I added an AI clause to my contracts. You should too.
Too much of a good thing isn’t good.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a useful business tool. It’s the magic shortcut that requires little more than a button push. Go and automate the mundane, generate algorithms, and search deep into cyberspace.
Productivity is great, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of ethics.
If you are a professional services provider who is selling your unique expertise, insights, or talents — you can not hand a client 100% AI-generated content. That is fraud.
Yes, I said it: fraud.
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Beware of the Great Pretenders
A colleague told me about a recent encounter with AI fraud. A self-proclaimed writer was paid to write original work for a well-respected company. They were given the topic, access to resources, and a writing style guide.
The writer submitted back unedited ChatGPT-generated writing. It wasn’t only not original content, but it was full of inaccurate information — seemingly pulled from the depth of the internet. Publishing would have damaged her company’s reputation and her own.
Unfortunately, these great pretenders are multiplying. It’s so easy to do nothing. Some don’t even know what they are doing is wrong.
And, the (Unintentional) Plagiarists
The siren song of AI can lure even the most straight-laced sailors. Pressure to produce can create desperate situations.
One such story is from an overworked technical writer with an unrealistic deadline. So, in went the prompts and the paper was 80% ready to go.
Quality control scanned for misplaced commas. Sales sent it out to their current and prospective clients.
No one noticed that the aggregate content had proprietary IP from a competitor. Not a good look for “the leading expert” in the field.
“Do what I do: Hold tight and pretend it’s a plan!” - Dr. Who
How to AI the write way (pun intended)
I’ve added a clause to my contracts that calls for AI transparency. If I use AI for a client assignment, I vow to disclose it.
I note what tools I could use and for what. For example, I love a misplaced comma so I have AI tell me when my punctuation gets out of control. I also A/B test email headers with AI, scan blogs with SEO tools, and sometimes use AI-generated artwork when I can’t find the right picture. (PS: if you are a photographer please take more non-clinical photos of hospitals. It’s slim pickings.)
I also note that no product will be more than 30% AI-supported or repurposed. After all, if you are hiring me for my unique expertise and talents, you should expect to receive something unique!
I urge professional service providers to be transparent when using AI. Honesty helps all of us.
