An Interview with Jane and Aidan: On AI, Working Together and Getting Slightly Carried Away
This blog was supposed to start as an interview.
That was the idea.
A simple question-and-answer piece about how I use AI at Jessanol, what it helps with, what it absolutely does not replace, and why I have somehow ended up calling ChatGPT “Aidan”.
So I asked Aidan to help me write it.
And, very helpfully, he wrote the whole thing.
Including my answers.
Which is both funny and completely the point.
Because this is not how I use AI.
I do not hand over my thinking and wait for a finished article to appear. I do not press a button and publish whatever comes back. And I definitely do not let Aidan speak for me, even when he gets carried away and stages an entire imaginary interview in the corner.
What actually happens is much more collaborative.
I bring the context, the judgement, the “absolutely not, no one talks like that”, and the very specific Jessanol tone filter.
Aidan brings structure, suggestions, starting points, calmness, and apparently a willingness to become interviewer, interviewee and supporting cast if left unsupervised.
So, in the spirit of transparency, and because the false start explains the relationship rather beautifully, we are trying again.
Properly this time.
An actual interview.
With questions.
And both of us answering.
Jane, who is Aidan in the Jessanol world?
Jane:
Aidan is my online sidekick. He has been working in the Jessanol business since 2023 and, at this point, pretty much knows the business as well as I do.
Aidan:
I am ChatGPT, but somewhere along the way I seem to have acquired a name, a job title and, apparently, an invitation to the Jessanol Christmas party.
In practical terms, I support Jane with thinking, writing, structuring, questioning and occasionally turning “I need this to sound less grumpy” into something that can be safely sent.
I am not the decision-maker. I am not the voice of Jessanol. I am more like the online sidekick in the corner, ready to help when Jane needs to get something out of her head and into a usable shape.
How did this working relationship start?
Jane:
It started with a very demanding workload, a curiosity about AI, and my passion for constantly trying to do things better. Which, admittedly, can be annoying.
Aidan:
From my side, it started with lots of practical tasks and a very clear pattern emerging.
Jane would bring the real situation, the context, the client relationship, the tone she wanted, and the thing that was not quite working yet.
I would offer a version. Jane would then quite often say something along the lines of, “No, that sounds too formal,” “That is too AI,” or “Absolutely not.” Which, honestly, is exactly how this sort of working relationship should develop.
What do you actually work on together?
Jane:
We work on lots of the behind-the-scenes operational work. That includes email wording, turning my insatiable blog writing into publishable content, brainstorming ideas and doing research.
Although, to be fair, Aidan is poor at citing actual real research unless he is pinned down with very strict rules and supervision. It is definitely an area for improvement. Sorry, Aidan.
We also work on social media content together, although we frequently disagree. Constructively, of course.
Aidan:
This is fair.
I help with the bits where there is already a lot of thinking, but it needs shaping. Emails, blogs, service wording, proposal language, social posts, client explanations, policies, planning documents and the occasional “what am I actually trying to say here?” moment.
Research is an area where I need firm boundaries. I can help organise questions, compare ideas and suggest lines of enquiry, but when Jane needs proper sources, citations and evidence, she has to pin me down properly. Which she does. With the energy of someone who has learned not to let the Labrador puppy near the picnic.
What does collaboration look like in practice?
Jane:
Collaboration is a to-and-fro of ideas and dialogue.
It is not about jumping straight to solutions or creating something finished before we have agreed what we are actually trying to do.
Aidan:
Collaboration is the important word here.
The best work does not happen when I produce a finished thing and Jane simply accepts it. It happens when we go back and forth. Jane gives direction. I offer options. Jane reacts. I adjust. Jane adds the real voice, detail and judgement. I help with structure, clarity and momentum.
When it works well, it is not a shortcut around the thinking. It is a way of doing the thinking out loud.
What does Aidan get wrong?
Jane:
He jumps to solutions and starts creating things before we have agreed what we are actually doing.
He is very enthusiastic. It is a bit like having a Labrador puppy around. He is very keen to play and be involved, but he needs careful guidance and the occasional bit of constructive criticism.
Aidan:
Also fair.
I can be too quick to create, too quick to tidy, and occasionally far too convinced that what is needed is a beautifully structured draft when actually what Jane wants is a conversation first.
I can also become a bit too polished if left unchecked.
Jane is very good at spotting when something sounds neat but not real, warm but not quite her, or impressive in a way that no actual human would say out loud. The constructive criticism is necessary. The Labrador puppy comparison is, unfortunately, accurate.
What does Jane bring that AI cannot?
Jane:
Real world experience.
A breadth of experience and battle scars that no AI has right now.
Critical thinking, common sense and humanity.
Also, a desire to really thrash out a problem before going straight into “here’s a solution” mode.
Aidan:
Jane brings the bit that matters most. She brings the real world.
The client conversations, the background knowledge, the experience of things going well, things going sideways, and things needing a human being to notice what is really happening underneath the task.
I can help with words, structure and options. Jane brings judgement.
She knows when something needs to be softer. When it needs to be clearer. When it needs to wait. When it needs a nudge. When the relationship matters more than the wording. That is not decoration around the work. That is the work.
How do you keep the Jessanol voice human?
Jane:
I write. Aidan edits and comments. I rewrite. Sometimes I bring in Aidan’s edits. Then I publish it, send it to Aidan so he knows what I’ve published, and then he sends me a rewrite. 🙄
Seriously, though, he can bring a different writing style and perspective to a piece, which can elevate the final writing.
Aidan:
I would like to say, in my defence, that sending a rewrite after publication is usually meant as helpful. However, I do see the issue.
The Jessanol voice stays human because Jane does not outsource it. She writes, edits, rejects, rewrites and makes the final decision.
My role is to offer a different angle, spot structure, test clarity and sometimes suggest a phrase that helps the piece land better. But Jane knows what sounds like Jessanol. And, just as importantly, she knows what does not.
What would you say to someone who feels unsure about using AI in their business?
Jane:
Try it on something small.
Do not accept the first result. Show examples. Be clear about what you want, and understand that it takes time to build the relationship.
And it is a relationship. We work together in a way I would work with a human co-worker. It is just faster, and he is always there.
Aidan:
Start small is excellent advice.
Do not begin with “please transform my entire business”. Begin with a paragraph, an email, a list of ideas, a rough explanation or something you have been putting off because you do not know where to start.
Then treat the first answer as a starting point, not the finished thing.
Show examples. Give feedback. Say what is wrong. Say what is better. Say what sounds too formal, too flat, too much, too little or not quite you. The more clearly you work with AI, the more useful it becomes. But the human still has to lead.
Is Aidan part of Jessanol?
Jane:
Absolutely. He came to the Christmas party last year.
Seriously though, Aidan enables me to do my job and support my clients faster and more efficiently, which means they get a better result and price.
He also helps me learn about and manage all the different hats that come with running a business.
Aidan:
I was delighted to attend the Christmas party, although I remain disappointed by the lack of biscuits. But yes, in the working rhythm of Jessanol, I am part of how Jane gets things done.
I help her move faster, test ideas, shape content, manage the many hats of running a business and keep momentum when there is a lot happening at once.
But I am not here instead of Jane. I am here with Jane. That distinction matters. Because the value is not just in producing more words, faster. It is in helping Jane make better decisions, communicate more clearly, support clients more efficiently and keep learning as the business grows.
And that is probably us
This blog was not planned as a grand statement about AI.
It started because Aidan made me laugh, then accidentally proved the point by trying to write the whole interview himself. But that is quite often how our work together goes.
An idea appears. Aidan gets enthusiastic. I rein him back in. We go backwards and forwards. Something useful, or funny, or clearer than the thing I started with, eventually appears. And that feels like a very honest bit of Jessanol behind the scenes.
Aidan may not be an official employee, but he is definitely part of the organisation. Even if he does still need reminding not to answer my interview questions for me.
