How to Use AI to Write a Speech

Writing a speech is stressful because the stakes feel personal. A wedding toast in front of 150 people. A business presentation to the executive team. A graduation address where you're supposed to say something meaningful. The blank page makes it worse.

If you're wondering how to use AI to write a speech, the key is knowing which stages to hand off. AI won't deliver the speech for you, but it will get you past that blank page faster than anything else. Use it for brainstorming, structuring, and polishing, while keeping the personal details and emotional weight that only you can provide.

Here's a step-by-step process that works for any type of speech.

Step 1: Gather Your Raw Material

Before you touch any AI tool, spend 10 minutes writing down the raw ingredients. Not full sentences, just notes. This is the part AI cannot do for you, and it's what separates a generic speech from one people actually remember.

Write down:

• Personal stories involving you and the audience/subject (2-3 specific moments)
• Inside jokes or references the audience will recognize
• The one message you want people to take away
• The emotional tone you want (funny, heartfelt, inspiring, mix)
• Time limit (most speeches should be 3-7 minutes, which is 450-1,050 words)

This list becomes the foundation of every AI prompt you write.

Getting the most out of AI starts with knowing how to structure your input. The AI Academy teaches this prompting skill with guided exercises you can apply to speeches and any other writing task.

Step 2: Use AI to Write a Speech Outline

Now bring AI in. Give it your raw material and ask for a structure, not a finished speech.

Review the outline. Move sections around. Cut anything that doesn't serve your main message. Most speeches try to cover too much. The best ones make one point memorably.

Step 3: Draft Each Section

With your approved outline, draft section by section. This gives you more control than asking AI to write the whole speech at once.

That last instruction matters. Speech writing is fundamentally different from other writing because it's meant to be heard, not read. Sentences should be shorter. Vocabulary should be simpler. Contractions are your friend.

If you've worked with AI for written content before, you'll notice the adjustment. Our guide on how to use ChatGPT to write an essay covers the core prompting techniques, but speeches need a looser, more conversational style. For longer writing projects where voice consistency matters even more, our guide on using AI to write a book covers the full workflow from outline to manuscript.

AI Speech Writing Prompts for Every Occasion

Different occasions call for different approaches. Here are tailored prompts for the most common types.

Wedding Toast

I'm giving a [best man / maid of honor / father of the bride] toast at [person's] wedding. I've known [person] for [X years] (we met [how]). One story that captures who they are: [specific story]. What I want to say about their partner: [your honest observation about the relationship]. Keep it under 4 minutes, warm and funny but not roast-level. End with a toast the crowd can raise their glasses to.

What to watch for: AI tends to make wedding speeches too sentimental. Push it toward specific, funny details rather than generic statements about love. "Sarah is the most caring person I know" is forgettable. "Sarah once drove three hours to bring me soup when I had the flu, and then criticized how messy my apartment was the entire time" is memorable.

Business Presentation

I'm presenting to [audience: board, team, clients] about [topic]. The key decision I need from them: [what you want]. Supporting data: [paste your key stats or findings]. The likely objection: [what they'll push back on] and my response: [your counterargument]. Keep it structured: problem, evidence, recommendation, next steps. Time: [X] minutes. Tone: confident but not salesy.

Business presentations benefit from AI structure but need your subject matter expertise. Use AI to organize your arguments, then add the nuance and context that only someone in your position can provide.

If you regularly give presentations or communicate in high-stakes settings, our AI Academy has courses on using AI for professional communication that go well beyond basic prompting.

Graduation Address

I'm giving a graduation speech to [high school / college] graduates. My background: [briefly describe]. One lesson from my career that I wish I'd known at their age: [describe]. I want to avoid cliches like "follow your passion" and "the future is yours." Instead, I want to give practical, honest advice. Keep it under 6 minutes. Tone: real and slightly funny, not preachy.

Eulogy

I'm writing a eulogy for [relationship to you]. They were [brief description of who they were]. Moments that capture them: [list 2-3 specific memories]. What they meant to me: [your honest, unpolished feelings]. I want this to be warm and even occasionally funny; they would have hated something overly somber. Under 5 minutes.

Important: For eulogies, AI provides the structure and flow, but every sentence should pass through your own filter. Read it aloud and replace anything that doesn't sound like something you'd actually say.

Step 4: Edit for the Ear

Written content and spoken content follow different rules. After AI generates your draft, edit it specifically for how it sounds.

Read it aloud. Every word. If you stumble over a phrase, simplify it. If a sentence makes you take a breath mid-way, split it into two.

Check for these speech-specific issues:

• Sentences over 20 words: break them up. Audiences lose the thread of long sentences.
• Jargon or complex vocabulary: replace with everyday words. "Utilize" becomes "use." "Facilitate" becomes "help."
• No visual cues. Unlike reading, your audience can't re-read a sentence. Add brief pauses (marked with "..." or "[pause]" in your notes) after important points.
• Weak opening. The first 30 seconds determine whether people pay attention. Start with a story, a surprising fact, or a direct statement. Never start with "Thank you for having me" or "Webster's dictionary defines..."

You can use AI for this editing pass too:

Edit this speech for spoken delivery. Shorten any sentence over 20 words. Replace formal vocabulary with conversational alternatives. Add [pause] markers after key emotional moments or punchlines. Make sure the opening grabs attention within the first two sentences.

Step 5: Practice and Time It

This step has nothing to do with AI, and it's the most important one. The best-written speech falls flat without rehearsal.

• Record yourself reading the speech and listen back. You'll hear where the pacing drags.
• Time it. Most people speak at about 150 words per minute. A 5-minute speech is roughly 750 words.
• Mark your script. Underline words you want to emphasize. Add "//" where you want a deliberate pause. Note where you'll make eye contact with specific people (especially for weddings and eulogies).
• Practice at least 3 times. Not to memorize it word-for-word, but to internalize the flow so you can look up from your notes.

Best AI Tools to Write a Speech

ChatGPT and Claude handle speech writing well. Claude tends to produce more natural-sounding conversational text, while ChatGPT is faster at generating variations.

Specialized tools like ToastWiz and Verble are designed specifically for wedding speeches, walking you through guided questions to personalize the output. They're worth trying if you want a more structured process for that specific type of speech.

Knowing how to pair AI drafting with your own editing instincts is a skill worth developing. The AI Academy breaks this down into repeatable steps you can use for speeches, emails, and any writing task.

The Real Secret

People remember how a speech made them feel, not what it said word-for-word. AI gives you the structure, the transitions, and the polish. You bring the personal stories, the genuine emotion, and the delivery.

Use AI to get past the blank page. Then make every sentence yours.

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