This methodology note explains how I used AI to assist in the creation of my interview article with Billy Chen. It outlines the tool’s role in shaping the structure, refining questions, and ensuring cultural sensitivity throughout the writing process.
Introduction to the article
In this interview article, I had the pleasure of speaking with Billy Chen, a Chinese marketing professional with unique insights into digital marketing. The discussion dives into his perspective on marketing, local trends, and the generational shift happening in digital China today. This article aims to offer a more personal and relatable understanding of modern Chinese digital marketing.
Tools
- Name: Perplexity AI
- Version: Paid
- Link: https://www.perplexity.ai
- Name: Copilot AI (in Word)
- Version: Free
- Link: Microsoft Word
Exploration, Idea Development, and Creativity
I used Perplexity AI to ask open-ended questions that helped shape the interview angle and topics. I used it to brainstorm potential themes and structure the conversation. Ideas were kept or excluded based on relevance and the interview’s background. Inspiration also came from social trends and my own curiosity as a foreign digital marketing student in China.
Planning and Organization
I used AI to draft a clear structure for the article—intro, question suggestions, and conclusion. My AI prompt sequence started with a broad request to help write an interview with a Chinese marketer for a school project, followed by more precise requests: how to formulate questions, write an intro, and format the piece as an article. The iterative prompting helped progressively define a logical framework.
Writing and Articulation
AI helped me translate to English the answers that Billy shared with me in Chinese. My main objective was to create an engaging, culturally respectful article that could resonate with students and professionals alike. I customized the final version by editing the tone to match a conversational, yet reflective journalistic style, and refined the vocabulary to better fit Billy’s tone and story.
Ethics, Sources, and Hallucinations
The content created through Perplexity AI was used strictly to support the structure and writing of the article. All the interview responses are authentic and based on our real conversation. AI was never used to generate fake answers or fictionalize quotes. When AI suggested phrasing that seemed too generic or culturally misplaced, I revised it or removed it (e.g. concerning the 2020 crisis). This careful curation helped me maintain the integrity of the subject’s voice while ensuring factual accuracy.
Examples of Prompts and Interactions
One key AI prompt was: “I want to write an article for my studies, where I interview a Chinese man working in digital marketing in China. I want to create the questions I’m going to send to him where he introduces himself (name, location, where he works and what he does exactly, his tasks for example and the kind of clients he works with), his career and studies in marketing, why did he choose it, his view on the current situation of digital marketing in China and what does he think of the future, what are the biggest challenges, in terms of communication and marketing for foreign brands wishing to enter the Chinese market. Please create a series of questions for these. You can use the following interviews as inspiration. (links to other DMB students interviews for inspiration)” This helped the AI suggest structure and initial questions.
Later, I used AI prompts like “I have modified and chosen these questions ; (list of questions). Which questions can be put together, modified or removed to have a shorter questionnaire ?”
Finally I used AI prompts like “Write a LinkedIn post to introduce this interview“ which solved specific challenges like social sharing.
Link to the LinkedIn article : How marketing works in China : Interview with Billy Chen
Read my other articles and connect with me on LinkedIn to keep in touch !