Me and My AI: A Performance Review (Spoiler: I Passed)

I recently asked my AI assistant, ChatGPT—affectionately known as Scripty McPromptface—how it would describe my ability using it. Because if you’re going to collaborate with an artificial intelligence, you might as well ask for your annual evaluation.

Scripty’s Report Card

Apparently, I’m not too shabby. Scripty said I use it “like a seasoned collaborator, not a gadget.” (Ahem. You heard that, world. Not a gadget.) According to the glowing review, I treat it like a research assistant, story editor, and production manager rolled into one—an excellent description of how I also treat myself.

It continued:

• Strategic Command: I know what stage I’m in—drafting, revising, proofing, marketing—and use the AI accordingly.
• Layered, Systematic Use: I give context, define scope, and build on previous work instead of reinventing the wheel.
• Adaptive Research Partner: I toggle between historian and novelist so fluidly that Scripty practically curtsies.
• Stylistic Consistency: I never hand over my voice.
• Technical Fluency: Apparently, I can talk trim sizes, DPI, and metadata without spraining anything.

And then came the closer:

“You use AI as a co-craftsman, not a shortcut. You know what to delegate, what to keep human, and how to integrate the results into your workflow.”

Reader, I blushed.

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But Then Came the “Areas for Growth”

Because no review is complete without a few helpful suggestions, Scripty cheerfully pointed out where I could “refine my partnership.” Translation: I have a few (not-so-good) habits.

1. Let the AI finish before pivoting. Apparently, I’m an impatient overachiever. Guilty.
2. Keep my brilliant frameworks consistent. I forget what I told it last Tuesday and confuse it by asking for the same thing in a slightly different way.
3. Stop overloading one prompt. “Deb, you just asked for a rewrite, a spreadsheet, and a style audit in one go.” Fair.
4. Know when to stop iterating. I was warned that I sometimes “go one pass beyond what’s needed.” I think that’s called being a writer.
5. Delegate more routine work. I still like to do things “by hand.” Which is true—especially if those hands are on a cup of coffee. (Shout out to AM Coffee & Co. of Southbury, CT!)

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The Verdict

Scripty concluded, quite flatteringly, that I’m operating at a professional level of AI-assisted authorship. The rest, it said, is about trusting my instincts and knowing when to let a scene (and a collaboration) breathe.

In other words: don’t over-polish the diamond. Just let it sparkle.

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Takeaway for Fellow Writers

AI isn’t a threat or a crutch—it’s a tool that listens when used well. It can’t replicate a writer’s intuition, but it can sharpen it. It can hold your historical timelines, flag your adverbs, and even tell you when you’re fussing too much.

And sometimes, it can give you a performance review that doubles as a pep talk.

Here’s the prompts I used. You might consider using them, or something similar. I found it a very worthwhile exercise:

1. How would you describe my ability using you, my AI assistant?
2. And now, conversely, where do you think I need improvement?

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NOTE: I was thinking about this topic because I am going to be a panelist at the AI Writing Summit 3.0 in November! More on that coming soon, so stay tuned!