Can Chat GPT Write My Speech?

It’s an obvious question as ChatGPT continues to show up in things we google and ways we’re learning to work differently.

But the best response didn’t come from me. It came from a client who said:

Sure, ChatGPT can write your speech – as long as your expectation is a crappy, first draft!

I agree!

Your expectations should be higher than something that would work for anyone in any setting. As I’ve played around with ChatGPT, I’ve learned that there’s an art to how you ask, how you reframe and drill down to information that’s useful. But it is an incredible resource tool that has great potential to get you to that first draft. And that’s the part many people say is the biggest drain of time.

If you’ve worked with our storyline framework, then you know the difference in setting external insights and internal perspective. ChatGPT could be a great resource to help you find those insights to broaden, challenge or expand a locked-in belief. But be wary of easy facts that may not hold up. Be sure you re-research everything you get from ChatGPT to be sure it happened as it’s quote, and the metrics are valid.

As a coach, I’m always a little skeptical when the question is ‘can ChatGPT write my speech?’ vs ‘can ChatGPT find interesting facts?’. It makes me wonder if the goal was a shortcut versus a memorable speech. I’m all for leveraging these tools – as long as your goal remains impact versus efficiency. And before you rely on ChatGPT as a viable partner, here’s a quick reminder of what your expectations of yourself should be as a communicator.

Before you align to an easy way out, think about what good looks like and how you should evaluate yourself in terms of expectations and results.

Before every significant communication, ask yourself three questions:

Is it you? – Communication should align to a communicator’s brand. Would people in your audience say –“I can see why he did it.” Or “That’s so in line with who she is.” There are several ways to make content your own from storytelling to word choice to delivery choice and many more. Authenticity is the top attribute listeners describe with presence.

ChatGPT can’t give you that.

Is it memorable? – Attracting and holding the attention of any group is more challenging than it’s ever been. Listeners are distracted, impatient and many days, flat out uninterested. Your content has to break through that. And in many cases, it takes the ability to react to people in the room more than preplanned content you set a week ago.

It’s hard work to find the thread that will pull people into your ideas. You need to know them, you need to align to them and then you need to find a way to pull their interest into your ideas.
You want the content and context you share to be memorable so that the group you meet on Monday shares it with the group they meet with on Thursday. Whether you’re the CEO or the operations manager, the goal of communication is to help information travel.

ChatGPT can’t define that.

Is it actionable? – While I often say there’s no pass/fail in communication, there is impact. And all the effort you’ve put behind a message and a speech is best measured by whether or not listeners took away an actionable insight. Internally, did they rethink the way they’re approaching a project or a work team? Externally, did they have an “aha” about your solution or a broader view based on your insights? Did you ask them for follow-up or action steps? Did you create urgency to act or build trust to work together?

ChatGPT can’t do that…But you can.

You can gauge every speaking opportunity against those three questions. It raises the bar on expectations – and challenges you to take responsibility for making something happen as a result of your communication.

So, can ChatGPT write your speech? Not as well as you can.

Crappy, first drafts seem better suited for wedding toasts than business communication. Assign ChatGPT a supporting role and maybe those swirling data points will inspire you beyond the crappy, first draft. Great communication deserves a little sweat equity and the best of you.

And if you’d like to learn more about how to deliver on those three questions, join Sally for a Free Coaching Session to discuss the topic further!