People, myself included, have been discussing this question. There have been arguments that range from absolutely impossible to very likely in the near future. Also, people have tried it out. There are many artificial intelligence (AI) tool generators like Hypotenuse, Copy.ai and Anyword that help companies and organizations with their copywriting, contact marketing and other kinds of communication work.
For nonprofit organizations in particular, AI copywriting is one solution to a lack of communications personnel in-house or externally.
What is AI copywriting?
An AI copywriter is a tool that auto-generates copy based on a particular set of information, a data set. If you give the tool a title, an outline, target audience and maybe a brief about your organization, it can come up with the sentences and paragraphs that match.
For example, if you gave your AI tool the title “What makes a great cupcake?” and your outline included:
- How to mix cupcake batter
- What temperature should ingredients be
- What kind of cupcake liners should be used
- What temperature should cupcakes be baked at
- What is the secret to light and fluffy cupcakes
Your AI tool could come up with the rest. However, you would have to do some tweaking and editing to make sure content aligns with your values and your key messaging. You’ll also have to make sure that the writing is compelling and persuasive enough to actually lead to the desired action.
So, will AI copywriting replace human copywriters?
And this is precisely why, in my professional opinion, AI will not replace human copywriters, like at all.
AI is not a person it does not have the capacity to demonstrate empathy or authenticity without human intervention. That means that the copy may not be as meaningful to your target audience as it would be if a human wrote it. In other words, the AI-powered copy may be accurate but boring and uninteresting. Alyssa Zacharias of ClashCopy tried it and the results were not great.
Furthermore, AI powered copy may lack context and nuance. This makes it harder to capture a brand’s voice and tone, as in the ClashCopy example. The flow of words as well as interesting word choices and details gets lost with AI because accuracy is much more important. Imagine trying to implement SEO tactics and keywords into your copy with a tool that is more concerned with accuracy. It would probably be a disaster.
Additionally, imagine if you and your competitors used AI-powered copywriting. If your competitor uses the same kind of tool as you, your content may look like their content because the emphasis is on accuracy. That’s a BIG no-no!
Aren’t there other benefits to AI copywriting?
Maybe none of this bothers you. You may be thinking that AI-powered copywriting is cheaper than hiring an actual human copywriter. Sure, there are many programs and software with free trials and probably low monthly prices. There’s even copy like social media copy that is better suited for AI. But regardless of this fact, these tools are not necessarily designed to be left alone without your oversight and input. And as I’ve established, editing and reviewing more than usual is kind of a given with AI tools for copywriting. I don’t think it’s worth it.
Great copywriters can analyze information, ask the right questions and bring your vision to life. They do not need constant oversight and consistent correcting of mistakes. If they’re good at what they do, they’re the ones asking more questions than you so that they can express your vision well. In this case, the most you’d probably have to do is reply to an email or take a short meeting.
Conclusion
AI will not replace copywriters. I’m certain of it. If I’m wrong, it’ll be many decades or centuries from now. Two things make this clear to me. One, with human copywriters, you have the assurance that they know how to do their job. You look at their portfolio, you have a chat with them and you see what kind of work they have done before and how they have completed that work.
With AI-powered copywriters, the only assurance you have is that you will get copy. Not good or bad copy, just copy as the final outcome. Two, as it stands now, artificial intelligence is designed to interpret language in a particular way. So while I am describing the lack of context and nuance in terms of copywriting, I’m really describing the limitations of technology.
AI is not yet smart enough to understand just how many ways humans can communicate with one another. This seems pretty obvious. But in a world where the process of designing technology often excludes marginalized communities and targets them, it isn’t obvious to everyone.
So until AI shows more capacity for inclusivity, context and nuance, copywriters will be here for a long time.
By the way… whenever you’re ready, let’s get in touch to chat about how I can help your organization.