What can a digital writing buddy do?
When writing, we collect ideas, develop them further, put them into a good order, and discard them again. We write, rewrite, write anew. That is normal, because: writing is a thinking process.
That is why, when writing, it can be helpful to share our – perhaps still unfinished – ideas with another person, whether orally in conversation or a talk, or in writing through drafts and text feedback.
Instead of a real person, you can also use generative AI for this. You can ask the AI
- to ask you questions you might not have thought of yourself,
- to critically evaluate your ideas,
- to look at your ideas from another perspective,
- to find gaps in your argumentation.
Formulating a feedback request
A good prompt you can use to get targeted feedback from an AI writing tool could look like this:
Example: Please analyze the following academic text passage with regard to style, clarity, and logic. Give me concrete feedback on possible improvements concerning the structure of the argument and comprehensibility. Also pay attention to recurring grammatical mistakes or unclear formulations.
Through this prompt, you can receive comprehensive feedback that improves both the content quality and the language quality of your text. Adapt the prompt to your needs.
AI as a writing buddy – The advantages
- AI is available around the clock.
- AI gives unbiased feedback, since an AI has no personal preferences or emotions. The tool evaluates your ideas objectively and gives you clear feedback.
- AI can take on different perspectives and thus help you to consider your arguments from different angles. This promotes a deeper understanding of your topic.
- Through quick responses and targeted questions, AI can accelerate the writing process and help you work more efficiently.
AI as a writing buddy – The disadvantages
- An AI cannot understand emotional nuances or respond to your personal needs. It does not provide the emotional support that can sometimes be crucial.
- AI lacks the deeper understanding and intuition that a human counterpart might have. Sometimes it can treat complex topics only superficially.
- An AI is based on existing data and algorithms, and is therefore often less creative than a human. It has difficulties developing truly innovative or original ideas.
- There are data protection concerns. That’s why it is important to think about data protection and the security of your data. Sensitive information could potentially be at risk. Consider carefully what you enter into an AI tool.
- AI hallucinates, i.e., its information can be false and imprecise.
Conclusion: Combine human and machine
Although generative AI can be a practical support in the writing process, it does not replace the valuable feedback of a real human being.
The best strategy is a combination of both: Use AI to develop first drafts quickly and efficiently and to identify gaps, and complement this with human feedback to refine and perfect your texts.
Frequently asked questions
Can I trust an AI?
As a rule: always check the current data protection regulations of each AI tool and verify its answers for correctness.
Which AI tools are best suited as a writing buddy?
A text-generating AI chatbot is best suited as a writing buddy. Also check out our article on: AI tools for academic work.
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This article was published in September 2025 and last updated in January 2025.