Add-ins

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Editing with AI: Problem or Opportunity?

Last week, I announced the release of MarkMyWords, my new add-in that provides AI-assisted copyediting directly in Microsoft Word. I’ve received numerous emails expressing interest. I’ve also received a few emails expressing reservations, which I thought might be important to address. Here goes:

With MarkMyWords, will Claude AI use my text for training?

Absolutely not. MarkMyWords uses Anthropic’s API (Application Programming Interface), not the consumer claude.ai interface (which does use submissions for training unless you opt out). MarkMyWords sends your text to Anthropic’s secure servers for processing, but Anthropic does not use that text for AI training purposes, and your text is not stored permanently online. You can learn more here:

https://privacy.claude.com/en/articles/7996868-is-my-data-used-for-model-training
https://privacy.claude.com/en/articles/7996866-how-long-do-you-store-my-organization-s-data

Does sending text to AI violate copyright?

Copyright law protects against reproduction and distribution of a work without permission. Have you ever sent a manuscript to a reviewer? to a freelancer? Would you consider that to be a copyright violation? I wouldn’t. Using MarkMyWords to send a document to Claude (a computer program) doesn’t constitute infringement any more than sending a document to DropBox (a computer program). Using Claude with MarkMyWords, no human ever sees the manuscript, and it’s deleted after use.

Is it ethical to use corrections identified by AI rather than a human?

It’s just as ethical as using corrections identified by a spell checker or grammar checker. We’re not using AI to generate a document we plan to pass off as our own; we’re editing an existing document with no interest in authorship. A correction is just a correction. And with MarkMyWords, all corrections are made directly in Word using tracked changes, so you can see exactly what was done, then accept or reject as needed. With MarkMyWords, you, not AI, make the editorial decisions.

What if the AI changes an author’s meaning?

If AI changes an author’s meaning, it’s your job, as editor, to reject the change. But MarkMyWords was made for copyediting, not content editing. The chances of getting changes in meaning are very low.

Won’t editing with AI erode human expertise?

Editing with AI could erode human expertise if the editing was done invisibly, without tracked changes. But MarkMyWords tracks every revision Claude makes, requiring your review before publication is possible. Claude won’t take your place as an editor, but Claude will correct errors and identify problems you might have missed. Reviewing Claude’s changes and explanatory comments can actually enhance human expertise, including your own.

Will MarkMyWords with Claude do my editing for me?

No. Claude should be seen as a supportive tool rather than a substitute for professional editing expertise. Human oversight remains essential for critical or complex editing tasks, which is why MarkMyWords operates as it does.

In conclusion

Love it or hate it, AI is here to stay. At the ACES conference last year, I wondered, Five years from now, will editing still exist as a profession? I believe it will, but for that to happen, we, as editors, need to figure out our relationship with this powerful technology and learn to use it for our profit and advantage. I hope MarkMyWords will help in that effort.

Add-Ins from Microsoft

By Jack Lyon, the Editorium

I’ve created lots of Microsoft Word add-ins at the Editorium, but did you know that Microsoft also provides add-ins, many of them free? Here’s how to explore and use these add-ins right from within Microsoft Word.

  1. In the search bar at the top of your Word window, enter “add-in.” You’ll then see an option like this:

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  1. Click “Insert an Add-in” (or just press your ENTER key). Doing so will open the Office Add-ins dialog. On my computer, it looks like this, showing the add-ins I’ve already installed:

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  1. To explore more add-ins, click the “Store” link under “Office Add-ins.” You’ll be presented with a bunch of add-ins and a helpful list of categories to help you find what what you need:

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Many of the add-ins are free to use. Those that aren’t say “Additional purchase may be required.”

To learn more about an add-in, click its logo or title. To add it to Word, click the Add button and follow any online prompts. The add-in will then show up on the Home tab of Word’s ribbon interface:

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I hope you find an add-in that does exactly what you need. If you do, please let me know, and I’ll review it in a future issue of Editorium Update. Thank you!