Can AI Content Writing Tools Replace Human Writers? Here’s the Truth.
Whether you’re deep in the trenches of content production or an outsider looking in, one thing is abundantly clear: artificial intelligence (AI) has stealthily but thoroughly entrenched itself within the industry.
From AI grammar checkers to blog post writers, the impact of the latest tech on content is undeniable. Even human writers are leveraging AI tools to produce content faster and easier than ever before.
Just last year, 94% of surveyed business leaders agreed that AI will be critical to success over the next five years. A recent study by SiegeMedia also revealed that by the end of 2023, 64.7% of business leaders will have used AI content-generation tools.
This brings us to an enormous question: can AI replace human writers altogether?
It’s something we’ve been thinking about heavily at Platinum Consulting, and there’s a particular quote from Jeff Jarvis that really struck a chord with our team:
The future of writing is not about writing machines. It's about using machines to make us better writers.
That, in a nutshell, encapsulates the role we foresee AI playing in the future of content writing.
So, let’s talk a little bit about the relationship between human content creators and artificial intelligence in the writing world – and how both can thrive simultaneously.
Artificial Intelligence’s Boom in the Writing Industry
Before we dive deeply into this topic, let’s create a surface-level definition of AI content writing in this context.
In the simplest of terms, we’re talking about the use of software tools and AI technology, machine learning, and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to assist in the production of personalized content.
The business world is increasingly turning to AI content writing tools to create content for various elements of digital asset creation, including the production of…
- Blog posts
- Landing pages
- Website copy
- Social media posts
- Marketing copy
- Google Ads
- Case studies
- And so much more
You’ve likely heard of many of the most popular generative AI writing tools, such as ChatGPT, Jasper, Copy.ai, and other tools. These platforms (and dozens of others) allow businesses and individuals to generate “new” content in mere seconds – and that’s transforming the entire writing process.
The 2022 CMO Survey predicted that AI use in the market industry will grow by at least 166% in the following three years. Whether you’re a content writer or a social media manager, you’ve likely messed around with an AI writing assistant already – and chances are, one of them is working its way into your daily procedures in some capacity.
So, what makes these AI tools so versatile and beneficial? Let’s talk about some of the pros of incorporating AI in content writing.
Advantages of AI Writing Tools
✓ Improved Efficiency and Productivity
First and foremost, we need to touch on AI tools’ efficiency. If you ask a tool like ChatGPT to spit out an outline for a blog post or a caption for your next Instagram post, it’ll have the final result generated in under 30 seconds.
That kind of efficiency is, quite frankly, revolutionary.
AI tools are streamlining all kinds of writing tasks, from topic generation to headline ideation and brainstorming lists. They can also handle many simple but repetitive content chores, such as generating meta and product descriptions.
Of course, auto-content generation isn’t without its faults and setbacks, which we’ll discuss later in this post. However, an AI content writing tool can significantly cut down on workloads and alleviate some of the more time-consuming, monotonous writing tasks.
✓ Enhanced Accuracy and Grammar Checking
Most AI content writers also provide grammar checks to ensure the content they produce is polished and easy to read. Through the use of advanced algorithms and machine learning, these AI tools can identify basic grammatical mistakes, punctuation errors, and spelling inconsistencies.
✓ Streamlined Content Creation and Research
Last, but certainly not least, artificial intelligence in writing can significantly assist with the content research process. Most writers spend hours upon hours planning and preparing to write content. Tools like ChatGPT and Google AI can help them sift through mountains of information from various sources in minutes, if not seconds, thus streamlining the overall content creation timeline.
However, we cannot address the benefits of AI writing tools without also touching upon their drawbacks. Let’s talk about some of the ways in which even the best AI writing can fall short of human-produced content.
Significant Limitations of AI in Writing
✖ Underdeveloped Emotional Intelligence
At the risk of stating the obvious, the biggest difference between AI and human writing is the presence of emotion. As advanced as artificial intelligence might be in 2023, most tools simply cannot understand or convey emotions in the same manner as human writers.
Sentiment, depth, subtly – these are incredibly important elements in any kind of content. Creative writing is all about establishing connections between the author and the reader, and these connections are forged in shared human emotion and experience (not mere algorithms).
✖ Lack of Creativity and Originality
Although AI writing tools may be wizards when it comes to generating content based on existing data and patterns, they struggle to produce truly original work. Experienced human writers pride themselves on the ability to think outside the box and offer unique perspectives – and that’s not exactly AI’s strong suit.
If you want your content to contain a sparkling new opinion or fresh ideas, an AI writing platform likely won’t give you what you’re seeking. AI writing tools rely on pre-existing data to generate text, which restricts their ability to generate wholly original content through critical thinking.
✖ Limited Styles and Tones
Human writing is all about finding your one-of-a-kind voice – and most AI-generated content sounds pretty much the same in terms of writing style and tone. Furthermore, AI writing assistants don’t really have the capability to understand linguistic intricacies and subtleties.
You’d be hard-pressed to find AI writing software that can fully mimic the voice and comprehension level of a human poet or persuasive writer. If you’re looking for artistry and finesse (and a unique brand voice), those elements are best left to a blood-and-bone content writer.
AI’s Impact on Writing Quality and Standards
Now that we’ve covered some of the biggest pros and cons of using AI content creation tools, we need to broach the bigger subject at hand: how AI has the potential to impact writing quality and standards (both positively and negatively).
The good news is that with the help of AI writing tools, common grammar mistakes could be all but eliminated. Wouldn’t it be nice to produce and digest content that is clean and polished, no matter where it comes from?
However, this does raise some ethical concerns about over-relying on generative AI technology. How will students and professional human writers grow if they never learn spelling, punctuation, and other important writing skills for themselves?
Another concern is that AI writing software could potentially contribute to a world of generic, formulaic writing. As more and more businesses opt for AI writers over human creatives, what will happen to our society’s level of originality and artistry?
Is this something we need to think about now?
Although the full impact of AI on writing is not understood today, we do know one thing: in the coming years, it will be crucial for brands and individuals to uphold standards and ensure that writers actively engage in maintaining authentic, high-quality content. Automated content cannot (and should not) be the end-all-be-all for any organization.
This brings us to the next hot question: how do we find harmony between human writers and AI writing tools?
Striking the Balance: AI and Human Collaboration
It’s no secret that AI writing tools can enhance human capabilities. After all, we just talked about how they can speed up content writing tasks like grammar-checking and research.
However, we shouldn’t just be talking about how AI can help human writers, but how human intervention can polish and perfect AI-generated content.
As writers leverage AI tools when creating content, they will have more time to focus on the highly creative aspects of their jobs. Instead of wasting hours slaving away on topic ideation and blog outlines, professionals can dig deeper for more unique, engaging perspectives and narratives to write compelling copy.
The truth is that there is really no substitute for the human touch. Therefore, it’s our belief that the future of content writers lies in using AI as a tool that further promotes and enables human creativity, rather than stifling or replacing it.
Final Thoughts
Will AI replace human writers? There are definitely some people out there who would argue the answer is unabashedly yes, but they might have read one too many dystopian novels.
AI will continue to change the content creation process and alter how human writers operate, providing valuable assistance with the most tedious, time-consuming elements of production.
Still, it will be a long, long time before we see an AI content generator that can truly mimic the personality, creativity, and emotion possessed by human writers.
If you’ve been wondering how AI writing software can benefit your brand (or whether a real content writer is worth the money), let’s schedule a chat.
Our team will be happy to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your current content setup, then provide suggestions for improving your reader and search engine engagement – with or without the help of an AI writing tool.