Is A.I. coming to take your writing job?

Will you evolve or die as a writer in the coming age of A.I.?

Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) seems a little scary to some people, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s been a couple decades since Saturday Night Live skewered older generations for their fear of an automated takeover by robotic masters. Now, the creative minds from the millennial and Gen X generations are expressing concerns about algorithms taking away their bread and butter.

According to this blog from ExplodingTopics.com, as many as 97 million will work in the A.I. sector by 2025 and the market is valued at $136 billion. Time to buckle up if you’re still fearful of a workplace takeover.

At a recent American Marketing Association meeting, I heard a quote that I found appropriate for the ongoing discourse about AI platforms in the marketing industry.

“A.I. won’t come and take your job, but someone who knows how to use A.I. will.”

We at Halyard Agency agree with this mentality that the use of A.I. in the workplace is inevitable and likely to increase over the next few years. As part of that idea, I took to an online platform to create the following blog article as an opportunity to provide relevant commentary on the resulting work.

I fed the algorithm the prompt, “Write a blog post about A.I. as a writing tool,” and below is the response. The A.I. generated text is in italics and our commentary is in standard text.

As technology continues to advance, we are seeing more and more applications of artificial intelligence (A.I.) in our daily lives. One area where A.I. is making a significant impact is in the field of writing. From generating automated reports to assisting with content creation, A.I. is proving to be an invaluable tool for writers.

The introduction it generated is a little dry, but not terrible. I am personally not a fan of writing in the first person, but that is the most common style today with blogs. I am even doing it here.

A.I. writing tools are software programs that use machine learning algorithms to analyze data and generate written content. These tools can assist writers in a variety of ways, including helping them to generate new ideas, check for spelling and grammar errors, and even write entire pieces of content.

One of the most significant benefits of using A.I. as a writing tool is its ability to help writers save time. For example, A.I. writing assistants can help with research and data analysis, providing writers with the information they need to craft high-quality content quickly. These tools can also help with editing and proofreading, allowing writers to catch errors they might have missed otherwise.

That was exactly my strategy with this blog piece. According to Forbes, four out of five businesses place a high value on artificial intelligence.

A.I. writing tools can also be a useful tool for writers who are struggling with writer's block. By using machine learning algorithms, these tools can generate content ideas based on specific keywords or topics, helping writers to overcome creative blocks and get back to writing.

I agree with the computer’s points here. Most writers suffer from writer’s block. I certainly do, even if for a moment, everytime I see the blank page staring back at me. As someone who spent years writing on deadlines, it’s tough to just get started sometimes. Often there’s just too much information rattling around up there and it’s tough to start filtering it down into something palatable. If nothing else, A.I. generated text gives you a place to begin.

Another significant benefit of using A.I. writing tools is the ability to customize content based on specific target audiences. By analyzing data on demographics and user behavior, these tools can help writers craft content that is more likely to resonate with their target audience.

I haven’t explored this possibility, or even realized this was an option. Thanks for the idea, future overlords!

However, as with any technology, there are also potential drawbacks to using A.I. as a writing tool. One concern is that the content generated by these tools may lack the creativity and nuance that only a human writer can provide. Another concern is that the use of A.I. writing tools could lead to a reduction in the demand for human writers, potentially leading to job loss in the industry.

I agree with this section as well. I have decades of personal experience to draw from and can include specific examples. I think back to the days when I sat through hours of county commission meetings as a reporter. I had hours and hours of context related to the subjects at hand that I could pull from. An A.I. generator would lack that context.

The second half of the previous synthetic paragraph ties directly into the point I made at the top of the article. There will be less demand for people that don’t embrace A.I. Simply put, it can get you where you need to go so much faster.

Despite these concerns, A.I. writing tools are quickly becoming an essential part of the writing process for many writers. Whether you are a content marketer, a journalist, or a blogger, these tools can help you to streamline your writing process, save time, and improve the quality of your content.

In conclusion, A.I. writing tools are a powerful resource for writers looking to improve their writing and streamline their workflow. By leveraging the power of machine learning algorithms, these tools can help writers generate new ideas, check for errors, and even write entire pieces of content. While there are potential drawbacks to using A.I. as a writing tool, the benefits are clear, and we can expect to see even more exciting developments in this field in the years to come.

Any editor worth their salt would likely cut this paragraph, or at least ask for a rephrasing of the first sentence. “In conclusion” reeks of high school term paper and is not a phrase most professional writers would use.

Overall, I enjoyed reading through the generated text. It wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but I did learn a thing or two and largely agreed with the ideas and themes it created. The biggest takeaway was the amount of time saved. It would have taken me at least an hour to generate the body of work it put together in about 30 seconds. If writing were my only professional skill, I might find this a little unnerving, but thankfully my abilities are pretty diversified. When the machines start building full-scale marketing agencies, I may start having concerns.

For my next experiment I will ask A.I. to write a nice poem. We’ll see how creative it can get!