Use an LLM as a Copyeditor and Proofreader

What this is, in plain English

This workflow explains how to use a large language model (LLM), which is an AI system that understands and generates human-like text, as a personal copyeditor and proofreader. The core idea is to leverage the AI’s ability to spot errors and suggest improvements without letting it write your content for you.

The author, Simon Willison, drawing on advice from Thomas Ptacek, emphasizes a strict rule: never use a single word or phrase suggested by the LLM directly. Instead, the AI should act as a tool to highlight issues, check facts, correct grammar and spelling, and offer alternative words, allowing you to maintain your unique writing voice.

This entry is in Concept mode because the original source mentions a specific “proofreading prompt” and a prompt to “kickstart building your own” but does not provide the exact text of these prompts. Therefore, we cannot offer a direct copy-paste recipe. However, the approach is highly valuable, and you can easily adapt it using general best practices for interacting with LLMs.

What you can use it for

• Improve grammar and spelling: Catch and correct errors in your written content.
• Fact-check information: Verify details and statements within your text.
• Find better words: Get suggestions for synonyms to enhance clarity or impact.
• Refine your writing style: Ensure your original voice and style are preserved while eliminating mistakes.

Tools you need

• ChatGPT (freemium): A widely available large language model that can understand and respond to text prompts.

How it actually works

1. Access an LLM: Open a chat interface for a large language model, like ChatGPT, on your phone or computer.

2. Paste your content: Copy the text you want to proofread or edit and paste it into the chat window.

3. Ask for specific edits: The author doesn’t share their exact prompt; a starting point:

   Please act as a copyeditor and proofreader for the following text. Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Also, suggest alternative words for clarity or impact where appropriate. Do NOT rewrite sentences or suggest specific phrasing; only highlight issues and offer single-word synonyms.
   
   [Paste your text here]

   You should see the LLM analyze your text and provide suggestions for corrections and alternative words.

4. Review and rewrite: Carefully read through the LLM’s suggestions. Apply any corrections for grammar, spelling, or punctuation that you agree with. If the LLM suggests a specific phrase or sentence structure, do not use it directly. Instead, use the suggestion as inspiration to rewrite the section in your own words, maintaining your original voice.

5. Fact-check (optional): If your text contains facts or figures, you can ask the LLM to verify them. For example:

   Can you fact-check the following statement in the text above: "..."

   The LLM will provide information to help you confirm or correct the facts.

Words you’ll see, explained

• LLM (Large Language Model): An artificial intelligence program trained on vast amounts of text data to understand, generate, and respond to human language.
• Copyeditor: A person or tool that checks written material for errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style, ensuring consistency and clarity.
• Proofreader: A person or tool that reads text to find and mark errors before it is published, focusing on final checks for accuracy.
• Prompt: The instruction, question, or text you provide to an AI model to get a specific response or action.

Original source

This concept is based on an article by Simon Willison, who shared insights from Thomas Ptacek on using large language models as copyeditors rather than as primary writing assistants. The original piece was posted on Simon Willison’s blog.

Notes & variations

• Do you even need this?: For very simple grammar and spelling checks, built-in features in word processors (like Microsoft Word or Google Docs) or free online tools (like Grammarly’s free tier) might be sufficient. This LLM approach is best for more nuanced feedback or when you want to combine multiple editing tasks.
• Free-tier limits: Free versions of LLMs like ChatGPT may have limits on the length of text you can process at once or the number of requests you can make within a certain timeframe. For longer documents, you might need to break them into smaller sections.
• Common pitfall: The biggest mistake is to blindly accept and use the LLM’s suggested phrasing. Always rewrite any suggested sentences or phrases in your own words to avoid your content sounding generic or having that “weird AI smell” mentioned by the author.