INTHEBLACK June 2026 - Magazine - Page 52
WORK SMART
“Verify the facts, because if AI does not know
something, it will make it up. It is really important
to understand that you have got to edit the content
and treat everything it produces as a first draft.”
RALPH GRAYDEN, ANTELOPE MEDIA
Ganesan identifies the most common signs:
vague generalisations, overuse of power words,
repetitive sentence structures, filler words
and phrases, and a lack of personal voice
or real-world context.
Grayden has a different test. “The one that
really stands out is the em dash [—]. Most people
would not know how to put an em dash into
a document, and yet AI uses it all the time.”
HOW TO FIX IT
The fixes are not complicated, Grayden says.
Stripping out what makes it sound like AI
and replacing it with specifics changes the
content immediately.
For example, replace filler phrases with
a specific detail, a case study or a point of view
that reflects actual experience. Instead of
“businesses must navigate complex regulatory
environments”, say which regulation, which
industry and what it actually means in practice.
The other tip is to give the AI tool direction
on the type of voice and tone needed. “Most
companies have a style guide,” says Grayden.
“Feed it to the AI [in line with workplace
protocols] before you write. You will get a
different result straight away.”
Ganesan agrees that specificity is everything.
“The best approach is to tell it exactly how you
want it to sound and give it a persona.”
Routine emails are fine to hand off to AI,
as long as they are edited first, says Grayden.
Thought leadership, content that affects
reputation and considered opinions on major
transactions are not.
“AI is going to save you time, but you still
need to go back in, check the facts and write
it properly. One of the biggest questions
professionals face right now is where to draw
that line.”
His advice is straightforward: “If your name
is on it, you take the lead.” ■
ALWAYS CHECK THE FACTS
The other essential step is fact-checking.
AI generates false references with the same
confidence it generates real ones.
“You cannot just press a button and leave
it all to AI,” Grayden asserts. “Verify the facts,
because if AI does not know something, it will
make it up. It is really important to understand
that you have got to edit the content and treat
everything it produces as a first draft.”
52 INTHEBLACK June 2026
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