will assemble to help you improve your writing and integrate AI into your workflow in a way that preserves your voice and humanity.  

To preview the day, we asked five of our speakers for their best quick tip to write in a way that sounds human, distinct and true to brand when AI seems to be everywhere.

Tell the story the way you would tell it to a friend 

“Always think audience-first,” said Michael Rothman, senior editor and content strategist for TD Bank. “When telling a story or an anecdote, I always try to imagine how I would explain this to a friend. And in turn, what kind of story would that friend then go and share with others.” 

When you picture an actual friend instead of an abstract audience, your language shifts. You reach for verbs that land, details you can feel, and a narrative shape that carries someone from setup to payoff. Anything that would make you cringe out loud falls away, and what remains is clean, alive and easier for readers to retell. 

Train your tools the way you train your writers 

“To keep my work from sounding like generic AI slop, I built a style guide that teaches the models I use the patterns of well-written human-generated copy,” said Stephanie Paterik, editor in chief at The Trade Desk. “It sets strict guardrails around how strong writing is formed and how ideas flow, so the output stays clear and intentional. I also feed the models transcripts from my clients’ podcasts, talks, and interviews, plus any fully human-written work they’ve authored. This helps the model pick up on the nuances of their true voice rather than manufacturing one.” 

A well-built style guide can feel like a secret engine under your writing, especially when you’re using AI. Defining tone, cadence and transitions gives the model something real to imitate instead of defaulting to corporate filler. Feeding it human transcripts and past work tightens the fit even further, giving you drafts that sound like the person behind the message rather than a synthetic approximation. 

Begin with a sentence only you could write 

“Start with a real, human sentence only you could write, then let AI clean it up without changing your voice,” said Meiko S Patton, advisor to Ragan’s Center for AI Strategy and AI communications specialist and spokesperson for the United States Postal Service. “And inside ChatGPT’s Personalization tab, you can set your style, tone, and add custom instructions so everything it writes naturally matches your brand and sounds like you.” 

Opening with one sentence that only you could write sets the entire piece on a truer path. A line with your angle, your texture and your point of view anchors everything that follows, which lets AI focus on clarity without sanding away your voice. Personalization settings strengthen that anchor by nudging the model to follow your choices instead of tugging you back toward generic phrasing. 

Let your actions define your tone 

“The existence of generic corporate language predates AI and, in my view, isn’t something to be avoided any more now than it should have been in the past,” said Assaf Kedem, head of internal communications and content for global banking at BNP Paribas. “However, as LLMs grow and algorithms are refined, we can expect AI to sound more human and genuine. How should communicators respond? By ensuring that all written claims are backed by appropriate actions and capabilities; by following through on commitments; by being responsive and timely when handling inquiries; and by individualizing communications whenever possible (such as addressing a recipient by name, avoiding mass mailings and customizing content by audience).” 

Credibility shapes tone more than clever word choices ever will. When communication aligns with consistent behavior, quick follow-through and attention to individual readers, the writing gains an immediate sense of humanity. Mass blasts can feel distant, but messages grounded in an actual relationship sound specific, responsive and personal. 

Talk it out before you type it out 

“My favorite quick tip to making your content sound like you and sound human, is to simply talk it out,” said Dr. Hava Rose, founder and chief wellness officer at Pause. Experience A Wellbeing Agency. “Write something out as if you were speaking it. I love to make voice notes and then transcribe them as a quick way to ensure the content maintains human quality.” 

Talking through an idea before you type it pulls the writing back into your body. Spoken language carries rhythm, emphasis and a natural sense of sequence that the page often loses. A quick voice note turns into a draft already humming with energy, and the editing that follows becomes lighter, sharper and far more alive. 

Bring your pen, your prompts and your skepticism as we explore modern writing challenges including journalistic rigor, persuasive storytelling, editing under pressure, AI prompt fluency, content strategy and AEO/GEO performance during the Writing and Content Strategy Virtual Conference on Dec. 10.