Write a Word letter with AI, step by step

Do you need to write an official letter but don’t know where to start? An AI can suggest a first draft in seconds. This tutorial uses the example of cancelling a car insurance policy, but the method also works for a complaint to a shop, a refund request or a letter to a landlord.

Give the context before you ask

Before you write, note three things:

• Who you are writing to (insurer, shop, landlord…).
• Why you are writing (cancel, complain, request a refund).
• The tone you want: polite, formal or firm.

The clearer your request, the better the draft. Write the context in your request, in one or two sentences.

Example request Write a letter cancelling my car insurance contract, addressed to my insurer. Formal and polite tone. I want to cancel the current contract, my contract number is [contract number].

Your contract is the only document that counts. The AI does not know it: it cannot know what deadlines or sending methods it sets out.

Ask for a draft with brackets

Never give the AI your real personal details: name, address, contract number, date of birth. The CNIL advises avoiding entering personal data into a generative AI as much as possible, and never sharing confidential information. Instead, ask the AI to leave [brackets] in place of these details. You will fill them in yourself afterward.

Example request Write the letter with [brackets] for my name, my address, my contract number, the desired end date and today’s date. Do not ask me for this information.

To learn more about what you can and cannot share with an AI, read the CNIL’s questions and answers: https://www.cnil.fr/fr/les-questions-reponses-de-la-cnil-sur-lutilisation-dun-systeme-dia-generative

Copy the text into Word and fill in the brackets

Copy the text produced by the AI, then paste it into your Word document. Then fill in each [bracket] with your information. Also check the layout: margins, date, subject line and signature.

For the conditions of sending your cancellation, check your contract and the official government website of your country. These documents are the authoritative sources, not the AI.

Keep a copy of the final letter, with the date you sent it, in your records.

Ask for changes

The first draft is not always perfect. You can ask the AI to revise it. Paste the text into the conversation, then make your request.

Example request Shorten this letter so it fits on one page, without changing the information in brackets. Keep a polite tone but make it firmer.

Example request Correct the spelling and grammar mistakes in the following text, without changing its meaning: [paste your text here].

The AI can correct the spelling and grammar of a text you paste into it. Repeat as many times as needed, then copy the final version into Word.

Read it all carefully before sending

An AI can make mistakes or invent an answer that sounds right. So read the whole letter, line by line:

• Are the names, addresses and numbers correct?
• Are the dates correct?
• Is the tone the one you want?
• Is there a sentence you don’t understand or that states something inaccurate?

If you still have doubts, check the point in your contract or on the official government website of your country before sending.

Good habits

• Check every piece of information in the letter, especially conditions and deadlines.
• Protect your data: replace it with [brackets] and do not share anything confidential.
• Read the entire text before sending it, even if it looks perfect.
• Keep a copy of the version you sent.