In part, we end up with cringe-inducing AI writing because people don’t know how to judge the output from tools like ChatGPT. It doesn’t sound quite right, but they don’t know what to do about it.
Evaluating and refining AI output involves discernment — using your judgment to decide what works and what doesn’t. And you don’t have to be a professional editor to learn how to do it.
Here’s what good AI output (and good writing in general) looks like:
- It’s easy to understand the first time you read it.
- It includes concrete examples, clear explanations, and helpful details.
- It provides steps, examples, or guidance people can use.
- It speaks to the needs, questions, and reading level of the intended audience.
- It adds something useful to the conversation: a new angle, insight, or perspective.
- It sounds like the most articulate version of you wrote it.
Using those criteria as your guide, you can refine a draft with prompts like these:
- Tell ChatGPT where it went wrong: “This is too long, and it sounds like a motivational speaker.”
- Also tell ChatGPT what you liked: “The last sentence is good, so don’t change it.”
- Include more context: Provide audience, purpose, tone, and other details if you didn’t include them in your initial prompt.
- Add constraints: “Shorten by 30%.” “No jargon.” “Give two examples.”
- Ask for alternatives: “Give me three versions—one tighter, one more conversational, one more authoritative.”
- Ask for rationale: “Explain your reasoning,” which often surfaces issues to fix.
Your first draft will never be the final one. The second draft might not be, either. But as you train your eye to spot issues and learn to create better follow-up prompts, you’ll get to a workable version way faster.
Here’s a real-world example of using discernment to refine AI-generated text:
Prompt #1:
Explain the key things people should know about caring for indoor plants.
ChatGPT output:
Taking care of common houseplants involves paying attention to their basic environmental conditions. Most plants do best when the soil stays lightly moist but not waterlogged, since too much water can damage the roots. It also helps to check that the plant is getting enough indirect light to support healthy growth. Rotating the pot every so often can keep the plant from leaning too much toward one direction.
My comments: This isn’t terrible for a first draft, but it’s kind of boring and formal. I didn’t tell ChatGPT about the purpose of the piece, my target audience, or the tone I was going for, so it sounds generic. But the plant-care points themselves are good, so I want to keep them.
Prompt #2:
Shorten the paragraph to under 50 words. It’s for an article sidebar in a lifestyle magazine. Make the tone warm and fun, aimed at women who enjoy decorating with houseplants. Keep the three main care points, but make it flow naturally and feel like a friendly tip section.
ChatGPT output:
Keep your houseplants happy with three simple tips: water so the soil stays lightly moist, give them plenty of indirect light, and rotate the pot now and then so they grow evenly. Easy, quick, and perfect for making your home feel lush and lively.
My comments: Closer, but still not quite there. We lost all the rationale for the three tips, and I think those are helpful to include. (I’m learning as I go about what I want and don’t want in there.) Also, “lush and lively” sounds kind of goofy, and we can do better.
Prompt #3:
Keep the friendly, light tone, but add back the reasons for each of the three care tips (why lightly moist soil matters, why indirect light is best, why rotating the pot helps). Keep it under 50 words, and replace any overly cute phrases like ‘lush and lively’ with something simple, natural, and appealing to magazine readers.
ChatGPT output:
Keep your houseplants happy with three simple tips: Avoid overwatering to keep the roots healthy, place your plants in indirect light so leaves thrive, and rotate the pot occasionally to encourage even growth. Small changes make a big difference in your home.
My comments: Almost there. I still don’t love the last sentence, but I’m going to edit it myself. I’m also going to make some minor tweaks throughout to get it just how I want it.
Final version:
Keep your houseplants happy with three simple tips: Avoid overwatering to keep the roots healthy, place your plants in indirect light so leaves thrive, and rotate the pot occasionally to encourage even growth. This easy care will help your plants flourish and brighten your space.
I usually go through a couple rounds with ChatGPT and then make the final tweaks myself. Is this perfect? Maybe not. Is it better than the original? Absolutely. And it took less than 10 minutes, including writing out my thoughts on each step. Give it a try!