The world is a pretty incredible place, isn’t it? You can have almost anything delivered to your door with just a few taps, you can put on a headset and explore distant worlds from the comfort of your own living room, and now, as you’re probably already aware, you can type out a simple sentence and have an entire article generated for you in a matter of seconds. It’s a world where everything is accessible, and everything is easier.
But we’re not here to talk about the jaw-dropping advancements in virtual reality tech. We want to talk about AI. More specifically, AI and its ability to write content. Because with such a powerful tool at the literal ends of our fingertips, why on Earth wouldn’t we put it to good use?
There’s been mountains upon mountains of articles discussing the benefits of using AI tools such as ChatGPT to populate websites with endless swathes of content. But are there any cases where AI maybe isn’t the right way to go? Are copywriters and content specialists now just a simple smudge in the digital landscape, or is AI content creation just a phase? And how does our future look with AI forming such a huge part of it? Again, we’re just talking about content, not an AI uprising…
The rise of AI-generated content
It’s undeniable that AI platforms have transformed the way that businesses work. AI tools have given people immediate access to powerful capabilities that deliver results that they simply might not have been able to achieve before. That accessibility in and of itself has given people an incredible amount of power when it comes to being self-sufficient, reducing the time and money needed to expand and tick the right boxes for their operations.
Having that power in such an instantaneous way is addictive. Because the content that AI can generate, particularly in the earlier days, has been pretty astonishing. You’ve probably read thousands of articles with examples of what ChatGPT was plucked out of what seems like thin air. You’ve probably even had a play around with the platform yourself and felt that mixture of shock and amazement with just a hint of fear at what it generated. This is part of the reason as to how AI content generation became so popular so quickly. The seemingly astounding capabilities and rapid workflows propelled AI firmly into the hands of businesses and marketers all over the world. The evidence speaks for itself, AI is an inexplicably useful tool.
But if AI is so useful, why should we rethink our reliance on it?
Whilst AI is a power to behold in countless cases, when it comes to content generation, it’s not always the best choice. That’s not to say that AI should be completely disregarded. Not in the slightest. AI platforms like ChatGPT can supercharge your entire content process. But for writing high-quality content and copy for your brand on its own? That’s a task that is often best left in the capable hands of the human brain. Here’s why:
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AI doesn’t have a reputation for maximising content quality anymore
When it comes to content, quality will always reign supreme. Prioritising quality goes a long way towards putting your business where it needs to be in the digital world. It also means that the people reading your content find value in the words you’re putting in front of them. Defining what quality content actually consists of isn’t always simple. However, quality content will read well. It’ll provide true, relevant and valuable information. And it will keep to your brand identity whilst serving its purpose.
With AI being reliant on the use of a variety of existing data and algorithms to work, you may find that content generated through an AI tool may be lacking in tone and general informative quality. Particularly in recent months, people using AI platforms have found that the overall quality of the information (and the content it generates as a whole) has fallen below expectations. AI has started to develop a reputation for generating information that leans towards a less-than-ideal bias, it generates information that simply isn’t true, and it promotes the presentation of information in a way that doesn’t fit your identity. These pitfalls reduce the potential for creating high quality content.
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AI can often result in plagiarised or duplicated content
As we mentioned above, with AI using pre-written data, these platforms and tools are typically compiling a vast amount of collected information into one piece and creating something that incorporates all of it in a “unique” way. However, the nature of the generated content isn’t necessarily going to be as unique as it may first seem. It’s simply a slightly more advanced way of “stitching and combining” content with slightly different wording.
With such a vast amount of use, AI tools are generating content that’s becoming increasingly similar and offers readers nothing new of value. This isn’t good for a multitude of reasons. Providing no additional value to users means search providers won’t favour your content over the competition. If Google simply sees that your content says the same thing as everybody else, even if it is worded in a slightly different way, you’re less likely to see positive results in your search rankings. You’re also not giving yourself an advantage when it comes to standing out of the crowd. It all comes down to value – people should see you as a provider of knowledge and expertise. If you say the same things as everyone else, what would drive a potential customer or lead to pick your products or services over another business?
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AI can’t beat the human mind when it comes to creativity
Content needs creativity. Without it, it can become dull and lifeless. You want your readers to engage with the words you write. You want them to take in what you’re saying and feel entertained whilst they’re reading. That doesn’t mean you have to be a comedic genius or an award-winning novelist. But it does mean that the content you write should speak to the people that read it. You want to establish a connection and draw people in. Because that’s how you build a rapport with your audience, and that rapport is invaluable for taking your business to the next level.
Much like achieving quality in your content, being creative doesn’t typically have a step-by-step process or formula. It’s something that you can practise and work on, but it’s still something that comes from within, as wishy-washy as that sounds. That’s an advantage that the human brain has over AI. AI tools don’t yet have a direct emotional intelligence. They’re built on algorithms and data, and their ability to tell a story that connects with the endless array of human emotions is simply not a possibility. AI doesn’t fully understand people’s intent, and it doesn’t have the same common sense that a human brain has. But humans do. We understand each other and ourselves, and we can create personal experiences that do connect.
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AI can’t create and express your brand’s true identity
Much like creativity, AI isn’t exactly capable of thinking outside the box. The problem lies with the fact that, as we’ve mentioned, everything is built around existing data and pre-determined algorithms. Innovation is similar to creativity, and that innovation and personal connectivity is what breeds your identity.
It’s simple. AI can’t create a unique voice for your brand. If you let it be the ruler of your own identity, you fall into the trap of being similar to everybody else again. You lose what defines you and who you are, and you blend into the background with the rest of the competition who might be using the same tools as you. Your voice is just as important as your logo, and getting it right is essential.
So when should AI be used for content?
It might sound like we’ve bashed AI a little bit. But we’re definitely not saying that AI doesn’t have its place, even in content creation. The problem lies with becoming reliant on it for the entire process. Simply submitting a prompt and pushing the resulting output out into the world will yield very little benefit for your business overall.
Instead, AI should be used to streamline your workflow and inspire you. AI tools are incredibly useful for researching and organising topics, creating templates and content briefs, inspiring ideas and removing writer’s block, and even getting you started with the writing itself. But it’s important to remember that quality content that will perform well needs human involvement. Your content, no matter how long or short it may be, needs to be for humans, from humans. But AI can still offer a little helping hand along the way.
Do you want to see how effective copywriting and content creation can boost your business? Get in touch with us to find out how we can help.