MIke P O’Brien
Dear Reader,You and I are both here because the rules are changing. You didn’t pick up this book to learn about AI. You picked it up because your work is already being reshaped by it. AI touches nearly every interaction. Instead of looking to AI for answers, we need to set our own rules with clarity, confidence, and control.If you’ve ever turned to The Elements of Style for clarity in writing, this book offers a way to approach AI with the same care.We need to learn how to work with AI, to understand Who it is and What it isn’t. Practical AI Style isn’t a warning or a blind embrace. It is a guide to help AI assist and augment our skills, grounded in clear intent, consistent tone, thoughtful constraints, and alignment with our values.Inside, you will find elements, workbooks, and exercises I have used with teams navigating this terrain, all designed to help you build your own AI Style Guide you can put to immediate use. Along the way, you will meet a few of my favorite cohorts: a race engineer, an art forger, Scheherazade, Juror #8, the Great One, and a Pope. Each offers an authentic perspective that helps shape how we approach AI with tone, judgment, assurance, and trust.Thanks for being part of this work. With Gratitude! MikeP.S. We likely haven’t met. I’ve spent my career where technology meets learning, helping people and teams adapt to change with clarity and care. This book was shaped by years of work with organizations, a curiosity for what comes next, and one vivacious, partially trained golden retriever named Mara, who reminds me daily how nascent intelligence does not always look or act the way we expect. I live with my wife and daughter in Hull, Massachusetts, leashed to the future five feet behind Mara.A little more about the book for the curious ... A Style Guide for the Algorithmic AgeAI is transforming business fast, bringing both opportunity and risk-messaging can become inconsistent, and brand voice diluted. Practical AI Style offers your AI Style Guide, a modern Elements of Style for AI use. It anchors AI in clarity, consistency, and values, ensuring AI reflects your brand’s true purpose. Unlike policies, it focuses on how to use AI responsibly-setting tone, intent, and transparency norms that turn AI into a trusted partner.What Is an AI Style Guide?It defines principles for creating and managing AI content, helping teams produce aligned, trustworthy outputs. Inspired by Strunk and White’s clarity, this book distills the essentials for effective AI communication.A Practical WorkbookMore than theory, it offers exercises and templates to build your guide. You’ll learn to:Define your AI’s tone and ethicsTrain teams to write clear AI promptsCreate a living guide that grows with your needsUse AI confidently with balance and controlThis book empowers you to lead your organization in using AI thoughtfully, protecting your brand in a fast-changing world.Start Your AI JourneyAI’s pace is fast-but mastery is possible. Practical AI Style gives you the tools to build clarity and control, turning risk into advantage.
