Behind any good AI tool is strong training data – and we are not talking just about spreadsheets. Large language models (LLMs) need to be able to communicate efficiently and effectively with users, all while providing accurate information and completing the desired tasks. They can only learn how to do that through quality training. Your writers are already providing quality content for your company. Are you using their writing to improve your AI models? Here is a look at how your writers can impact your AI’s ability to create clear, organized, useful, and correct responses.
What Is AI Training Data?
All AI models are trained on data, which can include books, articles, technical documents, academic papers, forums, websites, spreadsheets, audio recordings, photos, video, databases, and more. The exact data you use depends on the LLM’s intended job. The provided content teaches the model how to perform its tasks and better recognize patterns.
Some examples: AI models will eventually learn that questions often end with question marks, emails have greetings and closings, and legal documents need to be more formal than letters to a friend. As AI improves its ability to recognize patterns, it becomes better at generating outputs that align with users’ requests.
Why Does AI Training Matter?
AI models’ output and capabilities are influenced by their training, similar to an education foundation. It does not know facts but instead recognizes patterns based on its training. An LLM trained on airline policies will be able to answer questions from the airline’s customers, but it likely will not be able to provide a recipe.
Strong, diverse data and content during training helps the LLM provide more accurate responses, perform better pattern recognition, and efficiently complete its intended tasks. It is better equipped to provide coherent, grammatically correct responses in easy-to-understand formats.
If the model is trained on poor, unclear, or incomplete data, it has the opposite effect. The AI tool will be more likely to respond with wrong details, biases, and hallucinations, while unable to complete its tasks correctly or efficiently. It could even provide content harmful or dangerous to the user, opening your company up to reduced profits, fines, legal issues, reputation loss, and other problems and risks.
More data does not automatically mean a better LLM, either. Low-quality or irrelevant data can degrade AI performance, shaping its outputs in unintended and undesirable ways.
Training should always meet the desired end result, which means focusing on quality, accurate, clear, and well-written content.
Why Your Writers Are Qualified to Design AI Training Data
AI training data is not a mystical, unobtainable object, hoarded by only those who truly understand the technology. Your writers are likely already qualified to provide quality data to your AI systems.
Professional writers understand what makes strong content, as they:
- Use clear language. AI models benefit from straightforward writing, as they are more equipped to recognize the patterns between the ideas and words. The tools can better understand user instructions and provide more coherent, well formatted, grammatically correct responses when trained on clear language.
- Explain concepts to varying audiences. Good writers are able to explain topics and complex ideas to a variety of readers who all have different levels of knowledge and reading comprehension. AI models trained on this content are better equipped to meet the needs of its varied users. If the tool is only provided with content at one knowledge or reading level, it will only be able to communicate at that level.
- Follow brand and style guidelines. No one wants to read a wall of text. Since professional writers can train AI models on well-formated documents, the model learns how to structure information consistently, use bullet points, and meet tone requirements.
- Produce high-quality content. Consistency and quality matter to an AI’s output. Writers who provide high-quality content during training can help the model produce better responses with fewer contradictions and hallucinations resulting in improved readability.
Your AI model is only as good as its training. Training data that is focused on quality, consistency, and diversity helps teach the model how to better communicate with users. Structure information and AI gets better at recognizing patterns. Your writers are already creating content that meets these qualities, it’s time to see how your AI system and overall organization can benefit.
Are you designing an AI model for your employees or customers? Shea Writing and Training Solutions can assist with providing quality training content that improves its overall performance. Want to learn more? Start the conversation here.
