April 4, 2023

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Why AI copywriting isn’t always the “smartest” option


Confession time ...

When I read about the artificial intelligence (AI) content and copywriting tools taking the marketing world by storm, like OpenAI’s ChatGTP, I freaked out a little bit. Okay, a lot. 


As a professional writer, I’ve been honing my storytelling skills for almost 30 years (yep, I am that old). Suddenly, I felt redundant. Perhaps a little like the customer service staff at Woolies and Coles when the self-service checkouts were first installed.

AI
"I love words. I love stories and their ability to genuinely connect people through emotions. Storytelling, if you ask me, is an artform. A gift. It’s my thing."

Yet here I was looking down the barrel of being dispensable, expendable, and dare I say it, a wee bit useless. Once talked down from the ledge, thanks Ben Hayward, I decided to face the fear head on and check it out.

Bloody impressive

I must admit, AI is bloody impressive. My jaw hit the floor the first time I asked for a 1000-word blog on a random subject. It was so speedy and (mostly) accurate. Watching it unfold before my eyes was as terrifying as it was impressive. 

In Cahoots Co

AI does not do emotion. How can it? It’s not a human being with lived experiences and feelings. It can’t understand your brand’s values or target audiences. It can’t recall and share experiences and genuine sentiment. It certainly cannot understand your marketing strategy. 


Don’t get me wrong – it’s a tool us marketing types should embrace. Used in the right way and for the right reasons, it can help us to be more efficient, optimise digital campaigns and complete research quickly.

AI lacks emotion

So, yes you can use AI to form the basis of a quick blog or piece of content, but without emotions it’s just boring, factual AI generated words. Yawn. Will it appeal to your customers? Hmmm … probably not. 

"Creativity and the art of storytelling needs to be applied if you’re wanting to connect with and engage your readers and customers."  

That all said, I will definitely use AI more often as it's here to stay. It’s a nifty little tool. 

However, I now know that AI won’t ever replace me or my copywriting friends, and our ability to draw on experiences, emotions, and empathy to connect people through the beautiful art of storytelling. That, dear reader, is a gift only humans have. 

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