To AI or not to AI- that is the question.
I woke up early, made a cup of coffee in my favorite mug, and sat in my chaise, snuggled under a blanket. I checked my emails, answered a few text messages, and opened Facebook.
I was immediately aggravated.
The first post I saw was in a grant writing group and was a valid question about the use of AI, which tools are best for grant writers, and how grant writers are best incorporating AI into their processes.
I love this question. It shows a desire to learn, stay ahead of the curve, and work smarter, not harder.
But here come the naysayers…
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I simply do not have enough eyes to roll.
This discourse reminded me of 2005 when the NIH converted their paper grant applications to online only, and grant writers freaked out. They said things like, “This will never last.” “Applications will lose their personal touch.” “How will I submit brochures and other collateral?” “How will privacy be protected?”
Nearly every application is now online, and grant writers who evolved to learn online platforms have thrived.
Related: The results are in- are grant givers cool with AI generated proposals?
How I use AI to improve my grant writing
Here are my rebuttals to the objections to AI I saw in the Facebook conversation:
“Grant reviewers don’t like AI and will not honor proposals that use it.”
My response- They have no way of knowing. And if the proposal is clearly AI generated, you failed to use the tool properly.
“There is software that identifies AI. Best not to use.”
The AI detection software is flawed, and the margin of error is great. Even MIT Sloan cautions professors not to rely on detection tools. ChatGPT shut down its own AI detection tool because it wasn’t accurate. Think this through.,
“I am a past funder and I put AI proposals at the bottom of the pile.”
You guess as to whether a proposal used AI. And you punish organizations based on your guesswork, which is likely as accurate as AI detection software. Furthermore, what is AI? Do you consider Grammarly to be AI? Because it is.
“There will be regulations for grant writers to disclose the use of AI. Get ready for that.”
This will be pointless. And I am not even sure if it is true. I couldn’t find anything to substantiate this.
My advice: Subscribe to Grantable. Streamline your processes. Work smarter, not harder. Stop staying stuck. Simply follow the GPA ethical guidelines for using AI and allow it to help you evolve and remain competitive as a grant writer.
Until next time,
Write Epic Grants
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