We are notoriously bad at proofreading our own work as we tend to see what we expect we have written rather than what actually we have written. Hiring a proofreader will save time and money as mistakes can be costly to put right. You cannot depend on a spellchecker or an AI language tool to always get things right.

In an AI’s own words:

“As an AI language model I strive to provide accurate and coherent responses to user queries. However, despite be trained on vast amounts of data, I am not infallible and can occasionally produce errors or inaccuracies. A proofreader helps to ensure the quality and correctness of the content generated by the AI.”

The proofreader’s contribution

Detecting errors

A proofreader can identify and correct spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, punctuation issues, and inconsistencies that might have been overlooked by the author or by an AI.

Word usage

Words that sound the same but are spelt differently and have different meanings can often be misused. Examples include:

• bow / bough
• principal / principle
• their / there / they’re
• who’s / whose

A proofreader can advise you on which to use.

A proofreader can also guide on which words should be capitalized or italicized.

Contextual understanding

An AI may not always grasp the specific context or nuances of a given subject. A proofreader, with their knowledge and expertise, can catch any content that does not align with the intended meaning or may require further clarification.

Enhancing readability

Proofreaders can rephrase or restructure sentences to improve clarity and readability. They can identify overly complex or convoluted sentences and suggest revisions to make the text more accessible and understandable.

Language style and tone

A proofreader can check that the language used in the text is appropriate for the target audience, adheres to specified guidelines such as a house style, and maintains a consistent style and tone throughout the document.

Improved quality of writing

Text that has been proofread and with errors eliminated will create a better first impression to the reader and will be able to communicate your message more clearly. Accurate, quality copy will also rank higher on the Google search engine. You will have confidence that you have produced clear and accurate writing that will engage the reader.

Summary

Overall, a proofreader plays a crucial role in refining and perfecting the document’s content, whether produced by a human and / or an AI language model, helps to enhance its accuracy, clarity and overall quality.

I commented in a blog about written material produced by an AI language tool: ‘For those tempted to say that having used an AI language tool to write an article they can dispense with proofreading, they should consider ChatGPT’s disclaimer when producing articles: “ChatGPT may produce inaccurate information about people, places, or facts.”‘