As a copywriter, I’ve had a front-row seat to the AI revolution, witnessing its potential and pitfalls firsthand. The initial thrill morphed into a mix of excitement and apprehension. Can AI and human copywriters truly coexist? That’s the question I’ll explore here, along with a healthy dose of AI ethics.
Facing the Reality of AI
ChatGPT was released when I was on the road as a freelance copywriter. While basking in the sun and maybe sweating a bit over my already inconsistent income, a programmer friend told me that AI might come for my job first, then his. When Chatty-G began exceeding expectations and churning out content like a robot on Red Bull, some SEO content managers hit pause, unsure how AI would impact Google rankings. I was worried. AI presented an enticing proposition for businesses: a tireless workforce that operates at high speeds without needing breaks, holidays, or fair compensation. For businesses cranking out content, AI looked like a no-brainer. Freelance work dwindled, and I’d be lying if I said my AI fears hadn’t influenced my decision to come home and develop a more stable lifestyle, so that’s what I did.
An Awkward Dance with AI
For a few months there, I avoided using AI completely. This stemmed from two concerns: a lack of clear AI-use guidelines from agencies or Google and a fear of losing some of my writing edge. Oddly, I still ran some of my work through AI detectors before delivery. I found myself reworking perfectly human-written content just to appease potential AI detection by content managers. This experience highlighted the limitations of AI checkers and how absurd, how very meta, the situation was. AI was checking for AI-written content I, a human, knew was written by a human.
At the time, the question for many copywriters and digital marketers was: What do the fickle Google gods think of AI-written content? Google’s official stance came out in February 2023, stating that if your AI-generated content effectively informs and engages your audience, Google will likely treat it favourably in search results. It also told copywriters what we already knew: to focus on creating valuable, accurate content that provides a positive user experience. Search algorithms would still prioritise content that demonstrates Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness— all very human qualities. My tune changed to: ‘When it comes to E-E-A-T, Chatty-G might not have much on me,’ and I began working with AI to create the best possible content.
The Power of Partnership
AI is a brilliant tool for brainstorming sessions. It generates a variety of title ideas, suggests different writing tones, and sparks content concepts—all in a fraction of the time it would take to collaborate with teams and editors. This influx of ideas has allowed me to bring a richer starting point to the table, leading to even more effective content and strategies.
While I don’t rely on AI for core writing, its speed is helpful for syntax and basic structure. I let AI handle what can just be good enough while I focus on human creativity and emotional intelligence brought about by actual human experience.
More recently, Google’s Gemini was released. I find, copy-wise, if I ask it to create copy or solve a problem, it provides a lot of unasked-for flair, sometimes even focussing on ethical concerns brought about by the prompt. Chatty-G still likes to cut to the chase. Despite our differences, the three of us share a common love for crafting content, but our grasp of mathematics leaves much to be desired. The way I can’t help but consider things like ethics with any given prompt, I’m a lot more like Gemini.
Ethical Considerations, More Than Meets the AI
Alongside my fascination with AI’s role in digital marketing, I like the crossover of technology, art, and research for social innovation. However, I have concerns that extend further than robots causing job displacement. My worries shift to the potential lack of ethical considerations guiding the speedy advancements of AI. As Ulrich Beck, a prominent sociologist, stated way back in 1988: “Ethics plays the role of a bicycle brake on an intercontinental aeroplane.” He argued that advancements in science and technology have accelerated modernisation and globalisation, creating incredibly layered risks and benefits for society. Look at us now in 2024.
The narrative around AI often paints a future achieved through a global handshake, a unified approach. But this overlooks the real challenges we face. AI development gets tangled in the complex web of social and political dynamics. Different groups have varying priorities and power dynamics, shaping how AI gets built and used. This complexity demands a more nuanced conversation, as AI development requires a more cautious and critical approach beyond digital marketing.
A Reflection of Humanity
AI, at its core, reflects the collective information on the internet and what we feed it: the good, the bad, the ugly—just look at Reddit. While AI excels at processing vast amounts of data ridiculously quickly, at this point, it does not have a human’s nuances, quirks, flaws, and discernment. Of course, we don’t want typos, and there’s AI to pick up on (most of) those flaws before we hit publish, but we do want to produce the best possible content that humans like to read and Google likes to rank.
Undoubtedly, the more we use AI, the better it will become. The better it becomes, the more writers, and artists for that matter, will need to lean into their humanness to ‘compete’. While history assures us that new purpose has emerged alongside technological advancements that replaced human labour, a pressing concern remains: in our relentless pursuit of self-improvement through automation, could AI surpass our ability to adapt? Are we at risk of becoming obsolete faster than we can redefine our societal roles?
AI Reach, Human Touch
The impact of AI is undeniable, its potential multifaceted. While the future remains a changeful blur, one thing is clear: balance is crucial. I hope we can collectively weigh up the negative impacts alongside the benefits of using AI, as that gap only widens without ethical human consideration at individual, industrial, governmental, and global levels. My experience as a copywriter, leveraging AI’s strengths while retaining the irreplaceable human touch, reinforces this.
At Yoghurt Digital, I use AI to take some work off my plate and spin those elements into a narrative that tugs at heartstrings or funny bones—depending on what the brief calls for.
Ready for content that converts? Contact Yoghurt Digital today.