The countless arguments for and against Artificial Intelligence continue to run and run, across practically every industry – with copywriting no exception.

Indeed, some recent AI-related blog posts on ProCopywriters are a case in point, mostly consisting of negative, or alarmist views about the technology. There’s talk of “fighting back” and an almost apocalyptic apprehension that AI is waiting menacingly in the wings to steal our jobs. 

However I think we’re failing to get the bigger picture. 

For starters AI is not going to go away, ever. It’s not a trend. It’s not stoppable. It’s only going to get bigger and better. According to Dell CEO, Michael Dell, AI is on course to be bigger than the internet. “Eventually, the application of AI will be like the internet – it will be as ubiquitous as the Internet, as electricity.” 

Given this, I will argue that burying our heads in the sand, or treating AI as the enemy, is not the answer. If we want to survive, and thrive, we need to evolve. 

Lead, manage or watch?

When it comes to AI you can either be a leader, a manager, or a watcher. If you’re simply watching, or you continue to ignore, or “hate on” AI, losing your job could turn out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. A better way forward is to really find out what AI is about, and what it can do for you. And by that I don’t mean simply churning out badly written content.

AI can be a “force multiplier”

As copywriters, our time is our biggest asset – albeit a rapidly depreciating one! If used effectively, AI can help us claw back some of that time. AI can allow us to do more work, with the same amount of people – something that’s especially useful if your company, like mine, is just “you”. 

Depending on how you use AI, it could multiply your ability to work by x 2, x 5, or even x 10. It can do this as follows:

AI can generate ideas really quickly, making it a big help in brainstorming sessions (even if – in fact especially if –  they’re only with you, yourself, and you). Those algorithms can sift through billions of data points in the time it takes you to put the kettle on, and present you with new ideas for articles and blogs. They might not be all good – but they certainly help to keep writer’s block at bay.

AI can help you build outlines, and help you structure information in a flash too, saving you precious time that can be used to perfect your content.

AI can help you conduct research, with the ability to mine data from varied sources. It can carry out sentiment analysis, offer up salient facts, and streamline what can be a tedious and time-consuming process. With your assistant scouring the internet for you, you can make a quick client call, then focus on more creative things i.e.actually writing your piece. 

So long as you fact check, and give the model good prompts, AI can be an invaluable tool. 

Next I’m going to be controversial, and introduce an idea that might seem counterintuitive to some: I believe in giving back to AI. I think it’s really important that we copywriters help AI to succeed, going forward.

Let me explain.

Ask not just what AI can do for you – but what you can do for AI

As copywriters we have a strong command of language, and inherent critical thinking skills – skills that could be indispensable to the successful development of AI. This means we can not only use AI to improve our own capabilities, but improve AI’s outputs.

I see AI like a child – in fact many say AI is still in its infancy. In order for it to grow, and behave like a responsible adult, it needs to learn from us, since it clearly can’t learn by itself. For there to be high quality, responsible, and accurate AI in the future, it needs high quality, responsible, human intervention. Only then can it learn, and, in future generate high quality content. 

Be part of the solution – not part of the problem. 

AI needs a lot of human labour behind the scenes to ensure the models put out better responses and avoid bias. Writers and editors who work with AI need strong reflective skills to evaluate AI content for its accuracy and suggestions, as well as instigate improvements. 

Good copywriters can identify inaccurate or problematic text, provide expert insights and put themselves in the shoes of a target audience. They can also determine if the content is in fact generating any value. 

If we leave AI to be produced by people who don’t have our skills, or who have less than ideal intentions, then I think we are acting irresponsibly. AI needs to have input from people like us.

With some reports stating AI could replace up to 300 million jobs it’s no surprise there is concern about its impact. But it pays to remember that the majority of today’s workers are in jobs that didn’t exist 80 years ago. Those willing to take advantage of the opportunities AI offers can not only give themselves a competitive advantage today, but play an important role in the future development of AI.

What do you think? Am I talking rubbish? Whatever is the case please leave a comment or send me a message on LinkedIn. 

P.S. This post was written entirely by a human (me). If you’d like to see more of my human content please visit my website at  www.yourcreativecopywriter.co.uk.