Linda Louis | Co-Founder & Managing Editor
I was sitting at my desk, thinking about what to write this time. We have been away from our readers for quite some time, and our blog has become nearly dormant.
That’s when I remembered someone saying something about how ChatGPT can help writers and bloggers overcome their writer’s block. And owing to the new wave of AI tools literally throwing into a tizzy the coveted position that content writers once held proudly, I thought of the perfect question to ask ChatGPT:
My Question: Why is chatGPT hurting content writers and content development companies doing the real work with human-generated content?
ChatGPT’s Diplomatic Answer: ‘I understand your concern.’ [As if it is really capable of understanding my “human” concern!]
However, ChatGPT wasn’t designed with the intent to replace human content writers or their creations. Instead, it was designed to speed up and automate some of their work, especially those involving repetitive tasks, such as research, editing, and keyword researching, thereby allowing writers to focus on more creative aspects of content creation, which include storytelling and developing unique perspectives.
[However, the data available in this regard is quite alarming!]
Even Harvard Business Review pointed out: “It has the potential to take over certain roles traditionally held by humans, such as copywriting, answering customer service inquiries, writing news reports, and creating legal documents.”
In fact, (according to a report published in The Times of India, dated March 17, 2023), the world has greeted this new bot with open arms. “Post-launch in November 2022, the Microsoft-owned AI chatbot ChatGPT has revolutionized the world of technology with over 77% adoption globally.”
Apparently, companies across the United States have increased the use of ChatGPT to write code by 66%, create content by 58%, and offer customer service by 57%.
While ChatGPT admits that youngsters are afraid of losing jobs owing to AI’s ability to automate certain tasks, reduce turnaround time, and improve overall productivity, it still tries to assure us that it has certain constraints. For instance, it lacks the efficiency and creativity that human content writers bring to the table.
‘Therefore, it is unlikely that ChatGPT will completely replace human content writers anytime soon.’
What? Does it imply that it could in the future?
For now, we are quite aware that ChatGPT:
Cannot bring adequate research into the writing
Can throw up misleading and/or incorrect content
Can make very trivial errors in understanding and deciphering technical terms and terminologies
Can never produce original content
Generated content is mostly of poor quality and very generic
Does not understand the user’s intent for the message or his/her vision
Does not truly reflect the user’s tone and approach when conveying to his/her readers
Cannot effectively accommodate a brand or company’s vision, mission, ideals, and content guidelines
OpenAI has itself disclosed that ChatGPT’s responses may sound “biased — over even harmful” in certain cases.
While we do not disagree with ChatGPT’s ability to improvise on an article’s approach, overcome writer’s block, help with keyword research, or help come up with the best possible article structure, it cannot actually write flawlessly or genuinely reflect the views, opinions, or creativity of a human writer.
So, our take on it is that while it can certainly expedite TAT and improve a writer’s overall performance, it can’t certainly replace humans in this job.
Yes, it can help streamline and simplify the workflow. Heck! We have been using a number of AI tools so far — but it CANNOT REPLACE HUMAN CONTENT WRITERS the way many of you fear it will.
My conversation with ChatGPT didn’t end there! Of course not!
Here’s what I asked soon after…
My Question: Then, why are so many companies firing content writers and replacing them with a chatGPT prompt engineer? [ChatGPT remembers your last questions and its own responses so that you can continue the “conversation”.]
Note: My question is a valid one; at least, that’s what the media would have you believe. Somewhere someone lost her job and had to take up dog walking as a profession, while another individual switched to plumbing as a profession to make ends meet when he was fired from his job as a content writer.
ChatGPT’s Diplomatic Answer: ‘While it is true that some companies are using ChatGPT to generate content, it is not intended to replace human content writers.’
And guess what? The rest of the answer was a copy-paste of my previous question. It did not provide me with a single grain of additional information.
When I rephrased the question one more time, it simply refused to write back! It simply replied: ‘I do not wish to continue with this conversation!’
Wow! Offended much?
So, I moved over to some of its suggested questions. Here is one:
My Question: What are some of the other AI tools that can assist content writers?
ChatGPT’s Answer: ‘There are several AI tools that can assist content writers. Some of the popular ones include:
#1. Jasper — Long Form AI content writing tool
#2. CopyAI — AI writing software with more than 90 tools for content writing and copywriting
#3. Writesonic — AI writing tool that can generate blog posts, ad copy, and social media posts
#4. Wordtune — AI writing tool that can help you improve your writing by suggesting alternative words and phrases
#5. Grammarly — AI-powered writing assistant that can help you improve your grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
These tools can help writers save time and streamline their workflows by automating repetitive tasks such as research and editing.’
Some more that we have noticed being put out there include the following:
#1. Midjourney: Generates Art
#2. Replit: Generates Code
#3. Synthesia: Generates Video
#4. Soundraw: Generates Music
#5. Fliki: Generates TikTok
#6. Starrytars: Generates Avatars
#7. Slides AI: Generates PPT
#8. Remini: Edits Pictures
#9. Pictory: Edits Videos
#10. WordTune: Summarize Notes
One of its follow-up questions was:
Q: What threats does the use of AI tools pose to content writing?
A: ‘There are several concerns about the use of AI tools in content writing. One of the main concerns is the “quality” of the content produced by AI tools. Although AI is considered one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, it still heavily relies on data analysis and algorithms to write content. This can lead to issues such as plagiarism, misuse of statistics, and lack of creativity.’
Usually, ‘AI tools simply scrape pieces of content from other websites and simply re-word them to phrase proper sentences that can somewhat avoid plagiarism. However, this, too, is against Google’s guidelines of ‘stitching or combining content from different web pages without adding sufficient value’.’ This is exactly what happens if you rely entirely on ChatGPT or any other AI tool designed to write articles or blogs.
Another concern ChatGPT correctly (and honestly!) pointed out is that AI systems don’t have access to the latest events. ‘This drawback makes them irrelevant to new development across the world’ and basically vulnerable to more errors than it’s capable of controlling. ‘Additionally, using AI to build the context and compassion of copy written by a living person might be challenging.’
Google aims to promote “helpful content” for its users. And that primarily focuses on ensuring “people see more original, helpful content written by people, for people, in search results”.
A follow-up concern to the same issue is the “risk of Google algorithms devaluing your content”, which may happen if the AI tool you’ve used has produced content that is pretty similar to content available online. This is what Google calls “a lack of E-E-A-T, i.e., Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, in the content produced”. This is especially true for industries involving finance, medicine, health and wellness, and current events, i.e., those that directly affect the readers’ health, financial stability, safety, or well-being. This category of topics is together known as YMYL or Your Money or Your Life in SEO content parlance.
So, if you make judgment errors here by using AI tools that do not have sufficient understanding of what matters to whom and why, you’ll be in BIG trouble!
But that doesn’t mean that AI tools are all bad and harmful to content writers or content writing in general. AI tools do have a few benefits if you know how to utilize them in the right way.
The bottom line is that they can enhance a real writer’s work but can never replace one.
By now, I was quite bored by its cryptic yet monotonous responses. So, I asked:
My Question: Can you write a poem for me on the challenges content writers face in this new AI age?
ChatGPT’s Reply: ‘Here's a short poem I came up with…
Content writers once ruled the land,
With their words and phrases so grand.
But then came AI tools like chatGPT,
Making their jobs a challenge, you see.
Now they must adapt and learn,
To keep their place and earn.
For AI is here to stay,
And content writers must find a new way.
But fear not, for they are clever,
And will rise to the challenge, now and forever.
For though AI may be quick and smart,
Content writers have creativity and heart.’
————
I poked it again. I expressed dissatisfaction over the length of the poem. Then it gave me an extended version:
‘Sure! Here's an extended version of the poem:
Content writers once ruled the land,
With their words and phrases so grand.
But then came AI tools like chatGPT,
Making their jobs a challenge, you see.
Now they must adapt and learn,
To keep their place and earn.
For AI is here to stay,
And content writers must find a new way.
But fear not, for they are clever,
And will rise to the challenge, now and forever.
For though AI may be quick and smart,
Content writers have creativity and heart.
They'll find new ways to use their skill,
And with AI, they'll work still.
For together they can achieve,
Great things that you wouldn't believe.
So let us embrace this change,
And see it as something not so strange.
For content writers and AI,
Can work together and reach the sky.
ChatGPT even suggested I ask it for a more rhythmic version, and here is what it came up with…
‘Sure! Here's a version with more rhyming:
Content writers once ruled the land,
With their words and phrases so grand.
But then came AI tools like chatGPT,
Making their jobs a challenge, you see.
Now they must adapt and learn,
To keep their place and earn.
For AI is here to stay,
And content writers must find a new way.
But fear not, for they are clever,
And will rise to the challenge, now and forever.
For though AI may be quick and smart,
Content writers have creativity and heart.
They'll find new ways to use their skill,
And with AI, they'll work still.
For together they can achieve,
Great things that you wouldn't believe.
So let us embrace this change,
And see it as something not so strange.
For content writers and AI,
Can work together and reach the sky.
With rhymes and rhythm in their verse,
Content writers will still immerse.
Their audience in tales so grand,
With AI by their side, hand in hand.
————
There isn’t much difference, as you can well see…ChatGPT ISN’T REALLY THAT CREATIVE!
But a helluva conversation that was, wasn’t it?
Disclaimer: Some of the answers [‘written in quotes’] are a direct copy-paste of answers that ChatGPT threw up, while the rest have been edited for the sake of an easier read. After all, we are content writers; we can’t let CatGPT take all the credit! The italicized sentences are entirely my opinion.
