The $64,000 Question: Will AI Wipe Out Copywriters?

Words have been uttered. Headlines have been made. Much ink has been spilled.

The overarching theme in them all?

That artificial intelligence is slowly but surely creeping into the content writing realm.
 

That human copywriting is on its deathbed, probably breathing its last.
 

Is any of this true? You wonder for probably the millionth time (***one more mention of this AI crap and you swear you'll lose it***).

The short answer: No, AI-generated content will never, ever replace human-generated content. At least not entirely.

The long answer: That's a well-kept secret only reserved for those who'll read this blog to the very end. 

This, ladies and gentlemen, is a copywriter's most honest take on the AI vs. humans tussle that's been unfolding in the copywriting industry of late.
 

AI: The Inevitable Author of the Future?
 

I'll start by putting it out there in black and white:

The AI takeover we're enduring right now has been a long time coming. 
 

How else can you explain all those AI-inspired movies we've been feasting our eyes on for years now? The likes of the Matrix, Hal 9000, or the Terminator?

Or that checkers-playing human-independent program written by Christopher Strachey some 70 years or so ago?

Or the fact that the number of industrial robot jobs increases by 14% each year?
 

Hard as it is to admit, the AI future that we've always talked about as a pastime is here with us. And it's hitting the workplace harder than that Will Smith slap.

What's worse (or more impressive, depending on how you look at it), computers are getting smarter by the day. Not so long ago, a supercomputer dubbed Eugene Goostman convinced a good chunk of London interrogators that it was indeed a real human they were speaking to. Mad, I know.

Want another undeniable piece of proof on the same? Get this: Every other earning report you've ever read on Forbes wasn't actually compiled by a human. It was all Quill, an AI-powered tool extraordinaire. 
 

I'd be surprised if you're still skeptical of AI's inevitable workplace takeover at this point. But just in case you are, here are some statistics that speak to this (irrefutable) truth:

• By the end of 2022, the total work hours completed by humans will drop by 13%
• More than 70% of people are willing to give their bodies and brains a revamp in order to boost their employment prospects
• 37% of workers are genuinely worried about losing their jobs due to machine learning and AI

Speaking of losing jobs, as a content creator, should you just throw in the towel now? Do we roll over in defeat and cede our work to writing tools like Quill.
 

Naah, not yet.

Copywriting Tools Can Write, But Should They?
 

That's the big question, and it's only going to get bigger as the years go by.
 

Common sense dictates that just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. And this is illustrated pretty well by the far-from-perfect AI-powered tools we have today. Case in point? You guessed it: Eugene Goostman.
 

Now, don't get me wrong. Eugene is a brilliantly crafted, well-thought-out robot, but it's far from the finished piece, and the below conversation with a human says it all. As you'll instantly notice, the bot's conversational and reasoning skills are, well, they're…meh.

Source: Scot Aaronson

Maybe AI and deep learning tools are overrated. Maybe they're not as smart as people make them out to be yet. After all, Eugene could only fool 33% of judges, which, in all honesty, is no impressive feat.

I see you asking, "What about Quill who's been doing content generation for Forbes for the longest time?" 

Well, if we're being completely honest, all the tool's been doing is write rigid, lifeless, uninspiring reports. Nothing more. 
 

And to anyone who's read both real reports and Quill-generated reports, the difference is far from subtle. It's HUGE. 

This brings us to yet another crucial question: What is it that sets apart human writing from AI-powered copywriting?

One word: emotions.

Emotions: The Elusive Element in the World of AI-Powered Copywriting

You might have heard that 36% of American workers risk losing their jobs to bots by 2030.

Sadly, that's true.

But do you know what else is true?

The fact that human copywriting consistently ranks as one of the top 10 jobs bots can't replace. Not now, not ever. Put differently, a human copywriter is one of the world's most treasured workers (sorry Jarvis, you won't be stealing my title any time soon).
 

To be able to put pen to paper, you must first know what it is to feel. How can a copywriting tool talk about dreams, desires, and doubts when it's never experienced those emotions—or any emotion for that matter?

There's so much that artificial intelligence doesn't know and probably never will: the feeling of handling one's baby for the first time, hitting the shower after a long, tedious day at work, falling in love, watching the sunset, bidding goodbye, the list is endless. 
 

The best content writers aren't just seasoned wordsmiths whose creative juices never run out. They resonate deeply with their target audience. They tell heart-throbbing, edge-of-the-seat stories. They're therapists, empathizers, and life-long learners. But most importantly, they're human.
 

Looking Beyond the Emotion Aspect: 7 Copywriting Tactics AI Can't Replace Yet
 

If there's one thing we've learned so far, it's that copywriting tools are no match for real content writers with real emotions. 

Sure, they can replace a few below-par human writers, but that's just it. They can never replace any writer worth his salt. 

Aside from the emotion bit, here are a few more aspects that truly distinguish a human copywriter from AI (you'll love the last one most, wink!)

1. Creativity

AI, at its core, is made up of what's called neural networks. 
 

Neural networks are essentially machine learning algorithms composed of layers of calculations that excel at ingesting vast amounts of data and finding every pattern within them. 
 

They fundamentally rely on statistical regression—which means that while they're good at finding patterns, they fail miserably at anticipating when a pattern will change, let alone connect one pattern to an unrelated pattern, a crucial ingredient in creativity.

Put simply, no bot can replicate the explosive creativity of the human brain. We are the creators; they're the machines. Unlike us, copywriting software can only iterate on what another content writer has already worked on. 
 

Enough said.

2. Language
 

If you could get into Jarvis' brain for even a brief moment, this is what you'd pick up (seriously!):

"Ugh! I'm growing sick and tired of mastering the human language. How can "dying" mean passing away one minute and LOLing the next?" 

Unsurprisingly, language is a bot's worst enemy. The reason for this is simple—we create new slang, phrases, and trends as frequently as we breathe.

Even the quickest learners in the artificial intelligence realm need time to learn language alterations. By the time they learn the intricacies of a particular slang, it's already obsolete! Uh-oh.
 

3. Search Engine Optimization
 

Business owners, who's your BFF in the whole wide world of content marketing?

Did you say search engine optimization? (louder, please)
 

That's right. SEO remains top-for-mind for most digital marketers on the planet today, and that's because it's incredibly rewarding if done right. 
 

Those lofty search engine rankings don't just bring about quality leads, sales, and traffic; they guarantee a lifetime's worth of reputation.

You'll agree with me that all this is within any writer's reach. In theory, at least.

For most content generation tools, however, search engines are uncharted territory that's just too complex to maneuver. 

Take external linking, for example. As you're probably aware, it involves linking out to multiple highly relevant blog articles and websites that aren't exactly your own. Take this link, copy it there; you know the drill. It's honestly a lot of work, and a one-track-minded program simply isn't smart enough to pull it off.
 

4. Humor

There's something about humor that's just too intriguing to put a finger on. 
 

Good humor is butter to the soul. It's relatable. It's eccentric and puts its point across without even trying. Bad humor, on the other hand, is just flat-out bad (it's no laughing matter, to be honest). And the line between these two is as blurry as it gets.

Unfortunately for copywriting platforms like Jarvis, they're not programmed to infuse humor into their writing yet. That's because they're incredibly complex, nuanced, and devoid of emotion. 

For those tools that try to give this humor thing a go, they're almost always unsuccessful. So much so that the final post comes off as offensive rather than relatable or funny.

In case you need a subtle reminder, humor is what sets your blog articles, social media posts, and website copy apart and connects with your audience on a deeper level. So getting it right the first time and every other time after that is absolutely critical.
 

5. Strategy
 

Over 90% of businesses today utilize a content marketing strategy to propel their brand. That's a pretty good number by any measure.
 

What most business owners don't understand, however, is that a content marketing strategy is only half as good as the content it's built upon. 

While you may have really awesome content writers at your disposal, you need to make sure that at a high level, there's a solid voice and vision for them to follow. 
 

And yes, this involves someone who understands the power of a clear, well-elaborated brand voice…a human copywriter. Get this: a living, breathing human.
 

6. Authenticity

Writing relevant content that's 100% unique is most AI-powered tools' Achilles heel. 

While some tools will allow you to predefine a voice of your liking, they simply aren't capable of generating genuine content. After all, they work by rewriting already existing content. Keyword: rewriting.
 

At best, you'll be getting rigid blog posts that struggle to make an impact. At worst, you'll receive hardly readable content that stinks with blandness and plagiarism.
 

In a world where high-quality content attracts droves of traffic, and average content is ditched almost instantly, you need to make the right decision from the get-go. Put differently, you need to put a human copywriter at the helm of your digital marketing strategy soonest.
 

7. Research
 

If all you crave is basic content that speaks to everyone and no one in particular, then the AI-generated content bandwagon is yours for the boarding.
 

However, if you subscribe to high-quality content that's backed by research, fact-checking, and an understanding of different opinions, you're better off with a content writer. A real writer, for that matter.
 

Since AI can only refer to and recycle old content, it never really finds a fresh, eye-opening approach to the information. Plain and simple.
 

And that, my friends, is the final nail in the coffin of AI-generated content.

Real Copywriters With a Real Knack for the Spectacular

Copywriting is far from rigid. Each type of content, each post presents a unique set of challenges, demanding an entirely new approach. 
 

When it comes to true creative thinking that's brimming with emotional intelligence, there's no contest between man and bots. In other words, bots will never pose a threat to copywriters. Until copywriting services become sentient, human copywriters have nothing to fear—and when that time comes, this issue will be the least of our concerns.

Don't get me wrong, though. I'm not the staunchest opponent of AI-powered copywriting that ever lived. On the contrary, I do believe some aspects of content creation could actually use a little AI help: blog title, blog intro, blog outlines… anything that doesn't require much thought and deliberation.  
 

But, what if I told you that you could actually get the best of both worlds?

What if I told you that you never have to contend with average content ever again?

What if there was a way to focus on all of your higher-value work and still get enough time to enjoy those eclectic weekend dates and early morning runs?
 

Well, there is.
 

Business owner, meet Zoey. And Zoey, meet our soon-to-be client. While you two catch up, understand that we're worlds better than your favorite bot. From blog posts to social media posts to product descriptions, no type of content is too intricate for our ever-ready army of creative copywriters. Short, snappy pieces or long-form content, we can do it all.
 

We might not be as fast as the content generation tools in existence today, but we sure as heck know how to whip up strategic, original content that delivers results. And hey, our turnaround time is pretty impressive too.

What's standing in your way? Contact us today, and let's kick off this beautiful relationship over your favorite cup of coffee (and laugh about AI vs. human writers one more time). Cheers!

Related: Content Production in the Age of AI: A Comprehensive Jasper Review 

Photo by Andrea De Santis on Unsplash. Thank you Andrea!