AI Is Changing Show Prep

The rise of AI tools has transformed how content creators prepare for shows. What used to take hours of research can now take minutes. But using AI effectively requires understanding both its strengths and limitations.

This guide covers everything you need to know about incorporating AI into your show prep workflow.

What AI Does Well

1. Rapid Research Synthesis

AI excels at quickly summarizing complex topics. Feed it an article, and it can extract:

Key facts and figures
Main arguments and counterarguments
Timeline of events
Relevant context

2. Generating Talking Points

Given a topic, AI can suggest:

Questions to explore
Angles you might not have considered
Interesting connections to related topics
Potential counterarguments to address

3. Fact Organization

AI can structure information logically, helping you organize your prep into a format that's easy to reference during a show.

What AI Doesn't Do Well

1. Breaking News

AI knowledge has a cutoff date. For current events, you still need real-time sources.

2. Opinions and Hot Takes

Your audience follows you for your perspective. AI can inform your take, but it shouldn't replace it.

3. Local Context

AI often lacks nuanced understanding of local issues, community context, or niche topics.

4. Fact Verification

AI can hallucinate — confidently stating things that aren't true. Always verify critical facts.

Best Practices for AI-Assisted Show Prep

Start With a Clear Prompt

Vague prompts get vague results. Be specific about what you need:

Weak prompt: "Tell me about the new climate bill"

Strong prompt: "Summarize the key provisions of the 2026 Climate Investment Act, focusing on impacts to the energy sector. Include the main arguments from supporters and critics."

Use AI for First Drafts, Not Final Content

Think of AI as a research assistant that creates a starting point. You then:

Add your perspective and voice
Verify facts independently
Remove anything that doesn't fit your style
Add local context and personal insights

Maintain Your Voice

Your audience can tell when content sounds generic. After using AI for research:

Rewrite key points in your own words
Add personal anecdotes or opinions
Include references your specific audience will appreciate

Build Verification Into Your Workflow

For any fact you might state on air:

Check at least one additional source
Be especially careful with numbers and quotes
When in doubt, attribute or caveat

AI Show Prep Workflow

Here's a practical workflow incorporating AI:

1. Identify your topics — What are you covering today?
2. AI research pass — Use AI to generate background and talking points for each topic
3. Human review — Read through, verify key facts, remove anything off-base
4. Add your angle — What's your take? What will your audience find interesting?
5. Organize for delivery — Structure the information for how you'll actually use it on air
6. Final check — Quick scan for anything that needs verification

The OnAirFlow Approach

OnAirFlow's AI is specifically tuned for live content preparation:

Link-to-notes: Paste a URL and get instant talking points
Topic expansion: Enter a topic and get suggested angles and questions
Key fact extraction: Automatically pulls out the most important information
Format for delivery: Generates content structured for live presentation

The goal isn't to replace your preparation — it's to accelerate it so you can focus on what AI can't do: bringing your unique perspective to the content.

Speed up your show prep with AI. Try OnAirFlow.

The Complete Guide to Using AI for Show Prep