Tag Archives: AI

The development and application of artificial intelligence systems to perform tasks, solve problems, and enhance human capabilities.

#42 Your posts are automatically copyright-protected, however…

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Listen to this post

…there are some things to keep in mind.

Works from others that we may utilize—like photos, quotes, videos, and so on—don’t become our own just because we repost them. Sounds obvious, but in today’s world… I don’t know, man, I think it’s always worth stating the obvious, even at the cost of sounding redundant.

So yes, this general copyright rule applies here as well: one should always quote someone else’s work—always!

Then there’s the AI topic, which complicates things a little. Without diving into specifics about jurisdictions and what different countries allow, I’ve gathered from some sources I’ve consulted that AI use is permitted as long as it’s not used for major modifications or to generate content from scratch. Which absolutely makes sense to me.

As long as we use tools like ChatGPT, Grammarly, and DeepL to correct grammar and improve clarity, it’s fine. It’s like having a personal proofreader at your disposal, which speeds up the process. And that’s the coolest part of these tools. Even though, to me, they’re the most diabolic invention ever; but I don’t want to unpack this topic. It’s just depressing, especially for us creatives… But hey, the proofreader part is pretty cool. I know this sounds inconsistent and opportunistic, but one has to adapt somehow.

So, to conclude: the original content we publish on our blogs—articles, essays, poetry, short stories, novels, photos, illustrations, videos, audio; in general, any creative piece of work originating exclusively from our own brain that doesn’t plagiarize existing material or wasn’t generated from scratch by a freaking AI tool—is ours. A bit like it would be if it were published by a traditional editor (for writers)—with the pro that there’s no transfer of rights, and the con that we make zero money from it. If you do (make money), please share some tips—hehe. The right to reproduce the work, distribute it, display it in public, create derivative works, and so on, belongs to us—the creators who published it on their own page.

Another thing to keep in mind is to display a copyright notice on your website, like I did on my homepage (BLOG). It’s an extra layer—a bit like a bulletproof vest working as a disclaimer—which could offer additional protection in case of a dispute.

There are endless sources on this topic out there, and it’s a complex one since international law is involved. If you’re an expert on this topic, please feel free to call out any bullshit I may have said—or share any useful tips or insights that could be helpful for the community.

Here are some quick sources I used:

https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/running-business/intellectual-property/copyright/index_en.htm

https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/artificial-intelligence-and-ip

https://www.iubenda.com/en/help/43711-how-to-copyright-a-blog

#17 Using AI prompts to edit my blog posts

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Before I share the tricks that help me polish my posts without distorting what I originally wrote, let me confess that I’ve cut a few corners in the past using AI prompts.

The most questionable trick I’ve used was asking ChatGPT to draft a conclusion by feeding it only two-thirds of a written post. There’s no excuse—I feel bad even admitting it—but at the time, I was overwhelmed with life and couldn’t come up with conclusions. Later, I realized that not every post needs one. Sometimes, the post is complete when you’ve run out of meaningful things to say, and it reads perfectly fine without moral lessons, unsolicited advice, or redundant perspectives.

The reason I felt guilty—if it’s not obvious—is the deep respect I have for the craft of writing and for writers of all kinds, those who carefully consider every word they use. It felt like a betrayal of my principles and my own creative process, and it’s not something I ever want to repeat.

That said, I won’t entirely dismiss the power of AI-driven tools to help proofread and refine my writing or to catch inconsistencies and inaccuracies that my own eyes might miss—especially given how little time I can dedicate to this time-consuming activity.

Here are a few helpful, ethically sound (by my standards) and simple prompts I’ve developed over time:

Proofreading

Writers know that no piece of writing—regardless of its audience or purpose—should go public without at least a second pair of eyes reviewing it. Proofreading styles vary greatly: some people practically rewrite your work, while others stick to spotting typos and fixing orthographic issues.

But here’s the thing—those “second eyes” require time, experience, and they’re rarely free (unless you know a benevolent soul whose sole priority is helping you improve). This is where ChatGPT can be incredibly handy. My prompt for this is:

  • Correct any grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors.
  • Ensure clarity and consistency without altering the intended tone or writing style.
  • Preserve the structure and flow of the text unless minor adjustments are necessary for readability or coherence.
  • Highlight unclear sections or sentences that could benefit from rephrasing, while suggesting minimal, non-intrusive edits.

Fact-Checking

So far, I’ve written only a few posts that required this prompt. It’s for posts where I reference studies or attempt a journalistic analysis of societal issues. I aim to research thoroughly, check sources, and quote or paraphrase without inaccuracies.

This is something I’d like to focus on more, but it’s not a top priority right now. Here’s the prompt I use for fact-checking:

  • Offer concise feedback for maintaining journalistic integrity and readability.
  • Identify any claims, data points, or studies that require verification.
  • Suggest credible sources to verify the information or correct inaccuracies, if any.
  • Highlight sections where citations or additional clarity could improve reliability.
  • Ensure quotes are accurately represented and properly attributed.

SEO

I wish I could say I’m passionate about SEO, but that’s not the case—yet. Despite reading books, taking courses, and watching videos on the subject, it hasn’t fully clicked for me. Maybe one day!

For now, I use this prompt to tackle SEO-related tasks:

  • Propose broad categories that accurately reflect the main themes and context of the post, ensuring they fit a typical WordPress blog taxonomy.
  • Suggest relevant tags to help readers and search engines quickly identify key topics or concepts discussed in the post.
  • Write a max 100 characters, human-readable excerpt summarizing the core idea of the blog post in an engaging and SEO-friendly way. Aim to capture the reader’s interest while reflecting the content accurately.

There you have it—my secrets. I hope you find them helpful! Please feel free to leave a comment if you have any tricks to share, resources you recommend, or books and authors that have inspired you.

#1 My favorite AI prompt for a successful cover letter

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I’ve been unemployed for almost a year now, following the layoffs at my previous company. I was shocked and angry because I loved my job, my colleagues, and the products I was helping to shape.

I started working when I was thirteen, so from early on, my job became a significant part of my identity. I was very proud of the career I was building for myself: starting by serving tables at a wine shop and then helping companies shape products through content, research, and design. I have nothing against serving tables—I enjoyed it and found interacting with customers both fun and enriching. However, it no longer fit into the future I had envisioned for myself.

Like many others, being unemployed took a toll on my mental health. Yes, I finished my novel and reached out to an editor, who encouraged me to write another one. Yes, I improved my German from barely pronouncing complex words to having in-depth conversations with my German therapist, even though he doesn’t always understand what I’m saying. Yes, I completed a few online courses on AI prompting, digital marketing, despite the decreasing confidence I started to feel in my professional field. I’ve also considered pursuing another master’s degree, although I already have six years of academic education under my belt.

But what I really miss is working with a team of professionals to brainstorm and solve problems while creating amazing products. That was the stage of my life I was at, and I wanted to move forward, not backward. I kept reminding myself of what my friends, family, and therapist advised: focus on what you can control, get back on your feet, and use your skills to find a new job. They shared many other helpful tips, but this one was particularly effective in keeping me sane.

So, I started working on multiple fronts: revamping my website, updating my CVs, networking, writing cover letters—the usual things. I have to say, I’ve always enjoyed revamping websites and CVs, but drafting cover letters used to be, and still is, an absolute nightmare. I’m not sure recruiters even read them, but they still require them, which paradoxically just adds to the process’s effort on both sides. But I guess it shows one’s commitment to joining the company and enthusiasm before moving on to the first call, which is way more time-consuming than scanning a cover letter. I just think it would be nice to receive an acknowledgment like “Wow, your cover letter touched me, but we are moving on with other candidates because they studied some AI stuff at Oxford” or maybe a badge to add on LinkedIn: “Best cover letter, even though he didn’t get the job.” I’ve poured a lot of energy into writing what I thought were great cover letters, only to receive no callbacks. What a waste of neurons!

This frustration led me to explore AI tools—I know, I know, I can’t hear about this topic anymore either, but here we are—for drafting cover letters. The initial results were terrible, so I went back to writing them myself. However, I realized that prompts require attention and effort to be effective—I actually knew this, but I was too lazy to draft them properly. Now that I’ve gotten better at it, I find it quite exciting. Plus, I’ve started receiving more callbacks—though I still haven’t landed a job yet.

So, all this to say that I want to share the prompt I use for writing my cover letters. I tweak it slightly depending on the tone I assume the company uses in its communications. If this prompt doesn’t work for you and you have a great one that does, please share it in the comments. You’ll be saving not only my brainpower but potentially that of many others who might read this post.

Here’s the prompt:

Prompt: Please use the information below to draft a cover letter that is engaging, concise, and free of jargon, while directly addressing the key requirements outlined in the job description. Incorporate highlights from my CV to showcase relevant experience and emphasize what makes the company stand out to me. Ensure the letter is compelling and encourages the reader to learn more. Please bold the main keywords.
Job Description: [paste your job description]
My CV Highlights: [paste your CV]
What I like about the company: [write a short sentence]

This whole post goes without saying that once the machine has churned out our nice text, we should also re-read it, add our personal touch, and then use Grammarly, or some other tool, to quickly proofread it—even though I have to admit I don’t always do this…