AI Writers Are Here: What Happens Next?

Jasper AI has recently raised $125 million and is valued at $1.5 Billion. It is one of the fastest-growing companies in the US. Why should you care? If you are a content creator/copywriter, you should care. Your world is changing rapidly. AI writers can take a few simple words and turn them into, what they seem to be, high-quality, engaging content. Companies have already seen success using it for blog posts, website copy, social media posts, and even email marketing campaigns.

Creativity was ‘off-limits’ for most of AI’s history, but advancements in natural language processing and machine learning have made it possible for AI to not only understand human language but also generate it in a way that is compelling and relatable, yet it still lacks the creative flare. This means brands can now generate content faster, and at a larger scale, without sacrificing too much on quality. And with AI constantly learning and improving, the potential for even more efficient and effective content creation is exciting.

But what does this mean for content creators/copywriters? In this post, we will discuss the benefits and risks of using AI writers for your business or website. We will also offer some tips on how to prepare for future changes in content writing where AI writers are the norm.

What are AI Writers?

AI writers are computer programs that use artificial intelligence and natural language processing to generate written content. They are often used in conjunction with human writers, who provide the initial input and make edits as needed.

AI software also extended into more creative writing like poetry and songwriting, with some even being featured in galleries and music festivals. AI is now taking over painting as well, with AI-created pieces fetching high prices at auction.

My personal guess – AI will make short-length movies with just simple text inputs in less than 5 years. What will happen in 10 years? No one in the world knows!

Why companies and content creators use AI

1. Increased Productivity / Efficiency

One of the primary benefits of using AI content creators is that they can help to increase productivity/efficiency, especially on content that is repetitive.

Content creators often have to spend a great deal of time researching topics, coming up with ideas, and writing articles. However, AI content creators can handle all of these tasks quickly and efficiently, freeing up content creators to focus on other tasks.

AI writers are getting good at doing repetitive tasks, and keep getting better with more data.

2. Reduced Costs

Another obvious advantage of using AI content creators is that they can help to reduce costs. Content creation can be a costly endeavour, especially if experienced human writers are used.

If the content doesn’t need an expert writer, AI content creators can produce articles at a fraction of the cost.

Taking an example of a global agency, it might be cheaper to build multiple copies of the same content for different markets using AI writers rather than using human writers. While this may remove the human touch & introduce contextual errors, it might be a risk business are willing to take given the cost savings.

3. To Stay Ahead of the Competition

Finally, companies and content creators use AI to stay ahead of the competition. As more and more companies adopt AI, those who do not will likely fall behind.

The Internet is flooded with new content every passing minute. Publishing only high-quality content may not be an option for most businesses as the search algorithms favour sites with massive amounts of the published content.

What are the risks of using AI for content creation

1. Dependence on AI

One of the primary risks of using AI for content creation is that humans may become too dependent on AI to generate ideas and create content.

As AI technology advances, it is becoming increasingly capable of performing tasks that have traditionally been done by humans. If we rely too heavily on AI to generate content, we may lose our ability to come up with original ideas.

Since the advent of Google maps, many of us are losing the ability to navigate our own towns and cities without looking at a screen. Look around, you’ll find many more examples of AI making humans lose their edge.

Words are powerful. They have built civilizations and destroyed them. Language has changed the world and are an important reason for humans to sit on top of the food chain.

Words are still our most basic non-visual communication tool. Do we really want to give control of that powerful tool to machines without even a second thought?

2. Drop in Quality

AI writers are machines that dish out a lot of words based on preset algorithms and existing data. If the engines are fed with a lot of work from Shakespeare, they will begin to use the same/similar words, but it wouldn’t make them Shakespeare.

AI writers do not have a personality of their own. The best AIs can do is to pretend like someone else by using the same words. Is that what you want as a reader?

When you look for advice on improving relationships, do you want a machine to give you that or a human who ‘feels’ what you ‘feel’?

We also solely rely on AI engines to search data on the internet. This has led to people writing to make Google’s AI engine happy rather than the actual reader. In this SEO process, the human experience is forgotten to a large extent.

SEO may have single-handedly managed to downgrade the overall content quality on the internet and continues to keep polluting at an accelerated rate.

All of the polluted content is then fed back to the AI writers.

Ever heard crap in = crap out?

Even Google has acknowledged this, rolled out updates and is trying to force content creators to write for humans first.

3. Loss of Jobs

Another risk of using AI writers is that it may lead to the loss of jobs for human content creators. As AI technology becomes more sophisticated, it will be able to create content more efficiently and at a lower cost than human content creators.

This could result in large-scale job losses in the content creation industry, as businesses seek to cut costs by replacing human workers with AI systems.

Our history tells us that business has always gone for profit over what is right for their customers or society.

Any job that can be done by a machine (even if the output is far inferior) is at risk. Writing isn’t an exception anymore.

4. Bias and Discrimination

Another concern about using AI for content creation is that AI systems may inadvertently introduce bias and discrimination into the content they generate. For example, if an AI system is trained on a dataset that is biased against certain groups of people, the system may learn to generate content that is similarly biased.

This could result in discriminatory content being created and disseminated at scale, which could have harmful consequences for the groups of people who are targeted by the bias.

The last thing the world needs now is a massive amount of divisive content.

5. Misinformation and Fake News

Another risk of using AI for content creation is that it could be used to generate misinformation and fake news. For example, an AI system could be trained on a dataset of false information in order to learn how to generate similar false information.

Once generated, this false information could be spread widely online, leading to mass confusion and misinformation.

6. Invasion of Privacy

Finally, another risk of using AI for content creation is that it could lead to an invasion of privacy. For example, if an AI system is used to generate targeted advertising based on a person’s browsing history, this could result in a person’s personal data being collected and used without their knowledge or consent.

While this is a reality already, the scale at which AI writers could use this is scary.

How do you prepare for the world of AI writers?

Given this trend, it is important for businesses and content creators to be aware of the risks and benefits of using AI for content creation. In order to prepare for the world of AI writers, businesses and content creators should stay up to date on the latest developments in AI technology and its implications for the industry.

Here are 5 tips for preparing for the world of AI writers:

1. Know your competition: Educate yourself on AI technology and its applications in content creation

Know your competition. Many factory workers of the 20th century didn’t see the wave of automation coming, and they were left behind. Don’t let the same thing happen to you in the world of AI writers.

AI technology is constantly evolving and becoming more sophisticated. What was impossible a few decades ago is now a reality.

The worst thing you can do is shrug your shoulders and ignore the potential impact of AI on your industry. Stay informed and stay ahead of the game.

2. Study Your Competition: Experiment with using AI for content creation and understand its capabilities

Take the time to experiment with using AI for content creation.

By educating yourself on AI technology and experimenting with using it for content creation, you can better understand its capabilities and limitations.

It’s hard to compete with AI on the scale and ‘general’ knowledge. For example, Jasper has read 10% of all content on the internet (over 60 million blogs). It knows a lot more about a lot of topics. Humans are no match for it. It is the wrong battle to fight.

But where we humans have the advantage is in understanding emotions, creativity and context.

You need to clearly understand in what areas you are better than AI.

Is it speaking to people’s hearts directly?

Are you funnier than AI?

Are you more creative than AI?

Do you have an in-depth understanding & knowledge of something no algorithm could?

Know your strengths so you can use them wisely.

3. Turn your enemy into a friend if you can: Collaborate with AI

Instead of viewing AI as a threat, see it as an opportunity to enhance and supplement your skills. AI can be used as a tool to support and improve your content creation process.

For example, AI can help with editing by identifying grammatical errors or providing suggestions for sentence structure. AI can also assist with conducting research by quickly analyzing and sorting through large amounts of data.

And once in a while, AI can also give you a perspective you haven’t thought about.

By collaborating with AI, you can save time and improve the quality of your content.

While AI may have the capability to generate content, it still cannot match the depth and nuance of human understanding. Ultimately, AI should be used as a tool to complement and enhance human content creation, rather than as a replacement.

4. Integrate AI into your content creation process, while maintaining a human touch

The future of humanity and the future of AI are tied together. As AI becomes more advanced, it will become increasingly integrated into our everyday lives.

The factory workers of the 20th century hated automation, but the customers loved it. Products became more available, and production costs decreased.

The same logic will apply to content creation. The market always wants better and cheaper products. They’ll go with whatever technology gives them that.

Embrace that future, it doesn’t need to be a dull and dark one. Integrate AI into your content creation process and find ways to use it effectively, while maintaining a human touch.

What can You, the content consumer do?

You, the reader, are the king/queen. You can shape the future of how AI is used in content creation.

1. Demand Quality

Nothing you read on the internet is free. You pay with time, your private data and (or) money. You should demand quality!

Passionate, insightful or moving content is still a domain of humans. AI tends to write interesting content from time to time, but almost always never an insightful one.

Demand the quality of a skilled human writer. Vote down low-quality AI stuff with your wallets (& time).

2. Ask To Be Identified

You need human experience (& writing skills) to move another person with words.  Watch out for the content you read. And if you smell AI, ask to be identified.

‘Made in China, ‘Made in USA’ – we asked for these labels to be added for a reason. It is the same reason the reader deserves to know who wrote this article. At some level, all writers use an AI (for spelling/grammar checks, sentence simplification etc.,).

But the ones that are fully written by an AI (AI writer) for another AI (AI Search engine) typically stand out – they are ugly and smelly. You can see them and smell them from far away.

Ask the content owner to identify who wrote the piece. You can then make an informed decision if you want to read it or not.

3. Hire Human Writers

I would argue with you if you wanted only the best content. But there’s no reason why humans can’t do that!

What do most writers write?

• Content that moves you
• Something that informs/educates you
• Words that help you make a purchasing decision
• Writing that supports you when you need it

Do you really want those from a computer program that doesn’t know you or care?

Demand your businesses to hire human writers no matter the cost and support the ones who do.

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” — Gandhi

“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.” — George Bernhard Shaw.

“I have a dream” – MLK

Are we really going to depend on AI to get next on the list?

Hire a Human Today!

Wrap Up

AI is rapidly becoming integrated into our world, and the world of content creation is no exception. It’s important to stay informed and educated on AI technology, understand its capabilities and limitations, and find ways to collaborate with it in order to stay ahead in this ever-changing industry.

Ultimately, humans will always bring something unique to the table – emotions, creativity, and context. By integrating AI into our content creation process and maintaining a human touch, we can continue to add value and create meaningful content for the world.

In the age of AI, being human may become the single biggest advantage. What better way to do that other than letting humans write for humans?

About the Author

Ilam Padmanabhan is a veteran in the Tech/Financial services industry. He’s passionate about technologies that shape our future. He writes at Ilampadman.com