Artificial Intelligence Vs Freelancers

Let’s be honest. It’s a question on every freelance writer’s mind. Am I going to lose my job to a machine?

Today we’re going to take a look at artificial intelligence; what it is, how it writes content, and whether or not it’s a viable long-term solution for content marketers.

But before we get started I want to post a warning here:

Warning: Not all of the words on this page will be written by me. I will use text samples generated by ChatGPT for comparison and illustration. When I do, I will place the AI-generated text in a box like this one.

Alright, with that out of the way, let’s do this.

The Rise of Artificial Intelligence in the Content Creation Market

The idea of using AI to write content is not actually a new one. It can be traced all the way back to the 1950s when researchers began to actively work toward a naturalistic language translation machine.

Of course, it would be years before these attempts bore fruit. It wouldn’t be until the late 1990s and early 2000s that language processing AI had advanced enough to show real-world benefits.

Then most AI efforts were centered around text summarization and sentiment analysis. That is, AI was used to ‘read’ human-generated text (like when someone asked a search engine a question) and figure out not just what the words ‘said’ but what the context surrounding them meant to the user.

In this way, companies could get a more clear picture of their customer base, what their problems were, and the best solutions that could be offered.

This technology was purely for institutional use and only the largest corporations had access to it.

Fast forward to 2010 and we see AI-powered tools becoming more and more commonplace in the content creation universe.

Platforms like Quill (by Narrative Science) and Wordsmith (by Automated Insights) brought natural language generation (NGL) technology to the forefront.

NGL was the framework from which our modern concept of ‘chatbot’ AI sprang. The goal was to create a fluid, human-like language model that could read, interpret, and tell narrative stories.

The path to artificial intelligence is a winding one, with many branches, but for the purposes of today’s article, we will stick to this one particular path: the creation of human-like, narratively-adept content.

Can AI Replace Freelancers?

It makes sense then that Freelancers are a little on edge.

I mean, we go through all the sweat and struggle to research and write engaging, high-converting content. It takes hours. It fries our brains. It carpals our tunnels.

And ChatGPT can do it in five seconds. For free.

Or can it?

Much of the fear surrounding AI comes from two places:

1. We, as humans, tend to overestimate our inventions. And…
2. We, as writers, tend to underestimate ourselves and our profession.

Don’t get me wrong, AI is an incredible leap forward in human achievement and it absolutely will change the course of human events.

But.

We really should temper our natural human optimism. I mean, according to the 1920s, we should all be riding around our Martian cities in flying cars by now.

Besides (I’m looking at you fellow writers), should we really be so sensitive about the work we do?

AI works by mimicking human narration. It copies. And it does it very well. But that means, by definition, that it must always be a step behind.

If you, as a writer are worried about AI, isn’t that a bit like saying, “I’m afraid it will copy words better than I do?”

Don’t forget, what we do as writers is create. The words I’m putting on this screen right now are coming from some still-mysterious wellspring, some combination of my unique experiences, that causes me to choose this phrase over that, or to use this metaphor in lieu of that simile.

In short, the words you are reading are a part of me. My personality is all through them. And when it comes to generating real content, the kind that will stir a reader to take action or make a purchase, that genuine connection is the real magic of what we do.

Can AI really do that?

Let’s see.

For the last 300 words or so I have been using examples and imagery in an attempt to answer one simple question: Can AI Replace Freelancers?

Hopefully, by now you have a sense of my thoughts on the matter. Hopefully, if I have done my job, you have also felt something.

Now let’s ask ChatGPT the same question. Just a sec, I’ll copy/paste the question, then part of the answer…

Is it wrong? No.

In fact, it said the same thing I said.

But it said it without narrative or style. It said it without soul. It answered the question but it did not engage the reader.

OK, wait. To be fair, I’ll ask ChatGPT to repeat that in a friendly and engaging voice…

That certainly is more friendly, but still devoid of soul.

If you need to fill a website with bland faceless words that fail to stir an emotional response, then AI is right up your alley!

All that said, AI has already had an enormous impact on the freelance community and the freelance industry.

How Has AI Impacted The Freelance Industry?

I’ll be honest: I’m using ChatGPT right now (and not just in those orange quote blocks above). I’ve been using it since its beta release.

Am I a complete hypocrite?

Not at all. I am still writing these words. They are still coming from me, my mind, my soul.

But I don’t have to ctrl+T a million times for every little answer I need. (My RAM thanks you ChatGPT).

I use it the same way I use my Google Assistant. Quick answers, topic ideas, anything that was tedious and unskilled.

So what does that mean for the freelance industry?

I write faster, higher-quality work than I ever have. I had no idea how much mental fatigue came with all the small research (meaning basic facts like ‘what year did google.com go live). I had no idea how much time I wasted switching tabs.

I believe that anyone who embraces AI and puts it to this sort of use will have a similar experience. As long as you have the domain expertise to identify its mistakes or outdated info, and to throw away the stupid ideas it periodically proposes, it should greatly improve your workflow.

But I think anyone that tries to pawn AI-generated content as human-generated is going to have a bad time.

I also think that it will open up whole new niches for writers to specialize in.

So is it all good for the industry?

Nope.

I think competition will increase.

I think there will be many content purchasers who fall for the Jasper.ai’s of the world and sink tons of money into mediocre and undifferentiated content.

That’s bad for their business, sure, but it also means less work to go around for us.

Those of us with specializations or niche expertise will stay in high demand (maybe even more for some niches), but the unspecialized I think will suffer.

Still, I think it will mostly benefit us as writers.

Well, what about business owners? Good, bad, ugly?

Advantages of Buying AI Content For Your Business

Ok, let me play devil’s advocate here for a second.

Let’s say I own a business and I am in the market for online content. What can AI do for me?

It can save you time, for sure. I could sit here all day and autogenerate blog posts for free with ChatGPT. But this only applies if you are writing your content yourself.

And it can give you very consistent results. All content will sound the same.

AND it can even focus on specific keywords.

But where I diverge from consensus is this: I don’t believe it will save you money.

I know, it’s always the first thing anyone ever thinks of, but will it really reduce your costs? Not as much as you think, it turns out.

Why?

Two reasons:

1. For the level of quality that you get from AI, you wouldn’t be paying a very high rate anyway. The very best I’ve ever managed to get out of it was on par with the cut-rate content mills anyway. (And it took so much time to coerce it into giving me what I wanted, I could have just written the damn article anyway.)
   
2. It took so long to proofread and edit it up to standard that I should have just hired someone to do it anyway.

Disadvantages of Buying AI Content For Your Business

Quality (or the lack thereof) is, in my mind, the biggest disadvantage. But we’ve already covered that ground, so what else is there?

Lack of Customization

With most of the AI tools out there, you get what you get and you don’t get upset (as my daughter’s teacher likes to say). There are usually various price points for various levels of quality, but that’s about it.

There is no one to talk to about the personality of your brand or what your business can do for your customers. There is no one that can think and feel like a customer.

If I’m writing content for a small business consultant, I need to be able to make that consultant stands out from the rest. I need to show their customers something special they haven’t seen before.

AI can’t do that. All AI can do is give them the same AI content it gave to their competitors.

I can sum it up in two words: emotional intelligence. There are countless nuances and symbols tied up with your business and your brand that AI simply cannot understand.

Cost (beyond what you might think)

We talked about how AI won’t save you as much money as you’d think, but there are other costs to consider.

Like what?

Opportunity cost, for one.

Using AI for your content means you aren’t using a real person.

That means you are missing out on the chance to connect with a real, caring, passionate human being, someone who might value you enough to go above and beyond for you when you need it.

I mean, how many times have you gone above and beyond for an employer? I know I have. Why did I do it? Because I cared about the business. I cared about the people that business served.

AI can’t do that.

And what about legal costs?

This whole AI world is brand new and our legal system is not equipped to deal with it or its output. AI can create liability risks that we can’t predict and that the legal system does not know how to handle.

Please don’t be the one to set court precedent.

And what about plagiarism? AI gets its text from somewhere. ChatGPT works by reading the internet and effectively reshuffling other people’s words. Yes, exactly like you did on those middle school essays.

It seems ever more likely that you will be able to sue companies that have used AI (which in turn used your copyrighted material).

Maybe the biggest disadvantages are the unknown unknowns. We just don’t know enough about AI and in what ways it can harm our businesses.

Who knows what the future will bring?

AI Vs Freelancers: What Does The Future Hold?

If I had to make a prediction here and now, I would have to say it will play out like this:

There will be a period of upheaval and turmoil. Many freelancers will leave the profession. Many businesses will be harmed by the misuse of AI. There will be lawsuits and debates as we figure all this stuff out.

In the end, things will calm down to a certain… equilibrium. AI and freelancers will coexist and I think the freelancers who stay will be made better for it. Collaboration will be the new order.

Freelancers who are masters of emotionally intelligent writing, and who work to develop AI-centric research and planning skills, will thrive. They will find higher-paying, more specialized work on the content front lines where emotion is key to business. Think long-form, narratively-driven content marketing.

And what about AI?

I think it’ll have its own niche in the mass-produced, formulaic writing that is purely for informational content. Think wikis, instructions, and product descriptions.

How Can Freelancers Compete with AI?

The best thing we can do to stay relevant is to focus on ourselves and our own improvement.

We need to develop our own skills in emotional storytelling and narrative branding. The more we can develop our own voice and our own empathy, the more distance we can put between ourselves and artificial intelligence.

That means keeping it original and keeping it personal. Master the art of the micro story. Get some books on emotional intelligence. Study what makes humans tick.

And stay flexible. I have no idea what the future holds, but I am confident that being stubborn and rigid is a recipe for disaster.

Stay flexible in your career, but also with your clients. Communicate clearly and be open to revisions. Responded to feedback because you know who can’t do that?

Artificial intelligence.

In conclusion, while AI-generated content may have its advantages, it cannot replace the creativity, emotional intelligence, and human touch that freelancers bring to the table, making them valuable assets in the content creation industry.

Eyeroll.

Until next time, stay happy, stay healthy, and keep on keeping on.

Or should I say, continue being “valuable assets in the content creation industry”?