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ChatGPT has been making waves over the past few months, and on the surface, it’s easy to see why. Like a plotline from an apocalyptic movie, the rise of the AI chatbot has prompted fears that it’s only a matter of time before copywriters and PR professionals are replaced with technology altogether.
While AI chatbots will undoubtedly change the way we work, it’s unlikely that it will be able to replicate the creativity and expertise of talented professionals. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for those whose skill leaves much to be desired.
There is no denying that ChatGPT has already started affecting the way agencies work. Take a recent job ad made by a Sydney communications agency, for example.
Advertising for the role of ‘Freelance ChatGPT Prompt Editor’, the agency was searching for someone who could provide effective prompts to ChatGPT for the sole purpose of having it create written content as efficiently as possible. In fact, the job description specifically made note of how the company had no need for employees who wanted to write copy from scratch. In their own words, ‘those days are gone.’
This is what many people are referring to when they say AI will soon begin to encroach on the jobs of creatives. But while the agency says the days of human copywriters are behind us, this will only ring true for brands whose creative teams aren’t good enough to go up against the chatbot.
For agencies and brands that first and foremost want to focus on the quality of their work, ChatGPT won’t make the cut. At the moment, its responses are rudimentary and lack the depth that experienced creatives can provide. Even with great prompts, ChatGPT cannot replicate the nuance that comes with understanding complex client expectations, a personal connection to a topic, or insight into the unique mindset of a specific audience. Sure, it can scour the internet for research and write an article in under 30 seconds, but it also has limitations on its scope and has been known to provide false information. In other words, what it offers in efficiency it lacks in craftsmanship. And that’s to say nothing of what is involved in implementing a campaign or finalising copy – which ChatGPT obviously cannot do.
The power of ChatGPT ultimately lies in its ability to diminish work that already has a low value. As AI becomes more advanced at producing decent content, bad writers, PR professionals, SEO copywriters, and social media managers may start to see clients turn to it as a more affordable way to get the work done to the same standard.
Even though ChatGPT cannot write great content or develop innovative marketing strategies, that doesn’t mean it won’t have its place in the communications industry. We are bound to see an increasing number of creatives use it to improve the efficiency of research, the creation of first drafts, or simply to gain a quick understanding of a subject without trawling Google.
For small businesses and start-ups, it also holds the potential to do more in a shorter period of time. While chatbots can’t create publication-worthy content in the same way humans can, many businesses may find that its affordability and ease are worth the sacrifice of quality when hiring professionals isn’t possible.
As AI becomes more advanced, it will inevitably embed itself further into the communications industry and impact the way we work. In a fight between AI and humans, however, it will always pay to put your money on talented professionals.
