Can you use AI as a ghostwriter or marketing assistant?

Do you need to mention ChatGPT as a source?

Instead of focusing on risks and limitations, I advocate for curiosity, responsibility, and most of all, staying in control. AI is not a replacement for human talent. It is an extension of it. Like a good editor, sparring partner, or copywriter, it can help lift your work to the next level. As long as you are the one deciding what goes in and what stays out.

Do you need to mention if you used AI to write something?

A big discussion point is whether writers should have to disclose the use of ChatGPT or another AI tool when writing a piece. It’s a fair question, but also a sign of the discomfort many people still feel.

We no longer live in a time where people do everything on their own. You use Google. You ask a colleague for feedback. You have your writing edited. Or you hire a copywriter or marketing agency. Do you mention that? Of course not. So why would you need to mention when AI helps?

The real question is: Who is in charge?
Did you decide what you wanted to say? Did you choose the angle? Did you select what to keep and what to leave out? Do you understand what’s written, and does it reflect your voice? If yes, then you have nothing to hide.
But if you simply type a broad prompt like “write something about topic X” and publish the result without any editing or reflection, then you are not creating. You are copying. That has never been acceptable, unless you clearly credit the source.

AI as a creative partner

I used to write books entirely on my own. Hours of interviews, structuring, and rewriting. These days, I work with ChatGPT. Not as a writer, but as a smart assistant. It turns my spoken input into text, offers suggestions, helps me structure content, and avoids repetition. Just like an editor or sparring partner would.

In ghostwriting or manuscript analysis, it speeds up my process without lowering the quality. When I provide strong input, based on my knowledge, years of experience, and sharp insight, the result is excellent. It is fast, original, and high quality. If I hand things over to AI without guidance, the result is average. That may be good enough for some people, but not for me.

It also works really well for social media. When something happens that I want to share, I grab my phone and speak into the ChatGPT app. A voice prompt helps me convey context, mood, and emotion. I might say, “I’m at the airport, my flight just got cancelled, but I’ve just had a big insight…” Then I’ll add, “Turn this into a post in my tone of voice, and highlight the insight.” The result is often better than what I would have written myself. Because the thought is mine, the story is mine, and AI just sharpens the message in my tone, faster and more clearly than I could.

When is it no longer your own work?

Here is my rule of thumb: if you are the one setting the direction, understanding the content, and choosing what to use, then you don’t need to say anything. It is just another tool.
But if you generate a generic text and publish it without any changes or checks, then it makes sense to mention it. Not because it is a rule, but because otherwise it may appear as your own original work when it isn’t.

Ask yourself these five questions when using AI

Start with a strong prompt. Say what you want to achieve, how you would normally approach it, and what the output needs to meet. Then review the result using these questions:

• Do I understand what it says?
• Is the content factually correct?
• Did I decide on the structure, direction, and tone?
• Did I add something that AI could not have created on its own?
• Does this feel like my work?

If you can answer “yes” to all five, you’re in the clear. If not, it may be time to take back the lead.

Conclusion: work with AI, but think for yourself

AI is not a threat. It is a powerful accelerator if you know what you are doing. See it as a tool, not a shortcut. Creativity is not about who writes the fastest, but who shares something meaningful. Let AI support your process, but never forget who is behind the wheel: you.

P.S. This blog was not written by ChatGPT. But I did brainstorm with it 

This column originally appeared on the Dutch career platform Intermediair.nl.

This column was originally published in Dutch in April 2025 on Intermediair.nl. Check out all of Esther’s monthly columns with AI tips.