AI is changing workplace writing. But are you building the right skills?

Across Australia, organisations are moving quickly to adopt generative AI tools like Copilot and ChatGPT.

The promise is clear: faster writing, greater productivity and less time spent on repetitive tasks.

Our new research suggests there is a growing gap between using AI and using it well.

Our recent survey of 289 professionals from government, private sector and not-for-profit organisations found that almost 90% are already using generative AI at work at least once a month. One in three use it every day.

At the same time, only 21% had completed formal AI training.

That matters because while AI can speed up writing, it still struggles with many of the things that make communication effective: judgement, nuance, accessibility and human understanding.

In this article, we explore why plain language matters even more in an AI world. Faster writing doesn’t guarantee better writing but with the right support and upskilling your teams can learn how to get the best out of gen AI and maintain writing clarity and tone.

As AI continues to evolve, you can stay ahead of the curve by uplifting your team’s capability. Equipped with training and the right tools, you can meet with confidence the opportunities and challenges that writing with gen AI brings.

Faster writing does not always mean better communication

The survey revealed that workers are mainly using AI to:

• improve written expression
• summarise information
• brainstorm ideas
• draft emails and documents.

But many respondents also reported problems with the output.

The biggest issues included:

• clichéd and robotic language
• factual inaccuracies and hallucinations
• inappropriate tone
• overly long sentences
• summaries that miss key information.

These findings reflect what many communications teams are already experiencing.

AI can produce content quickly, but speed alone does not create trust, clarity or understanding.

This is particularly important in government, where communication must support informed decisions, public confidence and equitable access to information.

Government interest in AI is accelerating

There are strong signals from federal and state governments that AI adoption will continue to grow across the public sector.

Recent commentary from government leaders has highlighted the importance of AI for improving productivity, service delivery and innovation. At the same time, agencies are being encouraged to establish stronger AI leadership and governance capabilities.

But adopting AI successfully is not simply about introducing new technology.

Read also: Rochelle Hurst on plain English or legalese: Choosing clarity in government communication

As discussed during a recent Mandarin webinar on AI and government transformation, organisations first need to identify the real business problem they are trying to solve.

Sometimes the issue is not AI at all.

It may be:

• disconnected systems
• siloed data
• outdated processes
• inconsistent communication
• poor access to information.

Without fixing those foundations first, AI can amplify existing problems rather than solve them.

The human skills still matter most

One of the strongest themes emerging from our survey was the ongoing importance of human oversight.

Respondents expressed cautious optimism about AI, but many also raised concerns about:

• overreliance on automation
• loss of critical thinking
• bias in AI-generated content
• declining writing capability
• reduced human judgement.

These concerns are valid.

Good communication is not just about producing words. It is about understanding people.

That includes:

• knowing your audience
• writing clearly
• communicating accessibly
• using the right tone
• thinking critically about accuracy and risk.

AI can assist with drafting. But humans still need to guide the thinking.

As organisations adopt AI tools more widely, the skills that will matter most are not purely technical. They are communication skills, critical thinking skills and decision-making skills.

Why plain language matters even more in an AI world

We believe AI should support clearer communication, not create more confusion.

That is why we recently launched our new Smarter AI Writing training program.

The program helps professionals:

• write effective prompts
• assess AI-generated content critically
• improve clarity and accessibility
• edit AI outputs for quality and accuracy
• maintain human judgement throughout the writing process.

Importantly, the training is grounded in plain language principles.

Because if people do not understand what you write, the technology behind it does not matter.

This is especially important for government agencies communicating with:

• culturally and linguistically diverse communities
• neurodiverse audiences
• vulnerable groups
• people with low literacy
• time-poor readers navigating complex information.

Clear communication is not a “nice to have”. It is essential for accessibility, inclusion and trust. Our plain language editors solve all kinds of government writing problems such as:

• complex instructions that confuse readers and reduce compliance
• overly long reports that need rewriting for public comment
• websites full of repetition and out-of-date material
• ministerial briefing templates that don’t meet the minister’s needs
• writing guides that entrench less-than-effective writing practices.

The future of AI at work

AI will continue to reshape how we work.

But the organisations that succeed will not simply be the ones using AI the fastest. They will be the ones combining technology with strong human capability.

That means:

• investing in training
• building critical thinking skills
• improving communication foundations
• creating accessible information
• ensuring humans remain accountable for decisions and outputs.

AI may help us write faster.

But people still need to think clearly.

To learn more about Plain English Foundation’s research, training and editing services, visit Plain English Foundation.