When I first heard about AI tools like ChatGPT, I was immediately put off by the idea. It felt like using AI was “cheating,” especially considering how hard I had worked to refine my writing skills since my undergraduate years—before I even knew I was neurodivergent. The thought that someone could just ask AI to write a blog post or create content in seconds seemed almost terrible to me.
I’ll admit, my assumption was based on never having used it. I’d only seen online ads and Facebook posts promoting services like “Use AI to write your courses and content instantly!” which made me even more sceptical. To be honest, it also instilled mistrust in me when it came to online written content. If AI was being used so widely, how could I be sure that what I was reading was genuine? How could I tell whether something was written by an expert or just generated by software?
Discovering AI as a Tool, Not a Shortcut
Curiosity got the better of me. As an autistic person, I wondered if AI could actually help me organise my thoughts and ideas—something I sometimes struggle with—or even assist me in adjusting my tone depending on my audience.
I started experimenting with AI, asking ChatGPT for blog post ideas and article structures. To my surprise, it was incredibly helpful. It could take my disorganised, rambling thoughts—something that might take me a week to refine—and turn them into a structured, logical format within minutes. The writing and the ideas were still mine, but the AI helped shape them in a way that flowed naturally.
I also discovered that AI could assist me in drafting emails, something I find challenging. I tend to express myself more clearly through speech than in writing, so composing emails that communicate my message effectively can be difficult. AI has helped me articulate my thoughts more concisely and with the appropriate tone.
AI as a Support System for Work and Life
One of the biggest ways AI has revolutionised my workflow is in planning workshops and webinars. I now use it to manage timings, ensuring my sessions are structured effectively. But perhaps the most unexpected benefit has been in task management and scheduling.
As someone with AuDHD, my response to scheduling techniques varies from day to day and week to week. What works one week might not work the next. With ChatGPT’s memory function, I’ve been able to adjust my workload successfully, using AI to track deadlines, set reminders, and break down tasks into more manageable steps.
The Downsides of AI
Of course, AI isn’t perfect. Sometimes, I end up with more detail than I anticipated when asking for help structuring an article. While it gives me a great framework, I often have to remove information or rephrase it to ensure that the final content is truly my own. Authenticity is important to me—I want my work to reflect my own knowledge and lived experience, not just something AI has generated.
Ironically, using AI has also made me much better at recognising AI-generated content. Whether it’s the formatting, the overly polished sentence structures, or a certain neutrality in tone, I can usually spot when something has been written by AI rather than a human.
Final Thoughts: AI as an Accessibility Tool
For me, AI isn’t about taking shortcuts—it’s about assistance. As someone with AuDHD, it has been a valuable tool for organising thoughts, structuring communication, and managing workloads. It doesn’t “do the work for me,” but rather enables me to produce my best work by offering structure and clarity.
For neurodivergent individuals who struggle with executive function, communication, or maintaining focus, AI has the potential to be a game-changer. While it’s important to use it responsibly, my experience has shown me that AI can be an incredibly useful support tool—not a replacement for creativity, but an enabler of it.