It's time to have an honest discussion about artificial intelligence because you're all freaking out.
Everybody, calm down. Take some deep breaths. Do some knee bends. Smoke 'em if you got 'em (outdoors, of course).
AI (artificial intelligence) has replaced murder hornets and Mickey Mouse declaring his love for Donald Duck as the panic du jour. Everyone believes tools like ChatGPT and its brethren will take our jobs. Particularly writers and other creatives.
They think AI will produce every book, article, and content marketing. They believe future television scripts will be produced by a computer. They feel an Academy Award-winning Bio-Dome screenplay has already been developed by an AI resembling a group of digital monkeys with typewriters.
No.
AI is another new thing, which isn't really new, that freaks people out. It's not any different than automobiles, airplanes, television, computers, or those satanic fidget spinners. The reason for the panic is we aren't sure what it does. So, instead of fighting against its incursion, some creatives are shutting down their wireless connections and moving to the woods to avoid the oncoming entertainment apocalypse.
Their nightmare scenarios aren't about to happen ... yet. Oh, sure, AI can gain independent thought, develop a sardonic voice similar to James Spader's, and try to eliminate humanity with an army of lookalike android bodies. However, since Avengers: Age of Ultron isn't a documentary, we don't have much to worry about ... yet.
Let's calm things down with an honest discussion about AI.
What is AI?
AI combines computer science and vigorous sets of data to generate problem-solving solutions. The concept isn't a 21st-century invention. AI was originally mentioned back in 1950 when mathematician Alan Turing wrote "Computing Machinery and Intelligence" which proposed the idea of thinking computers.
AI Types
There are a few forms of AI. You've probably used or seen its weak forms. For instance, social media newsfeeds, Amazon's suggested purchases, and responses from Siri or Alexa.
Conversely, generative AI contains algorithms used to create new material like program code, images, and text. ChatGPT is the next generation of this concept because it has the power to personalize its responses. Companies like Grammarly use generative AI to create next-generation tools that go beyond their original concepts.
The other AI -- strong -- is still in the theoretical stage. Here, a machine has self-awareness and intelligence equal to or beyond those of a human. Think Hall 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Terminator's Skynet, or Tom Brady.
Upsides/Downsides
Like anything, generative AI tools have upsides and downsides for writers. Among the positives is a reduction of administrative procedures that take away creative time. Need an idea for a blog post or an article outline? Enter what you need in your AI tool of choice and it produces the information from its data.
I've used it to create cover letter outlines. Although I don't have a problem weaving together fantastical worlds of grandeur, I can't compile a three-paragraph resume introduction if someone was pointing a taser at me. Instead, I ask OpenAI's Playground tool to create one. From there, I cut it down to size (AI is a bit wordy), edit, and submit.
The downside to the technology is data accuracy. When ChatGPT was introduced to the public it November 2022 it was only trained on information through 2021. Any discoveries or changes weren't included. As a result, additional research was required by its users. Else, embarrassment ensued.
Another disadvantage is laziness. People who never wrote a page of text in their life decided these generative AI tools could produce the next great American novel for them. It certainly can with available information but the result tends to be generic and lacking emotion.
Why Are Writers Worried?
Writers are worried for the same reason manufacturing workers were scared when their companies introduced automated processes. They thought their jobs would be eliminated. In some cases, generative AI can take the place of humans. However, before you run naked down the street screaming the world is over, hear me out.
Do you work for content mills like Textbroker or WriterAccess? You may not write for them in the near future. They could go out of business due to generative AI. On top of this, the amount of available clients on Fiverr or Upwork could dry up.
Why? Well, people who need to get work done cheap go to those sites to pay poverty-level rates for quality work. However, why pay one or two cents a word when they can create the same material with generative AI tools? After all, they don't want personality. In most cases, these companies want keyword-laden items to increase their click rates.
Additionally, some content marketing firms have decided to go with ChatGPT for their material, relying on writers to edit the work to emote personality. Plus, they use the tool to generate ideas for upcoming advertising campaigns, eliminating additional opportunities for creatives.
Still, there's hope for writers in both cases. Although generative AI uses machine learning (ML) to improve itself it needs a data injection to make it happen. Some, if not all, of the material comes from the internet. Once collected, software processes and compiles the information into useful material. In turn, companies could be subject to potential intellectual property and copyright issues.
This could occur sooner than later with marketing firms who get rid of their human writers. Eventually, they'll realize it costs more for them to fight copyright issues and rehire their freelance workforce.
Why Writers Shouldn't be Worried
Despite the ongoing popularity of the newest AI incarnation, it won't eliminate every facet of creativity. Yes, there will be companies that completely embrace the technology. Yet, as time goes on, they'll realize something is missing.
Humanity.
We're a unique group of opposably-thumbed individuals. When our backs are to the wall we find ways to break through and find an avenue of escape. Instead of kowtowing to our new ChatGPT overlords, generative AI is going to kick our tails to the next level of evolution.
We're going to show these algorithms that they can't beat human emotions and imagination. Sure, AI can create a tale about an Amish homicide detective paired with a talking dinosaur. But it can't delve into the emotional background and underlying sexual tension between the two.
If anything, generative AI increases the time that we're creative. When used properly, it reduces the mundane tasks that stop us from writing. It could even minimize the excuses we make not to produce. How can we groan about creating a story outline when ChatGPT helps produce one in less than ten seconds?
What Did We Learn Today, Rich?
In the end, your call to action is to embrace AI as a tool. Try it out to see its benefits and pitfalls. Instead of bowing down to the technology, you might be able to work out a beneficial and mutual agreement. That way, you'll be in a good place when the robots take over.
All the best.
Rich Scott Keller
Email: wpantscreations@gmail.com
ClearVoice Portfolio: https://clearvoice.com/cv/RichardKeller
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rskellerwpp/
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