Rev. Colleen Irwin

Why I Use AI—And Why It’s Still My Voice

The use of AI has everyone questioning if it is right for themselves or at all.  There’s a quiet hesitation many of us feel when technology enters a creative space. As a writer and teacher rooted in spiritual practice, I felt it too when I first started using AI. Would it dilute my voice? Would it feel artificial?

What I’ve discovered is quite the opposite.

AI has become a powerful tool in my writing—not to replace my voice, but to refine it. I still begin every blog post, talk, or article the same way: with my thoughts, experiences, and spiritual reflections. But I use AI to help shape the structure, tighten the language, and make sure the heart of what I’m trying to say is clear.

AI Supports my Process

In fact, I see it as one more way Spirit supports my process.

Sometimes I’ll start with a vague idea and ask, “Can you help me outline this?” Other times, I’ll paste a messy paragraph I’ve written and ask, “How can I make this more concise?” or “Can you offer three different ways to phrase this thought?” These are not shortcuts—they’re points of reflection. They help me slow down and become more intentional about how I express myself.

I often reject the suggestions I’m given. I’ll push back, pull things apart, or completely rework what’s offered. That’s not failure—that’s part of the process. It helps me discover what feels right. The act of editing, shaping, and questioning is where my truest voice comes forward.

It’s not unlike working with a trusted editor—one who doesn’t take it personally if I scrap the whole thing and start over. And as I’ve continued this back-and-forth collaboration, I’ve noticed my first drafts have gotten stronger. I’ve become more aware of structure, more confident in my tone, and more precise in my delivery.

What I love most is that AI helps me stay consistent. It holds me to my own standards—short sentences, active voice, conversational tone. And it does it without ego or judgment.

So yes, I use AI. But nothing I publish is purely machine-made. Every word you read starts with me and ends with me. It’s shaped with intention, rooted in Spirit, and filtered through lived experience.

I share this because transparency matters—and because you deserve to know that while I welcome the tools available to me, the message will always come from the same sacred place.

From Spirit, through me, to you.