BW-301f · Module 3

Editing AI Drafts for Voice and Accuracy

3 min read

The difference between an AI draft and a professional email is the edit. The edit is not about correcting grammar — AI grammar is generally fine. The edit is about inserting voice, removing genericism, adding the specific detail that makes the email feel like it came from a person who knows the situation, and removing the AI fingerprints that experienced readers can identify with a glance.

Do This

  • Replace AI-signature phrases — "I hope this finds you well," "Please do not hesitate to reach out," "I wanted to circle back" — with your actual language
  • Add the specific detail only you know — the reference to a prior conversation, the specific number, the mutual connection
  • Tighten AI hedges — AI tends to soften everything; your edit restores appropriate directness
  • Check every factual claim — AI has a well-documented tendency to be confidently wrong about specifics

Avoid This

  • Send the draft as generated without reading it — the AI has not read the email thread, the relationship history, or the room
  • Treat the AI draft as a finished product rather than a starting point
  • Retain generic filler that AI uses to pad word count — "I wanted to take a moment to" — every word must earn its place
  • Ignore the tone calibration — AI drafts professional but not specifically warm, cold, urgent, or measured; those registers are your edit
## AI Draft Edit Checklist

Before sending any AI-assisted correspondence:

VOICE
[ ] Replaced AI-signature openers ("I hope this email finds you well")
[ ] Removed filler phrases ("I wanted to circle back on...")
[ ] Tuned directness to match the relationship and stakes
[ ] Added specific detail that only a human with context would know

ACCURACY
[ ] Verified every factual claim (dates, numbers, names, titles)
[ ] Confirmed the ask is what you actually need
[ ] Checked that the tone matches the relationship history

COMPLETENESS
[ ] Nothing important was omitted in the AI draft's compression
[ ] The CC line is correct and intentional
[ ] The subject line is specific enough to be retrievable

FINAL READ
[ ] Read the full email out loud (catches unnatural phrasing)
[ ] Confirmed you would sign your name to this without hesitation