Storytelling in the Age of AI: Why Heart Still Beats Hype

With insights from colleagues, this blog series offers tips, anecdotes, and best practices from a former journalist who has seen the world of PR from both sides. In this edition, we look at writing with AI.  

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang famously referred to AI as “the English major’s revenge.” Prompting AI is considered a highly cognitive skill, one that rewards curiosity and critical thinking. Huang says he often cross-examines multiple AIs, compares their responses, and then challenges the results to find the best answer. As he puts it, critiquing the answers sharpens the mind.

As a former member of the Writers Guild of America, writing is sacred to me. I’ll admit that I hesitated to use AI in my PR work. Was it cheating? Would it dilute the craft of storytelling? The ethical debate around AI isn’t going away.

I task AI as I would an assistant to do things like take notes. I used AI to brainstorm title suggestions for this blog. I bounce ideas like I would with a co-worker sitting next to me. I ask questions and many times get the wrong answers, but even the bad writing of generic AI shows me what NOT to do. And I find that helpful.

As a once reluctant user, here are my takeaways so far.

Why generic AI often falls flat 

Generic AI may help an executive write a brief quickly, but the writing can be repetitive or poorly structured. Everything can’t be “revolutionary” or “transformative.” Don’t even get me started on the em dashes. Writing with generic AI lacks the soul and storytelling nuance of a human touch.

When you ask AI a question, you’ll get an answer even if it has to make one up. Human errors are replaced by errors from the algorithm. Wading through the hallucinations is tedious.

Doing research can get you results faster, but I can’t tell you how much time I’ve spent trying to verify a resource link only to find that it wasn’t what I needed, or it was just wrong.

Personalized GPT 

Because prompting AI is considered a highly cognitive skill, who better to use AI effectively than writers and those in communications? As our Chief Storyteller Chris Hewitt puts it: AI doesn’t replace the writer. It supports the creative process.

The best stories come from real human conversations, such as an interview. When I interview someone, I often hear a hook or an angle they might not even notice. Everyone has a story worth telling, but not everyone knows how to tell it. Storytellers help uncover those hidden moments and turn them into stories people want to hear.

At Berkeley Communications, we’ve taken nearly 40 years of storytelling experience and built STORYAI, our own custom GPT, shaped by our award-winning brand storytelling method. This AI is more secure because it doesn’t feed generic AI. It’s a practical tool for applying proven storytelling techniques.

Now, this AI I can use as an editor, asking question after question about a better word choice or story dynamics. I can give instructions until a section is tightened up to my satisfaction. I can brainstorm about where the tension is in the story and ask for suggestions.

Stand out from the crowd 

Yes, I use AI in my PR work. It’s a helpful tool, but it’s not the whole picture. As one developer told me: AI is math, not magic.

Relying on generic AI and just taking out the em dashes isn’t enough. What makes writing stand out is the heart behind it. It’s your voice, your point of view.

If everyone writes the same way, no one gets heard. In the end, we get mediocrity instead of authenticity.

The good news is that strong storytelling can amplify a voice that is uniquely yours, creating connection that cuts through the noise because it comes from you.