AI ethics in writing applies to any submission within academia, business, government, creative arts, law, and journalism, as well as to any forum in which a creator claims original authorship. In this blog, I offer:
- Guidelines – when to disclose use of AI as a writing tool – mandatory – optional – must never use
- A speech you can give on this topic.
- Answers to FAQs
- Standard Disclosure Statements you can use
- Top 5 Takeaways for AI Ethics in Writing
Look for color coding in the segment titles if you’re too hurried or too tired to read the whole blog. Chirp! Chirp! 
Note About the Creative Arts: Submitting a manuscript to a publisher or entering a poetry contest. Even though these are “public venues,” explicitly mentioning “creative industries” clarifies that “artistic” doesn’t mean “exempt from ethics.”
Guidelines: To Label or Not to Label?
Navigating the Ethics of AI Content
Welcome back to the My Persuasive Presentations, LLC blog! I’m Nancy, and today we’re diving into a topic that has everyone – from corporate CEOs to freelance poets – scratching their heads. We are talking about disclosure and the “labeling” debate.
If you use AI to help write a grocery list, do you need to confess that to your spouse? Probably not. But if you use it to write a company policy or a classroom essay, the lines get a bit blurry. As we all navigate this “Brave New World” of algorithms, let’s talk about when to give credit, when to stay silent, and when to step away from the “Generate Content” button entirely.
AI Ethics in Writing: When Does Disclosure Matter?
We’ve all been there. You’re staring at a blank screen, the cursor is mocking you, and you think, “I’ll just ask AI for an outline.” Suddenly, the AI produces something so good you’re tempted to pass it off as your own genius.
The heart of the debate isn’t about whether the content is “harmful.” It’s about transparency and trust. Even “harmless” AI content – like a funny poem for a retirement party – can feel a bit hollow if the audience thinks you spent hours on it when you actually spent thirty seconds.
When to Give Credit
In professional “white papers,” legal documents, or academic research, the rule is simple: If AI did the heavy lifting, say so. Pretend AI is your junior researcher. You wouldn’t take credit for a whole report if an intern wrote 80% of it, right? Well, some of you would; but DON’T. Acknowledge the intern and acknowledge the technical support. You can use one of the standard disclosure paragraphs I’ve provided later in this blog.
When You Can Skip the Label
For informal blogs, social media captions, or brainstorming sessions, labeling every single sentence is like listing the ingredients of a cake while you’re eating it. It ruins the vibe. If AI is just your “digital pencil,” helping you sharpen your own ideas, a full disclosure isn’t always necessary.
The “Always Wrong” Zone: Where AI Should Not Go
Is it ever ALWAYS wrong to use AI?
YES!
- Deception in Credentials: If you are being hired for your unique, human creative voice, using AI to ghostwrite your work without the client’s knowledge is a breach of contract and ethics. You might be “fired for cause” for doing that.
- Confidential Data: Never feed private corporate data or sensitive client information into a public AI. That’s not just an ethical lapse; it’s a security nightmare.
- Medical or Legal Advice: Unless you are a professional in those fields using specialized, vetted tools, letting a general AI “guess” at health or legal solutions is dangerous.You could be suedi if the person claims to have relied on your advice. Were you “practicing medicine wihtout a license?” Were you providing legal advice without being licensed as a lawyer?
Ethics in Writing ~ A Sample Speech You May Customize for Your Presentations
If you’ve been asked to speak to your employees, students, clients, or colleagues about AI labeling, feel free to use or adapt the 5-minute speech below. It’s designed to be balanced, encouraging, and clear.
Speech Title: The Ghost Writer in the Machine:
Why We Label AI
An Introduction to AI Ethics in Writing
“Good morning, everyone. I want to start with a confession. I asked an AI to tell me a joke about using AI in the workplace. It told me:
“My company asked if I’d be okay working alongside an AI. I said sure—just as long as it doesn’t take longer lunch breaks than I do.”
Okay, maybe the AI isn’t ready for a comedy special yet. But it is ready and currently being used to write our emails, our reports, and even our school papers. In previous times, we would have been charged with plagiarism and might have been severely punished for doing that – maybe even fired or suspended from school. Have things changed significantly? Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, no.
How are we supposed to know the rules?!!!
Today, I want to talk about a simple but tough question: Should we label AI-generated content even when it’s harmless? Or should we just let the ‘ghost writer in the machine’ stay invisible?”
AI Ethics in Writing ~ The Trust Factor in the Workplace
“In a corporate setting, a freelance partnership, or even in blogs and videos that we post online, trust is our most valuable currency. When we read a memo or a blog post, we assume a human mind – one that has human experiences and human accountability – is behind those words.
If we start using AI to generate our thoughts without telling anyone, we risk breaking that trust.
Even if the content is ‘harmless,’ the omission of the truth isn’t. If your boss thinks you’re a brilliant strategist, but it turns out you’re just really good at typing prompts into a chat box, what happens to your professional reputation when the truth comes out? Think about it, because the truth WILL COME OUT … not to mention that YOU will know you’re a fraud, and that is not good for your soul or your self-esteem.
The Difference Between a Tool and a Creator
Look at AI as a high-tech calculator. Using a calculator to solve a math problem doesn’t mean you aren’t a mathematician. But if you claim you did the long division in your head, you’re lying.
We should feel free to use AI for research, for organizing our thoughts, and for overcoming writer’s block. That is using AI as a tool. But when we let AI generate the final product and we claim ‘sole authorship,’ we’ve moved from using a tool to engaging a digital ghostwriter. In schools, this is called plagiarism. In business, it’s called a “lack of transparency.”
AI Ethics in Writing ~ Best Practices for the Future
So, what are our ‘Golden Rules’ for AI?
- Research is Fine: Use AI to find facts (but double-check them!).
- AI uses Large Language Models (LLMs) to scour everything that it can find that has been written over time. It then picks what it thinks best responds to your prompt based on what you’ve said or asked of it.
- That means the information could be incomplete or skewed toward some bias.
- It also means the answers could be coming from archetypes or other widely accepted frames of reference that are not accurate for your inquiry.
- Always fact-check the responses you get.
- However, you don’t need to cite the AI for helping you find a date in history or the location of an iisland, for example.
- AI uses Large Language Models (LLMs) to scour everything that it can find that has been written over time. It then picks what it thinks best responds to your prompt based on what you’ve said or asked of it.
- Final Content Requires Care: If the AI wrote the paragraphs, add a small disclaimer.
- It can be as simple as: ‘Produced with the assistance of AI.’ *
- Context Matters: A silly internal office invite? No label needed. A white paper for a client? Label it.”
Conclusion
“We are all learning together. AI is changing every week, and our rules might change too. But for now, let’s choose to be over-transparent rather than sneaky. Let’s lead with honesty, use the tools to make us better—not lazier—and always remember that the most important part of any communication is the human connection behind it. Thank you.”
Next, Let’s Review Some FAQs:
Navigating AI Ethics in Writing & Transparency
Here are five frequently asked questions that address the “gray areas” your audience likely struggles with.
Q1: If I use AI to fix my grammar or “reword” a clunky sentence, is that AI-generated content?
A: Generally, no. Using AI as a sophisticated spell-checker or a “polishing” tool is considered an extension of standard word-processing software.
Ethics come into play when the AI provides the substance, structure, or original ideas. If the thoughts are yours and the AI just fixed the comma placement, you are still the sole author.
Q2: Does “harmless” content really need a label? Like a funny poem for an office birthday?
A: In a strictly casual setting, a formal label might feel like overkill. However, a “soft disclosure” is often the best social move. Mentioning, “I asked an AI to help me find rhymes for ‘Accountant’ for this poem,” keeps things light while maintaining honesty. It prevents that awkward moment where someone praises your “poetic soul” for work you didn’t actually do.
Q3: What should I do if my company doesn’t have an official AI policy yet?
A: Lead by example. Use the “Transparency First” rule. If you use AI for a project, include a small footnote or a comment in your draft stating: “Initial research/outline assisted by AI.”
Being proactive shows you are an ethical professional rather than someone trying to “cheat” the system.
Q4: Is it okay to use AI to summarize a long meeting or a long report?
A: Yes, but with a warning: AI “hallucinates” (makes things up). You can use it for summarization, but the ethical burden is on you to verify the accuracy.
If the AI misses a key point or adds a fact that wasn’t there, and you publish it, the error, and the ethical lapse, is yours.
Q5: Can I use AI-generated images in my professional presentations without a label?
A: Because AI-generated images often look distinct, many people can spot them.
To maintain a professional reputation, it is best to credit the tool (e.g., “Image created via AI”). This is especially important to avoid the appearance of claiming you are a graphic designer or that you have purchased a licensed stock photo.
Standard AI Disclosure Templates for AI Ethics in Writing
Near the beginning, you could simply state something like this: “I asked [name of AI model] the following question, and here’s what it said.” Then, put the AI content in quotes.
Alternatively, you could say, [name of AI model] suggested these alternatives when I asked for prevailing views on [the topic.] Again, put quotation marks around the AI content. You could include the exact wording of the prompt you used, but it is not required.
That works best when only a portion of what you are presenting (orally or in writing) was created by AI. For other content, here are a few versions of a Standard AI Disclosure Statement. These are designed to be “plug-and-play,” ranging from formal professional documents to more casual creative works.
How to Use Them
Option 1: The “Research Assistant” (Formal)
Use this for white papers, reports, or articles where AI helped with the heavy lifting of data or structure.
Disclosure: This document was developed with the assistance of artificial intelligence. AI was utilized for [e.g., data synthesis, structural outlining, or preliminary drafting]. All facts, conclusions, and final edits have been verified and approved by the human author to ensure accuracy and professional integrity.
Option 2: The “Polishing Tool” (Minimalist)
Use this for blogs or newsletters where you wrote the content but used AI to refine the tone.
Note on Craft: The core ideas and text of this piece are original. AI tools were used during the editing process to enhance clarity and grammar.
Option 3: The “Full Transparency” (Comprehensive)
Use this for academic or high-stakes business environments.
AI Usage Statement: In the interest of transparency, the author notes that [Name of AI Tool] was used in the creation of this work for [specific task]. The author maintains full responsibility for the final content and affirms that this tool was used as a supplemental resource, not as a replacement for original thought or professional judgment.
Option 4: The “Creative/Visual” (For Presentations)
Use this as a small footer on slides or at the end of a creative post.
Credits: Original concept by [Your Name]. Visual elements and/or drafting assistance provided by [AI Tool Name].
Top 5 Takeaways for AI Ethics in Writing
- Broad Application: AI ethics apply to any venue where a creator claims original authorship, especially in academia, business, government, journalism, law, and the arts.
- The Author’s Burden: Regardless of how much AI is used, the human “signer” is ethically and professionally responsible for the accuracy and impact of the final output.
- Content for a Speech the Reader May Customize for Addressing the Issues with Employees, Followers, Clients, etc. You are free to copy the draft and customize it for your use.
- Strategic Disclosure: Using a standardized disclosure statement protects your reputation by setting clear expectations with your audience or clients.
- Human Connection: Disclosure isn’t a “confession of a crime”; it is an act of respect that preserves the trust between the content provider and the reader.
Final Thoughts About AI Ethics in Writing from My Persuasive Presentations, LLC
AI is a wonderful partner, but it’s a terrible master. Whether you are an educator trying to teach students about integrity or a manager trying to set a standard for your team, remember that honesty never goes out of style. We don’t need to fear the technology, but we should respect the people reading our work enough to tell them how it was made. It’s okay to be confused! We’re all in the “beta test” of this new era together.
Invitation to View My Other Blogs on AI Topics
AI: Key Points on Understanding and Using It Wisely –
Artificial Intelligence & Large Language Models – Info 4 Newbies – My Persuasive Presentations, LLC
Invitation to View Nancy’s Novelty Presentation Infographics – to Use Online or In-Person
These are themed slides (JPEG, PNG, and some videos) used to announce breaks, breakout sessions, instructions for team exercises, etc. They “spice up” presentations, events, retreats, and training. They also allow you to leave information on screen, so you don’t have to keep repeating it. Some are funny, some are beautiful, some are simply in “sticky note” format.
Nancy’s Novelty Presentation Infographics –
AI Usage Statement for This Blog:
AI Ethics in Writing for Professional Purposes
In the interest of transparency, the author, Nancy Wyatt, notes that she used Gemini in the creation of this work about AI Ethics in Writing for Professional Purposes. The author maintains full responsibility for the final content. She affirms that this tool was used as a supplemental resource, not as a replacement for original thought or professional judgment. The content is a composite of words and phrases originating in her mind and with input from AI. Gemini confirmed concepts Nancy already held as the appropriate ethics for writers.
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