19
Lesson 19 · 1 min
Emails and documents
Let AI write the first draft, then spend your time making it sound like you and getting the facts right.
Writing is where AI saves most people the most time. A reply that takes you 15 minutes can take 2: you give the key points, it drafts, you edit.
Give it the facts, the reader and the goal. "Reply to the supplier in Lagos: the delivery is 3 days late, we still want it, ask for a new date, keep it friendly."
Watch for the AI voice: too long, too polite, too many fancy words. Ask it to be shorter and plainer, or give an example of how you write.
Always read before sending. Check names, dates, numbers and promises. Your name is on it, not the AI's.
Do it now
Clear one email from your inbox
- 1.Pick an email you have been avoiding.
- 2.Remove private details, then use the prompt below.
- 3.Edit the draft so it sounds like you, then send it.
Write a reply to this email: [PASTE EMAIL]. My main points: [2 TO 3 BULLETS]. Reader: [WHO]. Tone: [e.g. friendly and direct]. Keep it under 120 words and use plain English.
Words from this lesson
- Prompt
- The instruction or question you give an AI. Clearer prompts with context usually get much better answers.
- Few-shot prompting
- Including a few examples of what you want in your prompt so the AI copies their style and format.
- LLM
- An AI trained on huge amounts of text to predict the next word, which lets it write, summarise, translate and chat.