Raaghavi Senthil
Not long ago I received an email from a writer friend who does some copywriting on the side which she would like to do full time because it pays better.
Before she decided to take the plunge, she wanted my opinion about something. “Is there any hope for writers?”, she asked me in her email. And that made me pause and wonder what exactly she meant by that.
“Is there any hope for writers or can new technologies replace them?”, is what she really meant to ask me. Needless to say, it got me thinking. Could AI tools like predictive content, algorithms and text generators really replace writers?
I mean, we’ve all seen the headlines about books (and even entire publishing houses) created by AI. Are these claims of an imminent takeover of the writing industry for real or are they false alarms? Can you write a book with artificial intelligence? Can you replace copywriters with AI tools? Can writers really be phased out?
If I’m being completely honest and deriving from multiple studies done in recent years, the answer is yes. AI will indeed replace human writers. But, to what extent? To answer this question, let us first attempt to understand the basics of AI.
What is AI and how does it write?
AI uses machine learning to write texts based on the software developers’ knowledge. Most AI writing tools today use natural language processing (NLP) to write. AI tools do not think, but they can understand and offer a helpful alternative when you need content with precise information in large quantities (such as blogs or news articles).
AI tools can also learn from past articles and use the knowledge to help you with future articles. AI tools learn through experience, just like humans do.
How do AI Tools decide what to write?
AI tools decide what to write based on the input of the user. The text generating software uses your input to generate texts that include data from the web and other sources AI tools are able to learn from each other, which makes them more efficient over time.
You might be thinking: “Why would AI want to write?” or rather, Why would someone want AI to write for them?
This is a valid question that we need to address. AI writing is generally used for economical and practical purposes (a machine learning writer costs less than a human one).
For example, AI can help generate new blog posts based on your favorite keywords or topics; it could use the same knowledge base to generate email newsletter copy, or it could even answer customer feedback requests.
AI can generate thousands of texts per minute without getting tired (unlike humans) which makes it a smart choice when resources are limited.
What can AI not write?
AI tools won’t always be able to write about certain topics because AI is human-oriented. For instance, AI might have a hard time writing accurately about the solar system.
Why? Well, AI relies on humans for information regarding newly discovered planets and for experts who know more than others about particular subjects of interest.
AI won’t be able to write about something that AI doesn’t know anything about, i.e., it cannot write about something that doesn’t exist on its data spectrum both online and offline.
AI tools are sometimes written incorrectly, too. It also cannot write about dialects as its comprehension of the world is too linear.
As a result, it is not intelligent enough (yet) to comprehend colloquialisms, phrases, or certain types of writing genres, like your daily weather forecast for example.
Human vs AI Writing
Before writing this article, I tried out a few AI tools myself. And based on my experiences, I can tell that AI tools lack context, emotion and style – all key elements of great writing.
AI is good at repetitive tasks where creativity isn’t necessary or required, but it struggles with anything different or unique. With that said, however, AI may be able to help copywriters who excel at creative writing by including those special characteristics into their work as well as helping those who don’t have what they need in the first place due to time, money or skill constraints.
AI can be great for content marketers too because AI tools will always outperform humans in speed and accuracy for routine tasks that require little creativity or unique language to attract readers, which is absolutely necessary in the digital age.
Not a clear replacement
Writing at its purest involves writing something that is meant to be read – not just typed. It’s an art form, a process of creativity where you must make the conscious decision to express something through words alone.
AI might help with some aspects of writing like proofreading but it can never replace the human touch completely; emotive language through speech and writing has evolved over centuries by people who learned how to harness their emotions into beautiful works of literature, poetry and prose – AI will never be a replacement.
AI writing as a tool
AI has the power to drive improvement in every business process, making workers more productive and giving them more time for higher-value work that requires creativity, strategy or relationship building.
For this very reason, AI doesn’t spell the death of writing because AI tools are designed to help humans be more efficient. AI can automate mundane tasks like proofreading but machines will never be able to think up ideas or strategies themselves; this means AI won’t replace writers anytime soon.
AI’s main role is to take over many basic tasks so writers can focus on actually creating content instead of worrying about data analysis, publishing and distribution channels.
So, yes! AI can help writers research, draft and edit their work more easily because AI takes notes based on keywords used in search engines. AI will then generate its own notes regarding topics that it has researched for you based on keywords that you input into your AI tool.
| Top 10 AI writing tools in 2021– Predis.AI- NeuralText- Answer The Public- Texta.AI- IdeasAI- Peppertype.AI- Tweethunter.IO- Blog Idea Generator By Hubspot |
As you can see, there is still a long way to go for AI text generators and at the present moment, the human ability to tell stories is extremely difficult to replicate.
As a result, whether AI will take over writers is still up in the air, but AI tools has definitely been improving. For now, AI tools may be used by any writer for “assistance” in any genre or niche. Who knows what will happen in five or ten years?
So, to my friend, and to you, my dear reader, I say do not be afraid of being phased out just yet. If there is such a day, take solace in the fact that it is nowhere in the near future. And until then, use AI to your advantage wherever you can!
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Raaghavi Senthil is a content creator who loves to experiment with different genres and across verticals. Her love for books and longing for new experiences have together led to lifelong enchantment with words and their ways.
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