Business writing and AI – good or bad?

More and more people are using AI to assist with writing business documents. The question is: are the resulting documents as good as they need to be?

Here are some of the facts:

• Large Language Models (LLMs) were built by AI to generate language and text. They are trained using huge amounts of data from the internet.

• The most common LLMs are ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, and Claude.

• It’s tempting to use them for responding to emails, producing reports, and other business writing documents. They can be useful — especially for providing ideas, generating frameworks, and summaries — but should be used with caution.

Reasons to be cautious when using LLMs for business writing:

• Fake information

  A Melbourne lawyer was referred to the Victorian legal complaints body after admitting to using AI software in a family court case that generated false case citations. Similarly, the High Court of England and Wales warned lawyers of potential criminal prosecution after AI-generated materials included fabricated quotes and rulings.

• Mediocrity and conformity

  Wolfgang Messner, Clinical Professor of International Business, University of South Carolina, said:

Generative AI tempts users to blend speed with quality, and productivity with originality. The danger is not that AI will fail us, but that people will accept the mediocrity of its outputs as the norm. When everything is fast, frictionless and ‘good enough’, there is the risk of losing the depth, nuance and intellectual richness that define exceptional human work.

• Missed context

  Generic content may not reflect the writer’s or reader’s existing knowledge of the topic.

• Lack of personal tone

  Workshop participants often recognize when a colleague used ChatGPT or Copilot because the tone “doesn’t sound like them.”

Other risks include:

• Confidentiality and security

• Ethical and legal concerns

• Over-reliance on AI

• Brand dilution or misrepresentation

• Regulatory and compliance issues

So, do I use AI for my business documents, or not?

• Think of LLMs as tools, not the solution to all writing challenges.

• Use AI for drafting, not for final approval — human input is essential.

• Relying on AI may result in a loss of the human aspect.

• Review outputs for tone, accuracy, and compliance.

• Be clear about your goal for the writing. Structure content for your readers’ needs and existing knowledge. Logical structure and prioritizing key information improves effectiveness.

• Ensure your writing reflects you and your organization appropriately — your name is on the document.