We need to talk about GenAI

Not the hype. Not the doom-laden predictions. But the messy, complicated reality that content practitioners navigate every day.

The hard truths we can't ignore

Let's start with what we know. GenAI tools come with significant problems that we can't wish away.

Training these models almost certainly involves copyrighted material that owners never agreed to. The amount of energy they burn through is eye-watering. The same goes for water. Data centres need masses of it for cooling. This isn't some future worry. It's happening right now.

And that's before we get to what it does to people. These tools have the potential to amplify existing biases and stereotypes on a massive scale.

They churn out content that sounds convincing but misses the subtle understanding that comes from working with users to learn about their real lived experiences. And yes, it poses real threats to livelihoods in our industry.

These aren't minor inconveniences. They're fundamental challenges that deserve serious discussion.

The reality we're working in

Here’s what's also true. Content designers, strategists, UX writers, and communicators are being asked to work with these tools. Not next year. Not when the technology matures. Now.

We're being asked for guidance and training. And have been for a while. It's important we respond to those needs and continue to help practitioners and organisations design useful, usable, and safe content.

Why we're choosing to work with GenAI

There are no easy choices in this new world. I'd love it to be black and white. But it's officially grey. If we're honest, our work has always been messy, nuanced, human, and often political.

Moving forward, our goal is to help people make better choices by understanding the technology and its limitations: which models to use, techniques to improve accuracy and reduce hallucinations, and ways to reduce harm from bias and stereotyping.

Understanding how GenAI works is critical to responsible use. You can use these tools more effectively when you know how to:

• Set up the tool properly and use it well - for example, understanding how providing context and background information can improve responses and reduce errors
• Understand what it does well and what it doesn't do well - knowing when to rely on it and when human expertise is essential
• Consider when to use it - focusing on tasks that benefit from GenAI's ability to recognise patterns, process large amounts of information, and handle repetitive work
• Create reusable prompt templates rather than starting from scratch each time - learning from what works and building in checks to review outputs for known issues
• Check outputs effectively - just as you would with any content, knowing how to check facts and identify bias and stereotypes remains critical
• Navigate the ethics of use - understanding the difference between copying a person or brand without permission, and applying your organisation's brand guidelines

We want practitioners to understand how to use these tools responsibly. To advise their organisations from a place of knowledge, not fear or hype.

To make smarter decisions about when and how to use these tools. So they can continue to design useful, usable, and safe content while exploring the technology they want to use (or have been asked to use).

Why content designers are uniquely positioned

We work with language every day. We understand how words work, how meaning is constructed, and how to use them to build products and services that work for our audience.

We get nuance. We understand bias and stereotyping. We know the difference between content that serves users and content that serves organisations or algorithms.

If these tools are going to be used—and they are being used—then having content practitioners who understand how to use them responsibly and support others too isn't just helpful. It's critical.

What this means

We're not advocating for uncritical adoption. We're not ignoring the real harms these tools can cause. But we're also not pretending they don't exist or that our industry can opt out.

Instead, we're choosing to engage critically and constructively. To learn how these tools work, where they fail, and how they can be used responsibly. And we plan to share that knowledge with you so that you can navigate this space successfully.

This isn't about embracing GenAI because it's inevitable. It's about doing what we've always done: understanding the tools available to us, their limitations and possibilities, and using that knowledge to create better outcomes for the people who use the products and services we help design