ChatGPT - The end of the road for copywriters like me?

Given all that has been said and written about this divisive AI tool over the past few months, my first blog post was never going to be dedicated to any other copywriting topic apart from ChatGPT. 

For some, the mention of this groundbreaking tool elicits a sense of panic about what the future may hold for several industries and the human race as a collective. For others, it generates fervent excitement about the new opportunities that it will help create for millions of employees and entrepreneurs. 

If I were to ask you which of those two categories you thought copywriters would fall into, I would hazard a guess that it would be the former rather than the latter. After all, the premise of starting a copywriting business in the ChatGPT era is surely akin to getting into the horse-drawn carriage business after the Model T went on sale.

However, in the midst of all this fanfare, I think it’s time for a sanity check. Based on my extensive interactions with the tool, I can state with absolute certainty that ChatGPT can’t and won’t replace professional copywriters in the medium term. 

Within this article, I’m going to be discussing the truth about AI-generated content, the effort required to refine AI-generated content, and why copywriters are still necessary. Expect to find out why it constitutes an evolution rather than a revolution for the writing industry as a whole, and why some intrinsic limitations should dissuade any business from ever deploying it at scale for content creation. 

​The Hype Around ChatGPT

Let’s start by giving the devil his due. For better or for worse, the power and capabilities of ChatGPT are nothing short of mind-boggling. It’s not just impressive, it’s beyond impressive, it’s frightening. 

I think everybody understands that we’re on the precipice of something huge with the emergence of this technology. When its power is combined with the ingenuity of the human mind, the number of use cases for this tool grows larger by the day. 

Already, it’s been shown that approximately 20% of KPMG Australia’s workforce now uses the generative AI program on a daily basis. Offloading some of the dull, repetitive, and soul-destroying tasks that can fill our workday is something to be celebrated, and for that, ChatGPT should be commended.

The Limitations Of ChatGPT

For the uninitiated, ChatGPT might be perceived as some sort of magical entity that’s been produced by witchcraft and wizardry. However, for all the plaudits and accolades it has received, it has some serious limitations that should be brought to light. 

To have a proper discussion about these limitations, we need to have a cursory understanding of how it is that ChatGPT actually works. Even though I’m not a computer scientist, I’ve had some exposure to artificial intelligence algorithms within an academic setting. 

The workings of ChatGPT are based on a deep-learning algorithm. It has been trained on a static dataset, which is the entirety of the internet up until September 2021. The salient point from this is that isn’t sentient and hasn’t been endowed with the capacity for independent thought. 

Think of it as a regurgitation machine. ChatGPT repurposes existing knowledge, but will never put anything new into the world. It can’t be creative, funny, witty, or insightful. When you spend a bit of time using the tool for specialised work, it can very quickly lose some of its lustre.

ChatGPT: The Lazy Writer

I think I speak for all copywriters and creatives when I say that we only have one question to ask about ChatGPT - is it going to take my job? A plethora of celebrated economists, Internet personalities, and broadcasters have speculated that AI could spell the end for anybody working in one of these sectors. 

Of course, I’ll be the first to admit that curiosity almost killed The Copy Cat, given the fact that I have spent days on end assessing the capabilities of ChatGPT as a writer. Well, after extensive experimentation, the results are in and it seems that we will all live to fight another day. 

The fact of the matter is this, ChatGPT may be an incredible technological feat, but it’s not a great writer. When you produce multiple articles, you quickly realise that it’s both lazy and predictable. Sure, what it produces might be of sufficient quality for somebody who has no background in writing, but I would never use it to generate copy for a business. 

Now, quite rightly, you might suggest that it’s in my interest to play this tune. Nevertheless, allow me to shed a little more light on why this is the case.

Quality of Content

To help frame what it is a copywriter can offer when compared to AI, I’m going to use a simple analogy. 

In my estimation, copywriters are like the artisan restaurant that you bring your loved one to on Valentine’s Day. Even though you understand that there is a high premium to be paid, you know that the quality of the food and the experience will be exquisite. 

In contrast, ChatGPT and similar AI tools are more like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Both will allow you to stuff yourself until your heart's content, but ultimately you will be consuming plates of empty calories. 

Given the fact that words, narratives, and stories have the power to shape a company’s image, I would strongly advise all owners against relying on AI content-generation tools. Sloppy writing sends the message to prospective customers that you are willing to cut corners and compromise on quality. 

The Effort in Refining Output

One of the most appealing aspects of ChatGPT is the perception that it offers a hands-off approach to creating content that requires minimal human input. In other words, the AI will write and type, allowing you to sip away at your Flat White. 

Unfortunately, this is a myth that gets dispelled pretty quickly. If you have strict quality requirements for your content, then you will need to guide the tool using a series of follow-up tweaks and refinements. 

This is where it becomes apparent that the tool doesn’t really do nuance very well. It needs to be guided through every single change that you want to make, a process that can become infuriating very quickly. 

The notion of having minimal input is one that is quickly shattered, which led me to the realisation that it would be much easier to take matters into my own hands and simply do it myself.

Reliance on Clichés and Poor Analogies

Nobody, and I mean nobody, enjoys being patronized or demeaned. It can either make us irrationally angry or have a serious detrimental effect on our sense of self-worth. 

As a writer, tired clichés and obvious gags are the low-hanging fruit that we all try to avoid. As somebody who’s recently moved to Australia, I understand that referencing kangaroos and mullets every second sentence isn’t going to endear me to Australians. Rather, it’s going to magnetically repel most of them away, leaving me with a bruised ego and an empty calendar. 

I get this, you get this, we all get this. Or should I say, everyone except ChatGPT gets this, which seems to specialize in violating the unwritten rules of writing time and time again.  

Understanding your audience is how copywriters create value. By tailoring what we produce to specifically appeal to your target demographic, we showcase your company in the best light possible. Much like a swan gracefully gliding across the surface, all of our hard work is done beneath the surface away from prying eyes. 

Conclusion 

ChatGPT is a tool that has the potential to reshape modern society in the years to come. As we continue to explore its capabilities, additional use cases are emerging on a seemingly daily basis. 

Nevertheless, when something seems too good to be true, it generally is. Although it may be the genesis of something much bigger and more powerful, ChatGPT is not the emergence of Artificial General Intelligence. 

As a writing tool, it’s burdened with intrinsic limitations that will prevent it from usurping copywriters in the near future.
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Colin Smith

Colin Smith is a freelance copywriter who specialises in B2B/B2C content. He has worked with clients across the English-speaking world to build their brands and increase sales by informing and engaging consumers.

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