2.1 AI as Editor
Time: ~20 minutes
What You'll Learn
- Why "make this better" is a terrible prompt
- How to ask AI for specific, actionable feedback
- The difference between AI as rewriter vs. AI as coach
- How to evaluate whether AI's suggestions actually improve your writing
Key Concepts
Stop Asking AI to Rewrite
Most people paste their writing into AI and say "make this better." The result is technically correct but sounds like a robot. Worse, you learn nothing.
Instead, use AI the way you'd use a good editor: ask it to identify problems, explain why they're problems, and suggest fixes you can evaluate.
Prompting for Useful Feedback
The quality of AI feedback depends entirely on how you ask:
Bad: "Edit this email."
Better: "Read this email and tell me: Is the main point clear in the first sentence? Is the tone appropriate for a VP? Are there any sentences I could cut without losing meaning?"
Specific questions get specific answers. Vague requests get vague output.
AI as Coach, Not Replacement
The goal isn't to have AI write for you. It's to have AI catch what you miss. Think of it like a spell-checker for clarity, tone, and structure -- but only useful if you can evaluate its suggestions.
This is why Module 1 matters. You can't judge AI's editing suggestions without your own instincts.
How to Start
start lesson 2.1Skills You'll Use Later
- Specific prompting patterns (used in every AI interaction going forward)
- Evaluating AI output (critical for the two-pass method in 2.3)
- The coach vs. rewriter distinction (shapes your style guide in 2.4)