Using AI Without Losing Integrity

Two little letters can spark an immediate reaction the moment they’re spoken or read. Any guesses? If you said “AI,” you’re right there with me.

Depending on your own relationship with technology, that reaction may be curiosity, skepticism, or sheer resistance. When generative AI first started making headlines, I’ll admit I was firmly in the skeptic camp. I rolled my eyes, wondering: Whose ideas are these? What sources back them up? And how could I ever trust the results? My doubts came from not fully understanding the technology. Large language models, machine learning, and chatbots sounded more like buzzwords than useful tools.

Over time, I’ve come to see a more nuanced reality. Like any evolving technology, AI can be both immensely helpful and undeniably frustrating—sometimes within the same task. Think about your smartphone. It’s a lifeline one minute, a distraction the next! AI is shaping up to be much the same. Its usefulness depends less on the tool itself and more on how thoughtfully we choose to apply it.

At i+s, we’ve begun exploring ways AI can support our editorial work. I want to be clear: These are supporting roles, not replacements. Our editors remain firmly in charge of what we publish, guided by integrity, experience, and human judgment. But when used responsibly, AI is helping us work smarter and redirect more energy toward the content and ideas that matter most to you.

For example, AI can analyze how readers engage with our stories—what you linger on, share, or return to. In the past, we relied on long surveys and lengthy internal debates to piece together similar insights. Now, we can surface patterns more quickly, giving us better information to shape future coverage.

We’re also finding value in more practical applications. Draft outlines, organized interview notes, and quick readability checks are all areas where AI saves time so we can devote more effort to the creative layer—the human perspective that brings meaning and insight.

These efficiencies don’t replace our craft. In fact, they open space for curiosity, strategy, and storytelling. They let us step back from the noise of production and spend more time focusing on what you, our readers, actually need: content that challenges, informs, and supports the work you do every day.

In this issue’s AI feature, Valerie Dennis Craven’s sources say much the same, as did Valerie herself in a B2B media strategy podcast: Seek ways to save time and challenge your ideas, but always prioritize your voice, accuracy, and connection to the people and the work.

As we continue refining how we use these tools, we’ll keep asking the same questions you may be asking in your own practices: Where does AI add value? Where does it risk diluting authenticity? And most importantly, how do we ensure it amplifies—not undermines—the skills we bring as professionals?

Whether you’re a writer, designer, architect, or project manager, the answer lies in keeping AI where it belongs: as an assistant layered onto human expertise, not a substitute for it. Used wisely, it helps us preserve the authority and authenticity that make our work—and yours—matter.