The Future of Content Creation: Artificial Intelligence (AI) vs. Copywriters
AI tools like ChatGPT, copy.ai, and more are taking the world by storm. It is arguably the most innovative, society-changing invention since, well, the internet.
Naturally, panic is going to ensue.
In addition to moral considerations about safety, many professionals are worried about the impact of AI on their jobs. Everyone from developers to marketers is paying close attention to this new evolution of our digital world.
And copywriters happen to be one of the first in line to take the hit.
Several professionals have started outright losing clients to AI as business owners look for affordable ways to create good content online. Others are being challenged – “Why should I pay for a copywriter when I can have AI write content for me?”
As a copywriter myself, I can tell you I’ve definitely spiraled once or twice about the thought of losing my entire career to robots. (Can you blame me?)
However, I’m here to tell you that the debate between AI and human content writers is not as dystopian as you might believe. So, let’s settle that debate once and for all.
What is artificial intelligence?
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is a branch of computer science that use algorithms and statistical models to mimic human intelligence to perform tasks such as learning, problem-solving, decision-making, and natural language processing (NLP).
A major component of artificial intelligence is machine learning, which has allowed software to recognize patterns and make predictions. The result is software that can process text and content to identify the human characteristics of language, discerning even subtle nuances in tone, intent, and sentiment.
This complex capability allows AI copywriting tools to use machine learning and NLP to generate copy that fits specified formats, styles, and tones.
As AI software has advanced rapidly in the last few years, we’re seeing a sudden slew of AI tools, including those that specialize in writing and rewriting content.
Of course, early adopters are already ahead of the game, experimenting with all the different ways AI technology can be applied to daily life. AI-generated content is one of those many ways that can be used for just about any marketing function. Everything from strategy to social media posts, SEO meta descriptions, and more can now be written by artificial intelligence.
You can see why a copywriter might freak out a bit.
What are the benefits of AI for copywriting?
AI copywriting is convenient. As much as human writers can bring skill to their craft, it takes time and can cost a lot. With artificial intelligence, these tasks get faster and cheaper. Tools like ChatGPT are completely free and others like copy.ai basically cost $1 a day.
In other words, creating high-quality content can become automated, leaving you free to focus on more demanding marketing tasks, such as sales and lead generation.
By leveraging the power of AI copywriting, you can ensure that your content is not only well-written but also optimized for search engines, helping you to attract more traffic and ultimately boost awareness.
So, if you're looking to streamline your content creation process – particularly bulk content such as product or meta descriptions – and free up more time for other important tasks, AI copywriting is definitely worth considering.
What are the limitations of AI for copywriting?
Like any new technology, AI content writing tools have their limitations.
The biggest concern is that artificial intelligence is not writing anything that’s actually original. Instead, it’s basically regurgitating information it’s finding online (written by human writers) and mixing it up to create something seemingly new.
What’s more, AI tools can’t replicate human emotion – and emotion matters in marketing. The technology is unable to grasp the nuances in feelings, particularly those that affect a consumer’s buying behavior.
This means sales-oriented content may be devoid of emotions that could make or break your lead generation efforts.
AI vs. Copywriters: Who writes better content?
In the end, technological advancements like this benefit humans. After all, these inventions are meant to make our lives easier, not more difficult.
AI copywriters aren’t replacing real human content writers – or at least, they shouldn’t. Smart marketers will use AI copywriting tools to take care of smaller, menial tasks, such as idea generation, research, etc.
At the end of the day, you can’t take the human experience out of content. Clever references to pop culture, emotional arguments, real-time trending events, and more are all critical and inimitable parts of engaging content that are written by skilled copywriting professionals.
Not to mention, most copy generated by AI still needs a human to edit for style, substance, and factual accuracy. After using it for a few months, content created by tools like ChatGPT and copy.ai lack emotion and creativity; it can’t engage readers like an experienced copywriter can.
Don’t believe me? Here’s a little proof:
I was working with my client, Klero, on clever, cheeky copy on a product page for a massage candle. We needed content that subtly referred to the candle without pushing in-your-face sales language.
ChatGPT-generated copy
Copywriter-generated copy
“Lights out” as it relates to blowing a candle out but also to turning the lights off in a sexual context is a connection only a creative human mind can make.
Despite having pertinent background information and instruction on tone, AI was unable to tap into the subtle nuance of language. As a result, you get unimaginative, somewhat cringe-y output.
So, if someone tries to tell you that AI is replacing copywriters, tell them to think again.
What happens when AI technology improves?
This is entirely possible. Current AI copywriting tools are not producing ready-to-use content. But let’s fast forward a few years and say they do.
SEO is still a thing.
Eventually, AI will only be able to write and rewrite something in so many different ways. The result will be duplicate content all over the web.
Ready-to-use AI content sounds amazing, but the reality is that plagiarizing from AI will tank your SEO score in the future. Particularly as search engines like Google develop their own AI (BARD), SEO will factor in the originality of a piece, including its value to real-life readers.
In other words, copying content directly from AI will (eventually) result in a lower likelihood of ranking on search engine result pages.
So, how can you use AI to your advantage as a copywriter?
Whether you’re a digital marketer or a busy copywriter, AI copywriting tools can help you scale your content creation and achieve your business goals.
My advice for those concerned about AI replacing their job is to get in front of it and start implementing its use into their business.
Examine your current order of operations and identify the tasks that take the most time; then seek out the best AI copywriting tool to automate or help speed up that aspect of your process.
Personally, I have been using AI copywriting tools to:
Generate meta descriptions
Create starting point blog outlines
Conduct subject matter research (particularly for more technical topics)
Come up with content ideas
Can I use AI instead of hiring a copywriter?
If you are not a copywriting expert but you need one – AI might have a place in your business. Or it might not.
If you’re on a tight budget or timeline, AI can be a powerful asset to your business. After all, improving mediocre content is always going to be easier and faster than writing great content from scratch.
This is a great option for business owners that are just getting started and not ready to invest just yet in a professional copywriter.
However, you can’t and won’t ever be able to entirely replace the work of a skilled copywriter with artificial intelligence. Instead, you can find ways to let copywriters steer your overall strategy, particularly as it relates to SEO, brand voice, tone, and repurposing strategy.
Whether it’s day-rates revisions, strategy calls to guide your approach to certain types of content, or ongoing consultation to optimize your AI-generated content, a copywriter is crucial to crafting on-brand content and can help in a variety of ways.
While simple, “busywork” tasks can be given to AI, customer-facing copy (especially sales-oriented content) should get some TLC from a skilled copywriter.
Rather than invest in a full copywriting package – especially for blog posts, social media captions, email content, etc. – you can find smaller strategy-based services to fit your needs.
For example, I offer 45-minute consulting calls that can be used to create a strategy that will allow you to use AI, save time, and still get the oversight of a copywriter to ensure that you are getting the most value out of your content without hurting your site’s authority.
With this flexible option, you can pay as you go so you can use AI and still get the benefits of irreplaceable human copywriting skills – without breaking the bank.
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