Can content writers survive in the age of AI

Authored by Nikhil Pradhan, Senior Content Manager, Freo

The advancement of AI technology has brought about many changes in various industries, and the field of content writing is no exception. Some people may be concerned about the potential impact of AI on the job market for content writers, but the truth is that content writers can survive and even thrive in the age of AI.

One of the biggest advantages of AI for content writers is that it can provide them with a wealth of tools and resources to help them improve their writing. For example, AI-powered writing assistants can help writers with tasks like grammar and spelling checks, proofreading, and even suggesting alternative words and phrases to make the writing more engaging and effective.

Another way that AI can benefit content writers is by providing them with access to a vast amount of information and data. With the right AI tools, content writers can quickly and easily gather and analyze data on a wide range of topics, which can help them create more accurate and well-informed content. 

Additionally, the use of AI in content creation can also help to increase the efficiency and productivity of content writers. By automating certain tasks and allowing writers to focus on the more creative aspects of their work, AI can help them to produce more content in less time.

Overall, while there may be some concerns about the potential impact of AI on the content writing industry, the truth is that content writers can survive and even thrive in the age of AI. With the right tools and resources, content writers can use AI technology to improve their writing, access a wealth of information and data, and increase their efficiency and productivity.

There’s no denying that the article is well-written, structured, and even ends with a recap of the article's premise - exactly like a professionally written one. Without this note, would you have even recognised that the paragraphs above were generated by a machine? After all, writing has no equivalent of the "uncanny valley” phenomenon that helps us discern deepfake & CGI videos.

In my opinion, the article is completely passable as a competent piece of writing that meets the brief. In my experiments with ChatGPT, I’ve generated multiple similar pieces of writing across different topics. I’ve also run them through online plagiarism checkers & have always received positive ratings. 

So, does this mean that the content writer is, in fact, an endangered breed, waiting to be crushed into obsolescence by technology? 

At the risk of sounding cynical, yes, that's the likely outcome. 

Let me explain further. 

I believe that a certain type of content writing is at risk from AI, a type that has, unfortunately, grown by leaps and bounds to represent the entire form. This type of writing is a slave at the altar of SEO. It does not strive to entertain or be useful to the reader; the entire reason for its existence is relevancy - relevancy as decided by another machine - the search engine.

Ironic, isn’t it?

But there is an upside.

I believe that the type of content writer who can thrive in this AI-fueled dystopia is the one who goes back to the basics. Basics such as:

1. Crispness and clarity with no obfuscation

2. Clear intent

3. Using language to engage & entertain & not just to fill keywords or word counts

4. Strong endings to sections and paragraphs that make the reader want to read on

5. Respecting the reader’s time & intelligence

6. Supplementing data with human insights, stories, & narrative arcs

While AI will incorporate some of the above as its intelligence grows, points 5 & 6 require a human understanding of the audience. Also, I believe that AI will find it next to impossible to conform to all of the above points.

Writers dedicated to their craft should look at the emergence of AI as an opportunity to sharpen their skills & become better writers overall. Instead of mere survival, their aim should be to evolve into something that cannot be overshadowed and outmatched by AI.