Will AI Replace Writers? Let’s Allay the Fears

By Lisa J. Jackson, Content & Business Writer

Anxious about artificial technology replacing you as a writer? I’d like to temper the fear and say, sure, AI can create content, but, just as e-readers didn’t replace paper books, AI won’t replace human writers. Each can co-exist and, further, AI can actually be a tremendous assist with your writing.

AI isn’t new

AI technology has been around a long while. Consider that in 250 BC the world’s first artificial automatic self-regulatory system was invented, long before the term “artificial intelligence” was coined in 1956 by AI co-founding pioneer John McCarthy!

Many AI-powered writing tools today employ GPT-3 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3), launched in 2020 by OpenAI. GPT-3 enables users to create decent short-form copy such as ad copy, article titles, social media copy, blog posts, and job descriptions. Basically, content that doesn’t need “personality.”

Use AI to save time PLUS enhance your creativity

Embrace AI writing tools as an extension of your writing self. AI technology can help you with:

Brainstorming: If you’re a one-person writing shop like me, you’re brainstorming in a vacuum. Ideas are a writer’s lifeblood—without them, what are we? I can put an idea to AI and it swiftly creates an incredible list of ideas for headlines and content. Many ideas I’ve already thought of, but some I haven’t—and those may trigger other bigger better bolder ideas!

Creating an outline: Having an outline helps longer-form projects move faster. By inputting your topic idea or title and the tone you want to convey (such as informative, friendly, technical), AI can produce an outline rapidly. You’ll quickly discover the repetition of AI in its suggestions, but I find it helpful in producing at least one idea I hadn’t considered, just as with brainstorming.

Market research: A few of my clients simply give me their industry topic to write about. Not being familiar with, say, commercial electrical companies, I’ve used search strings in search engines and spent significant time narrowing in on what I need. Using AI tech, I can find resources in minutes instead of hours.

Use AI to enhance your writing skills, not diminish them

AI technology is here and won’t be going away. So play with it and see what it can do. Ask it questions; ask it to create copy for you. Using AI is a perfect way to also see its limitations. ChatGPT still has a free version. Other AI-powered apps include Jasper, Copy.ai, Moonbeam, and many more.

And as you experience what AI can do, to stay confident in your career choice, here are a few suggestions:

  • Learn more marketing and strategy techniques. Get better at identifying pain points and coming up with solutions.

  • Keep writing and work to improve it so that your readers feel something when they read your copy.

  • Get better at storytelling. AI can create copy, sure, but it can’t create emotionally compelling stories. All writing is storytelling in some form. Learn to excel at it!

Will some people run to AI for creating content instead of hiring a writer? Sure! But those folks are not hiring experienced content writers today anyway. AI-written content will need to be smoothed out and edited, since it creates what it’s directed to without a conscience or human experience.

AI is a great writing resource—just as is a style guide, dictionary, or a library. While it can help writers produce content, it can’t replace a human for content that needs to elicit or express emotions. The best way to know is to try it. You’ll quickly uncover the limitations and understand how you can use it to become a better, and faster, writer!

Guest User