AI and the copywriter – friends or foes?

Artificial Intelligence or AI has often had a bad press, with claims it will lead to mass job cuts by replacing people with bots. One of those roles allegedly at risk is that of copywriter, especially as Generative or GenAI becomes more established. But before hitting the panic button or cancelling any contracts, let’s look at the reality with a bit of objectivity.

Firstly, AI is not a malign, self-aware (at present) or omnipotent power. It’s a very powerful technology model that provides specific responses to specific queries or commands by analysing humongous amounts of data in a very short time. AI is already a true game-changer in health sciences and research, where AI tools have revealed how to significantly improve people’s health outcomes and longevity with regards to specific illnesses such as cancers and diabetes. It can also be used to speed the development of drugs, treatments and vaccines by quickly ‘reviewing’ all previous research and results. So far, so good.

GenAI is similar but analyses text and language (think documents vs data) to create new text and language – which could be financial reports, a blueprint design for a a safer car, or email prompts when you’ve forgotten someone’s birthday at the office again. The possible ways we can use and apply both AI and GenAI to the big problems of the world and to our day-to-day life admin are extensive.

However, there are several factors that need to be considered. AI and GenAI can only analyse the data or text it’s given access to, and any biases or gaps in that data or text will be reflected in whatever is produced as a result. Hence stories of AI showing bias and generating racist material. AI reflects the good in us, and the bad – but it can’t currently differentiate between the two without extensive engineering that accounts for every possible context and circumstance.

So, what about copywriting? While GenAI and AI can add value to high volume, data-driven marketing and promotion activities – such as some forms of online advertising – it often produces somewhat ‘interesting’ results on more complex, or longer forms of writing for the reasons noted above. Relying on AI generated copy can also open the risk of accidental plagiarism as AI uses what material is already available. It struggles with subjective, or opinion led writing where nuance and tone can be key, and the content produced may be hit with search platform penalties aimed at stopping people from ‘gaming’ the search system with SEO-rich, low-value content. There is also the realistic chance of greater regulation being brought in, to address the use of AI in creating ‘deep fakes’, malware and cyber-attacks. All of which is not to say there is no role or use for AI/ GenAI when it comes to creating copy.

AI tools such as ChatGPT and others can be invaluable for research, brainstorming ideas and inspiration when writer’s block strikes.

AI can rewrite sentences and paragraphs, highlighting how these could be improved. Will they still need editing and work afterwards? Probably yes, but if you have been working on a piece for a long time (or many very similar pieces of content), AI can help provide a bit of clarity when the words start to merge and the sentences jumble. But like all tools and technology, it’s also about knowing how to get the best from AI. Learning how to create prompts and queries to get the best from AI is key. That often requires some knowledge, background or research in itself.

My take - having had the pleasure of writing about AI and GenAI quite a bit recently - is that we’re some way from copywriting by people being killed off by AI. But you should ask your copywriters how they use AI - using AI as a tool to help the writing process is quite different from someone getting AI to do the writing without any real consideration, and the results and quality you’ll get as a result. It’s worth having a clear understanding upfront on just how the copy you are paying for is being produced.

For the record, I do use ChatGPT to help research and stimulate ideas, but I do the writing myself, so clients get all the benefits and all the value from human and technology - for me, just the way it should be.