The Purposeful Prose Stance on AI Usage in Writing

The following is the simplified, concise stance that Purposeful Prose takes on the usage of AI in published material and material that is brought to us for editing and evaluation. We will be targeting more specific questions on AI usage in the future. If you have any questions on AI and writing, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are happy to provide resources and to answer any questions. 

Purposeful Prose rarely receives manuscripts that use large language models to write their text or are, to our knowledge, in any way influenced by AI unless they are about AI. We do not use AI to edit manuscripts or to provide feedback on a text. 

If Purposeful Prose is given a manuscript that has been composed by or is informed by AI, we require that they undergo Fact Checking and Plagiarism Evaluation. These evaluations are designed to pinpoint statements that are incorrect, misleading, or unintentionally biased. 

We feel as though it would be dismissive to address the technology, as a whole, as either inherently “good” or “bad”, but we cannot ignore the harm we have seen in its applications. 

Before using any language model or any AI tool, we recommend that the user be able to answer each of the following questions in as detailed a manner as possible:

• With what information was the model trained? How was that information gained, and how does new information get introduced to the model over time?

• What is the audience the tool is meant to work for, does it work for that particular audience, and how do you know? 

• What are the current limitations of this tool? In other words, who does it not work for, and how do you know?

After you answer these questions, pinpoint how you plan to use the AI model. Again, be as specific as possible. 

Once you use the tool, evaluate each response to the letter. After you receive your input, underline or highlight any simple, unclear/broad, or repeated words, particularly verbs and adjectives. Make sure that the information that you’ve been given is factual and usable. 

Purposeful Prose does not feel as though AI should be a primary means for decision-making or discovery of information. Its output cannot replace that of human creative works or the expertise of human editors in terms of quality.

If you have used AI to produce content for your manuscript or content that informs your manuscript, and you would like to use Purposeful Prose Editorial Services, we will require that Fact Checking and Plagiarism Evaluation be added to your editorial package.

When paired with Copyediting or Line/Stylistic Editing, you will receive a 15% discount on the total cost of both Fact Checking and Plagiarism Evaluation. Contact us if you would like a quote.