By William Eisenhuth
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With data suggesting that the number of businesses adopting Artificial Intelligence has grown by 270% in the last four years, I am often asked why human copywriters are still in such high demand.
In fact, this question has become even more common with emerging technologies such as ChatGPT on the tip of everyone’s tongue in recent months.
“Can’t a machine do the same thing as a human, only a whole lot faster?”
Well, it’s a fair question and one that requires a lot of thought. That’s why we have decided to dedicate today’s blog to a deep dive into this topic and the implications it has for your copywriting needs.
So, let’s start with some basic definitions…
What on earth is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
In the simplest sense, AI is when a machine is programmed to mimic human capabilities in order to solve problems. Often what is great about AI is that it can do this far more efficiently than humans, freeing up scarce time to focus on more creative or complex endeavours.
Sounds pretty cool right?
Well, many investors think so too. In fact, the global artificial intelligence (AI) market size was estimated at US$ 119.78 billion in 2022.
Despite the enormous intrigue, most of the problems that AI can solve right now are very basic, for example:
“Hey Siri, what will the weather be like today?”
or
“Ok Google, how tall is the great pyramid of Giza?”
Clearly, the current job of AI is to speed up everyday menial tasks, however, the hope is that, as time moves on and the technology becomes even more sophisticated, so too will the problems that AI can solve, for example, self-driving cars.
But how far advanced is AI when it comes to copywriting?
Let’s begin with Christopher Melotti’s initial insights.
In the context of copywriting, AI is used to generate written copy by mimicking the research and writing process typically conducted by humans.
But how good is it you ask? Well, rather than guessing, let’s find out!
Below is an excerpt of what the AI chatbot known as ChatGPT wrote after being asked “Write me an introduction to a blog about the role of AI in copywriting…”
What do you think?
It’s got all the right information. The grammar is great. It seems to know what the keywords “AI” and “copywriting” mean, and it even has a pretty decent idea of what an introduction requires!
The problem is when you dig slightly below the surface, a few problems arise… serious problems:
1. ChatGPT does not provide original content!
Instead, it synthesises and presents content based on that which already exists on the internet. Not only would using the above introduction be within a grey area of potential plagiarism but the chances are that other competing businesses using ChatGPT would use the exact same or highly similar words.
To combat this, the creators of ChatGPT Open AI have been looking at producing a ‘watermark’ being placed over all written output to prevent anyone from simply using a cut-and-paste method.
In fact, OpenAI already requires all content taken from the platform to be disclosed as its intellectual material, and you can’t use any output to sell anything for money without their direct permission.
Ok, so even if we wanted to, we can’t really use AI to generate copy for commercial purposes. But for argument’s sake, let’s say we could … wouldn’t that just be perfect?
No, not at all! Have a read of Chat GPT’s introduction again… there is something missing right? Something seems off…
2. It sounds like a robot!
And that is the last thing you ever want from the written word. Name one successful brand that has ever been built off the back of marketing campaigns that were “mechanical” or “robotic”.
You see, at the end of the day, effective copy isn’t just about informing the reader, it’s about the lasting feelings it creates, and the actions it inspires. What separates expert copywriters from AI isn’t the information that they have access to nor how quickly they work; it’s about how well they connect with the human on the receiving end, generally achieved through two key principles:
- Authenticity, and
- Empathy
Without these two ingredients, your brand will never stand out amongst competitors, nor will it give leads a reason to pay for your services.
AI might be “intelligent” in an artificial sense but when it comes to the emotional intelligence and the persuasiveness required to land clients, AI doesn’t even compute close.
So, why authenticity?
Well, as more and more businesses turn to AI to generate their copy, the result is always the same: robotic written words that lead potential customers to view your business as dry, mechanical and uninviting.
The question your business’ copywriting needs to answer is simple: what sets you apart?
But if everyone is using ChatGPT in your industry, good luck expressing authenticity and originality with the same auto-generated words as your competitors.
If you want the generic, baseline results for your business… you know… the sort of results you get when you ask Siri any sort of question, then by all means AI is the way to go.
But if you want your business to stand out head and shoulders above the crowd then be unique, be creative and reflect that in your copy.
Ok Great! Human-written copywriting can gather client attention far more effectively than AI. But how does it hold onto it?
Empathy!
You see, as the world becomes ever more mechanical, personalised client care becomes even more valued than ever before – and that’s exactly what human writing can provide.
Think of it this way. When is the last time you left an interaction with Siri, ChatGPT or any form of AI and felt any sense of connection? You might have got the bare minimum, but is it in any way comparable to real-life, meaningful conversations?
OF COURSE NOT!
I don’t know anyone who would choose to share a drink in the company of AI over friends, family or any human being for that matter. So, why would copywriting be any different?
Persuasive copywriting and marketing need to be ‘human relatable’. It needs to address how your business will solve real-world, complicated problems for your client.
After all, how can AI capture your client's pain points if it never feels pain?
What sets businesses apart are the ways you make your customers feel… the story that you tell.
Ok so is AI-generated copy just a complete waste of time?
Not at all! AI is an INCREDIBLE tool in many contexts, especially when it comes to copywriting.
But it’s just that; a tool. A tool borne of human ingenuity and creativity. In this way, AI finds itself in an interesting catch-22. While it can solve basic problems and free up human capacity, that spare capacity then gets directed towards actually piloting the AI and giving it a customised direction to follow. In other words, just as AI relies on humans to bring it to life, so too does your written copy.
So, what are our initial thoughts on AI Copywriting vs Human Copywriting?
Here at Melotti Media, we believe AI such as ChatGPT should be used as a gateway to well-laid-out information: a Google 2.0 if you will. Thanks to AI, human copywriters can research and gather information about a given topic or industry far quicker than ever before.
So, AI can do all of the research and basics, which is what it does best.
This leaves human copywriters to craft the messaging, which is what we do best.
The next step, however, is the important one and that is where we communicate marketing information in a way that matches your brand and your audience. If ChatGPT is the raw materials at a construction site, we the human copywriters are both the architect and the builder.
Is your business ok with generic AI copywriting? Or are you looking for customised messaging?
If you want to distinguish your business from its competitors and show leads not only that you CARE but that you can HELP, then contact your friendly, reliable team at Melotti Media for all of your copywriting needs.
Let’s start earning the results your business deserves!
To speak to your trusted message marketers and copywriters, email us at enquire@melottimedia.com.au or phone 1800 663 342.
Our Message Marketing services can sharpen your words to achieve your goals, today.
The Melotti Media Team
Melotti Media | Copywriting & Message Marketing Bureau
www.melottimedia.com.au
