From Zero to Ten: How I Doubled My Writing With Generative Tech
Are you caught up with the recent trend that’s taking over the world? No, it’s not a Tik Tok challenge for a change. I’m talking about an emerging field that is altering the way we create content and interact with technology.
It’s called Generative Tech, and it’s described as a rocketship for the human mind.
Generative Tech is where AI models meet software. What might take us humans several hours to do, can take an AI-powered app only a few seconds — and it can learn how to do it better and faster. But when it creates something new, it doesn’t only save us time. It’s not reactive. It becomes a player, too.
Though it may sound like a premise to a new Sci-Fi film, it’s actually already part of our everyday life. And it’s growing rapidly. The internet has shifted from a space where information merely “exists” — to an endless field in which we build incessantly. But the construction work is not done only by us — it’s based on a powerful (and dramatic) collaboration between humans and technology.
Here’s how it helped me boost my productivity as a content writer — using Upword’s AI.
As a content writer, I’m constantly expected to push the envelope of my own knowledge, keep up with current trends, but also meet deadlines. Behind every written word, there’s usually hours of another kind of work that isn’t writing but is equally important (and time-consuming): reading, researching, highlighting, extracting ideas, piecing information together, finding the right hook, and more.
The writing itself is the preparation of the final product. A plate upon which I serve the ideas that have been brewing in my head.
But the road is long and bumpy. I always felt like I was short on time, lacking sufficient knowledge, or seeking inspiration to get started.
All those other things I have to do to create valuable content are unavoidable, and to be fair, I have come to accept them as part of the process and even enjoy their benefits. But with deadlines hovering above my head and the massive amount of content that already exists out there, I realized I needed to find a better way to do it.
This is where Upword comes in.
This new AI-powered app generates notes and extracts key ideas from textual input. Within seconds, it spits out a summary that you can edit, listen to, share with others, and archive in a personal library.
Make no mistake: this summary is a creation. It’s a synthesis of all key takeaways from a given text, put together in a coherent piece that I can review and modify.
It’s teamwork.
And as such, it’s helped me improve my old habits, make up for my shortcomings, and get more done.
Upword saves me time
Upword cuts every article by up to 85%. Yes, writers don’t like it when others mess with their work, let alone when an automated machine does that. But if we’re honest, most of what we read isn’t relevant when we’re looking for a specific idea.
Instead of skimming through articles and manually fishing for relevant information, Upword’s notes just hand them to me and save me precious time. That’s time that I can spend exploring more sources and drafting my work.
But it does more than that.
Upword helps me grow and manage my knowledge
Up until a couple decades ago, encyclopedias were pretty much the only reliable source of information available to us. Today, we each have access to unlimited data (regardless of your phone plan). There’s great value in retaining as much as we can for the long term, but our human brain has limited storage.
Upword also taps into the exciting area of PKM or personal knowledge management, which is crucial for anyone who is a knowledge worker. By now it’s very clear: what is needed for the future is not just brand-new inventions that no one’s ever thought of, but rather a blend or a fusion of existing ideas. Linking what seems unrelated.
Same goes for writing. And for that, you need more than just a journal to document your thoughts. Upword does some of the nitty-gritty work and connects the dots for me — so that I can then look at the bigger picture and build more knowledge. That’s what Generative Tech is all about — using what already exists, and making it your own.
And it helps on another level, too.
Upword gives me confidence
Stepping into a new field can be daunting. Whether you’re a technical writer, a teacher, or a designer, you know that at some point you’ll have to venture beyond your comfort zone, into uncharted waters.
Having a powerful app in your toolbox is not only useful, but is also a strong confidence-builder. Before, whenever I tackled a long article, just the look of it would make my motivation plummet. But now I don’t have to worry.
When the cognitive burden isn’t as bad, it helps both practically and mentally: you know you’re not alone in this. That’s another evidence of a strong partnership. It’s strange to think of a human and a machine this way — but it’s true nonetheless. And we better get used to it.
By harnessing the benefits of Generative Tech, I was able to produce twice as much content immediately, and broaden my horizons while at it. The future is here — and it’s only going to get better, as we’re seeing an unprecedented amount of apps like Upword form a fascinating alliance with the machines we developed.
