Will AI-Powered Copywriters Replace Professional Content Writers?

The idea that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will take over our jobs is taking shape in every other field and hackles rise among content creators too. AI continues to get smarter and stronger with continuous upgrades, professionals across the globe are worried if AI can steal their gigs. While with the ever-growing AI network, this is a genuine question to cloud our minds. Let’s first understand what this technology is and if it has the potential to take over human resources of content.

Understanding Artificial Intelligence or AI

Artificial Intelligence as defined by Whatis.com, is the simulation of a human intelligence operation by machines, especially computer systems. AI is a branch of computer science, termed smart machines, that is built around algorithms to perform tasks that usually require human intelligence. Though the goal to put forward and grow such technology was to cut down man efforts humans are now seen fretting about their success in tech. While the goal has been met with the introduction of helpful AI such as Siri, Alexa, and customer service bots, there is great havoc concerning the replacement of professional content writers in the industry.

According to a report issued by World Economic Forum, AI may replace up to 75 million jobs in the world but it will also create 133 million new jobs by the year 2022. AI has the potential to replace professions that portray linear work efforts but the real surprise would if automation can replace work profiles that root on creativity and empathy like content writing. Can AI bring down the culture well enough to write relatable blog copy?

Before we get an answer to this, let’s understand how does AI write.

How Does AI write?

AI makes the utilization of the technologies like deep learning and natural language processing, using millions of existing writing samples stores in the database to pull. Both the technologies manage their basic processing techniques to form a great writing machine where a computer learns and understands the human language. Deep learning imitates the functioning of the human brain process data and patterns while natural language processing is used to generate and analyze the language in a way humans naturally use. AI follows input from programmers about the format, length of copy, tone, and writing flow after structuring the sentences following the word definitions and rules of grammar.

It is a simple two-way step in the terms of a techie:

1. The machine uses algorithms to collect and cull through data.
2. The data is then converted into the text after being processed.

Can AI writing replace Human Content Writer?

AI programs employed for writing can produce structured sentences using the formats, templates, and vocabulary that they are programmed to learn, and just like humans do or maybe faster than humans. But this is all the similarity you may get.

Intelligent robots can take over humanity but AI outperforming professional content writers can’t be possible in the near future. In terms of writing, AI can write plain product copies for Ali Baba but cannot produce writings that require empathy zest with the essence of creativity which is much more than just a string of facts.

Artificial Intelligence has a way to go before it can engage the audiences with genuine empathy. It cannot produce personalized content because of the lack of understanding of the buyer persona’s cultural background. The culture here doesn’t mean ethnicity or geography but the customs that inform the buyer persona. Every industry or general interest market has its subculture for which even human intelligence has a tough time understanding it let AI be alone.

Content sells with great storytelling art, and humans are natural storytellers. AI can simulate intelligence and language but it cannot simulate expression. Through the complexities of human emotions, needs, and aspirations, human content writers surpass AI in choosing the right words that click with other humans. While every content is written to connect with the audience, the current AI system cannot compete with the humans who have empathy, emotions, and a better understanding of the brand’s goal.

For better understanding compare the AI product descriptions of Ali Baba products with the Dooney & Burke product description. The Ali Baba product features are capsuled in a tabular form with no benefits that build a “desire to buy” in customers. Whereas the Dooney & Burke product descriptions bespeak a clear understanding of who the buyer is and what will help the buyer make the buy decision.

AI writers fall short on tailoring the writing to draw the reader’s attention. Here a few pointers:

• Understanding the nuances of tone. A sports blog would be a lot different than a well-being blog.
• Choosing between the gripping synonyms. Human content writers always know if to add gusto, eagerness, or ardor to describe one’s enthusiastic feeling.
• Human writers know how to create a conversational channel through their writing.
• AI can use a string of facts and convert them into text but Human content writers can research, pull out facts, and develop them into ideas.
• AI cannot display a brand’s authenticity because it cannot understand the brand’s goal for its audience.

Takeaways

Artificial Intelligence writers are better if employed for scalability, fact-finding, and keyword churning. For a commodity brand like Alibaba, AI writers can write feature-only descriptions for thousands of products but as long as small brands are concerned, it is more about building a unique identity and engaging with their audience and humans will always be the tools of choice in such cases.

Complexities will always develop and become better in the future but there’s a slighter chance of them becoming empathetic, creative, and be able to understand the complexities of human behavior. So the human writer can now take a deep sigh of relief as their future is secure.