Can AI replace Copywriters? Hmm…
Ever since ChatGPT has been made accessible to the public, the topic of “AI will take over our jobs” is doing rounds, and this fear is not completely baseless.
As per the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2020, AI is expected to replace 85 million jobs by 2025.
Among all the people who fear being replaced, the most fearful are the “Copywriters”.
As a copywriter myself, I don’t blame them, because their fears are completely rational.
AI tools like Jasper.ai and ChatGPT are able to create hundreds, or even thousands of “Good Quality Content” on any given topic using simple prompts.
Looking at this, it’s natural for copywriters and content writers to feel worried that AI will replace them soon.
After all, if AI can write blogs, ads, articles in a few seconds, why would any business hire a writer at all?
So, is it the end of your copywriting business?
Can AI replace Copywriters in the near future?
Should you drop the thought of becoming a copywriter?
Let’s put these questions to test, and find out if AI can really replace human copywriters.
There is a popular saying “If you know the enemy, you don’t have to worry about hundred battles”
Similarly, to understand the question, can AI replace copywriters, we need to understand the AI and its capabilities.
What is AI?
Artificial intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence coded into machines.
AI bridges the gap between human and machine intelligence by mapping out the task of learning and solving complex problems.
AI is a program that can be trained like a human, allowing it to evolve and become better at performing complex tasks in a better way without much human intervention.
The reason why AI is feared so much is its ability to learn.
AI can be trained much faster than humans and it can perform complex tasks in a matter of seconds.
This is the biggest reason why millions of jobs are at risk because of AI, especially copywriters and content writers.
What is AI Copywriting? How is it a Game Changer?
AI has been around for decades. The first time AI was mentioned in 1952. So why is there so much fuss about it now?
That’s because of something called NLP or “Natural Language Processing”
NLP provides AI the ability to process and understand the context of human language. It is this ability that we have voice assistants like Alexa and Siri.
As the NLP technology got more advanced, it’s what gave rise to the AI tools such as ChatGPT and more advanced AI copywriting tools such as Jasper.ai and Copy.ai.
You can simply ask AI to write about a certain topic and it will write amazing content for you.
For example, ChatGPT was asked to write a short article about the topic “Why pineapple pizza is the best” and the output here is highlighted in yellow.
The world of pizza is as diverse as the cultures that embrace it, and amidst the array of toppings that spark debates and divide enthusiasts, there stands one controversial combination that has been met with both love and disdain – pineapple on pizza. In this article, we embark on a journey to explore why pineapple pizza deserves a place of honor in the pantheon of pizza creations.
One of the most compelling arguments in favor of pineapple pizza lies in its ability to achieve a harmonious balance between sweet and savory flavors. The natural sweetness of the pineapple contrasts beautifully with the savory elements like cheese, tomato sauce, and various meats. This unique flavor profile creates a culinary experience that is both adventurous and satisfying.
Pineapple pizza brings a tropical twist to the traditional pizza landscape. The burst of citrusy and tropical notes provided by the pineapple chunks transports taste buds to a sun-soaked paradise. It’s a refreshing departure from the more conventional pizza choices, adding a touch of excitement to each bite.
The versatility of pineapple as a pizza topping cannot be overstated. Its compatibility with a wide range of ingredients makes it a suitable companion for various pizza styles. Whether paired with classic ham, bacon, or even jalapeños for a spicy kick, pineapple adapts seamlessly to different flavor profiles, making it a versatile choice for pizza enthusiasts.
While some may argue that pineapple on pizza is a recent phenomenon, its roots can be traced back to Canada in the 1960s. Known as the Hawaiian pizza, it gained popularity and has since become a global sensation. Embraced by cultures worldwide, pineapple pizza has proven to be more than just a passing trend, solidifying its status as a beloved and enduring choice.
At its core, the debate over pineapple on pizza reflects the beauty of personal preference in the realm of food. Taste is subjective, and what may be a culinary masterpiece for one person might be an acquired taste for another. Pineapple pizza stands as a testament to the diversity of individual preferences, inviting people to celebrate the unique and unexpected in their culinary adventures.
AI wrote all of this in a matter of seconds. Clearly AI copywriting is much faster.
But is it really good enough to replace human copywriters?
To understand this, We need to understand how these AI writing tools really work.
How Does an AI Copywriting Tool Work?
Like every software, AI tools cannot do anything by themselves, they need to be “trained” on all of the available content on the internet.
AI tools have millions of words in their database, which are connected with each other based on context.
Using these words and context, AI tools predict which word should come next to the previous word.
Think of it as a predictive texting feature on your mobile where based on the words you typed, your phone predicts what your next word is going to be.
The more you use it, AI continually adapts to provide more human-like output.
There is another way to get better output from these tools. Give an input to the AI tool by pasting the article in the tool itself.
The AI tool takes the input article given by you, combines this input with what it’s already been trained on and generates an output.
Either way the output of the AI tools is only as good as the inputs given to it. So to get the best out of them, you have to put a lot of time and effort into training the software.
So Where Do AI Tools Do Really Well?
The area in which AI tools are doing really well is, short-form copy.
For example, a short social media post, product description, a tagline, a Facebook ad copy. AI can generate amazing and really catchy content.
Why AI is doing so well in short form content?
Because short form content doesn’t require much creativity and often follows a predetermined format.
When the copy is extremely short, AI tools use their machine learning edge to write better copies.
Another edge of AI tools over humans, they can produce multiple versions of an ad copy in a short time.
By trying multiple formats of a copy, you can test the winner easily and use it as a template to train your AI tool to write better AI copies in the future.
Finally, AI tools are very inexpensive, they can produce a vast variety of content at a fraction of a price compared to human copywriter.
So far we have seen all the advantages of AI tools over humans and how they can be efficiently used in the content creation process.
But AI tools also have their limitations and disadvantages.
Let’s look at where AI isn’t so great.
Things AI Can’t Do
In the copywriting industry, the type of content that has always performed well is the good old, long-form sales letter.
Sales letters, web copies and landing pages are places where art of creating compelling messages comes into play.
This type of content requires a lot of creative writing, market research, and understanding of the target customer.
It’s one place where AI written copy misses the mark.
Why? Because AI is just a machine, and does not understand the nuances of human language (AI does not even understand the human language at all, it just regurgitates the words it has been trained on)
While AI can write informative content, it fails in creative writing.
There’s another thing AI cannot do very well, and that is Telling Stories.
Let’s admit, all of us love stories.
Stories are an integral part of our lives as they have learning lessons, and shared experiences.
AI performs poorly at telling stories and sharing personal experiences and anecdotes.
When humans write on a topic they share their personal experiences, making their writing more authentic.
When people relate to these personal experiences, they trust the brand, enhancing the chances of conversion.
Finally, AI can’t write in a “voice”. What does that mean?
Every brand has a specific image, in which it wants to present itself to its target audience.
Companies hire human copywriters because they want someone to write in their brand’s voice.
AI tools cannot maintain consistency of brand voice, making it difficult for companies to generate content using AI tools.
Can AI Replace Copywriters?
So, Can AI replace Copywriters? The short answer is NO, especially if you are a skilled copywriter. and there are many reasons why.
First, no matter how advanced AI tools become, they need human input to function.
Also, the output produced by the AI tools is as good as the input given to them. It takes considerable effort to get AI tools to write anything that can be passed as a “decent copy”
Human copywriters use their art of persuasive writing, research and sophistication to write amazing copies.
AI tools cannot do this better than humans anytime soon.
So, no company is going to fire its human copywriters and replace them with AI copywriting robots.
So does that mean AI tools are completely useless for copywriters?
No. There are many applications where AI tools can be very useful for your content writing and copywriting business.
How to Use AI Tools For Content Writing?
AI tools can be great writing assistants, making your life much easier. Here are a few ways AI tools can be a great resource.
Market Research: Researching about a market you are not familiar with can take days.
Scanning through various web pages manually understanding your customer’s fears, concerns, wants, desires and frustrations takes a significant time and effort. AI can help you do this in minutes.
Product Research: Copywriters spend a lot of time researching products. AI can help copywriters expedite the process of product research, especially physical products.
AI software like ChatGPT can help a lot in finding out what makes the product unique.
Creating an Outline: Suffering from writer’s block? Don’t know from where and how to begin writing?
AI tools can help you.
Using AI tools like ChatGPT, you can create an outline of the topic you want to write about, after this, you will know where you’re headed and what you need to write.
Testing different variations of a Copy: This is the best use of AI tools. AI tools can create different variations of a content in a matter of seconds.
It allows copywriters to create multiple variations of a copy and test them to find out which one performs better.
AI tools help you finish your writing projects faster and assist in researching on topics you have little or no knowledge about.
All this is a big time-saver and a huge productivity hack for writers.
Important tip: You must cross-check the information given by the AI software and ensure that the information given by it is accurate.
There are many instances where AI has given inaccurate or even false information on multiple occasions. Also make sure that you cite the source of information given out in the content you write so that you can prove the authenticity of the data to your client.
Can AI Replace Copywriters in the Future?
As discussed earlier, the chances of AI replacing copywriters or content writers are very low as of now.
However, Thanks to the advancement in NLP and LLM models used in AI, as the time goes, AI will have better ability to write content just like humans.
The future of copywriting and content marketing will be impossible without the use of AI.
But Can AI replace copywriters and surpass (or at least match) human creativity at some point in the future? The answer is, highly unlikely, and there is a reason behind it.
The biggest reason is, AI isn’t conscious, it does not understand emotions, nuances of human language, it does not understand humor and little intricacies of human communication.
Most of all, AI does not have personal experience, something that puts humans ahead of machines. There is no substitute for that.
So, if you are a beginner copywriter, or beginning your career in freelance copywriting, here are some steps on how to stay ahead of the curve.
Steps to Stay Ahead of The Curve
The best way to become an irreplaceable copywriter is by bringing more value to the table.
AI cannot replace all the copywriters, but Can AI replace copywriters of low value? Definitely.
The writers that write short copies and product descriptions are definitely facing extinction. So if you are one of them, it’s time to seriously upgrade your skills.
Here are a few steps you can take to stay ahead of the curve.
Practice Writing Longer Copies: The larger and more complex writing projects are the place where you clearly have an edge over AI content writers. AI are good at writing short-form content, such as a short ad copy or a product description.
Why? Short form content does not provide much room for creativity as it has limited words. They follow a predefined template which can be easily replicated by trained software like ChatGPT.
When writing longer forms of content you get a chance to use your creativity, expertise, and experience in copywriting to write copies that convert better, something in which AI lags behind.
Learn Marketing Strategies: AI tools can’t implement marketing strategies and learn new marketing methods. Only humans have the ability to be creative and put them to use. So learn everything you can about digital marketing and implement strategies effectively.
Dive into human psychology: Understanding of human psychology is the reason why human copywriters are and will always be preferred over an AI copywriting tool.
Humans better understand what psychological triggers move people to action.
This profound understanding yields superior results, making you a high-value in the eyes of your client.
Get Good at Storytelling: There is no dispute about how fast AI can create content compared to humans. However,there is one domain where it falls short, and that is writing emotionally. Crafting emotionally resonant narratives is what works wonders in copywriting.
Proficiency in storytelling offers unparalleled value to prospective clients who understand the value and skill of crafting stories that captivate the audience and connect with them on an emotional level.
Be More Creative: In the world of copywriting, creativity is the most valued skill, in fact, copywriting is all about being creative. If you are struggling with creativity, I would highly recommend a book named “How to Get Ideas” by Jack foster.
By embracing creativity as the cornerstone of your copywriting approach will unlock immense possibilities in this field.
Conclusion
To conclude the argument “Can AI replace Copywriters?” There are few things that we can see clearly. First, AI is continuously evolving and becoming better. Thanks to the LLM and NLP technologies, AI, in the coming years, will give us tough competition, if not outsmart us.
Instead of looking at AI as an enemy that will take your job, harness AI in your copywriting exercise, think of AI as your friendly writing assistant that can produce multiple variations of a copy, making it easier for you to generate and test different versions.
Harness the power of copywriting for product research, market research, creating outline, and avoiding writer’s block.
While the future of AI holds a lot of promise to become an invaluable writing tool, however, the elements like creativity, emotional resonance, and deep understanding of human psychology will always provide human writers an edge in the field of content creation.