How to Integrate AI Into Your Workflow Without Losing the Human Touch

How I use AI to write faster—without outsourcing my soul.

Dall E

AI can help you write faster. No doubt about it.

But if you’re not mindful, it’ll also make your work so painfully average that you may as well have not written anything at all.

That’s the quiet dilemma most writers face today. We get excited about AI’s speed and scalability—but forget to ask: what happens to our voice? Our subtle way of turning a phrase, building tension, or telling a story?

Most people aren’t losing their authenticity because of AI.

They’re losing it because they become lazy.

They hand over the process entirely.

But the reverse can also be true. If you know your Unpromptable Voice, how or why you use AI won’t matter. The soul will remain yours.

In this article, I’ll walk you through exactly how I use AI in every single part of my writing process without sacrificing soul, from idea → image.

Ready to create with AI instead of conforming to it?

Let’s dive in.

1. Brainstorming with “Brute Force” AI prompts

🔗 More on this: 5 Ways to 10x Writing Creativity With AI

When I need fresh ideas, I don’t just wait for inspiration. I summon it—systematically.

I call this the Brute Force method.

I’ll ask AI to generate 50, 100, even 200 angles on a topic. Not because they’re all good—but because they jog my subconscious. My job is to sift through the chaos and find the gold. Sometimes, I even combine ideas to create unexpected takes.

This is part of my broader ideation model called the Two Systems Approach, which blends your inner intuition (Soft Force) with external tools (Brute Force). AI lives squarely in the latter.

Human first. AI second. Always.

2. Outlining with personal templates

🔗 More on this: 9 Outlines (+AI Prompt) That Makes Writing 90% Faster

I don’t ask AI to set the direction of the essay. I already know how it will go from the start.

I’ve already created and refined a dozen writing templates, borrowed from copywriting techniques and storytelling techniques (you can find them here). For example, my favorites are:

• Listicle format

• Call-out + Solution

• Framework breakdown

• Problem-Agitate-Solution

• Problem-Solution-Outcome

These are my pre-built thinking tools. Frameworks that help me see the shape of an idea before the words hit the page.

Once I choose the right template, I guide AI to help fill in the structure—not define it. This gives me the best of both worlds: structure and speed, with zero compromise on coherence or flow.

Control the structure and you control the story. So, don’t let AI control the story.

3. Researching with AI—but also against it

🔗 More on this: 5 Powerful Tricks for AI-Enabled Research

AI isn’t a crystal ball. It’s a fast reader with a short memory.

When I research, I use AI as one source—not the source.

I’ll prompt it to list blind spots, challenge its own summaries, or simulate opposing viewpoints. Then, I cross-reference its output with real data, expert quotes, and lived experiences.

This keeps me from becoming a lazy thinker—and ensures I don’t accidentally regurgitate half-baked generalities.

Research is more than input. It’s interrogation.

4. Drafting with a hyper-personalized AI assistant

Here’s a hot take, so take a deep breath: Often, I ask AI to write every single word of my first draft.

How dare I! For someone who talks about authenticity in writing, I sure seem to be too comfortable “faking” my writing.

The thing is, this is not “fake writing.” It’s my idea, my outline, my direction, even my voice. Everything the AI does in the end, I could have done myself, because I already have a strong grasp of my core values, thoughts, stories, etc.

I have a strong grasp of my Unpromptable Voice.

I don’t think it’s inauthentic to let AI write your first draft, because every single thought and opinion expressed in those words are mine.

AI just fills all the necessary words in between. And it does that because my personalizd AI assistant already has my:

• Core values

• Curated research

• Key stories and stances

• Selected outline template

• Voice guide (yes, I wrote one)

In more complex pieces, I create it section-by-section, never the whole thing at once (back when I still used to do content writing for clients, this technique ensured the most accuracy.)

Then, I edit and guide as I go—revising every chunk so it sounds unmistakably mine.

It’s a process I’ve written about in depth before. And no, my posts don’t get flagged by AI checkers—because I ensure my humanity shines through always.

And, my authenticity doesn’t end on the page. I reinforce it with transparency, engagement, and familiarity -- all off-page “humanizing” signals.

Draft with AI, edit with soul.

5. Generating images that match the mood of the piece

There’s one more thing that heavily impacts the quality of your article:

Your featured image.

In most platforms, your readers see it right under the title. In the LinkedIn feed, for example, the image occupies 90% of the screen’s “real estatate” — only two lines are reserved for your text initially.

So, for many readers, there’s nothing worse than boring, low-effort, and unappealing images to accompany your article. I know, because I’m a reader as well.

Thus, I use GPTs trained specifically for visual storytelling to create nuanced image prompts—then feed those into image generators like DALL·E. I don’t settle for stock-like outputs. I revise until the tone, color, and vibe of the image aligns with the piece itself.

Remember:

Authenticity isn’t just in the words. It’s in the total experience.

The image should feel like your article in picture form. And instead of spending hours looking for the perfect free stock image, I create one with Dall E.

I sure could use some help on creating better AI images though.

Remember: AI is the engine—not the map

AI can be your best writing partner or your biggest creative crutch.

The key difference is intentionality.

If you use AI to think for you, your work will feel hollow. If you use it to think with you, and scale your ideas, your voice stays intact—and gets amplified.

Let it speed you up. Let it help you scale. But never let it replace your mind, your message, or your meaning.

How about you? At which parts of your writing process do you use AI?

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If you loved this, you’re going to love my ebook, The Ultimate Guide to Authentic AI Writing. Pledgers will receive it for free, while Buy Me A Coffee Donors will receive 50% off from the final price.

The next edition will feature an exciting guest post from

One Brilliant Arc (OBA)

about storytelling! Stay tuned.