AI and the future of copywriting: The Writing’s on the Wall

By the fabl and ChatGPT-4

Here at the fabl we believe in ourselves. We believe in our creativity and the years of experience we have between us as a team, honing our skills. If we say we believe we’re the best people for the job; we mean it. But the rise of Artificial Intelligence  (AI) has got us all talking about whether being the best people for the job will be enough in the future.

AI is here and it’s making an impact right now. There’s no doubt it will shape the way things are done in future. Much has been made of ChatGPT’s writing skills, across all kinds of copy. 

Copy is so important in the way you market your business. Your voice, everything from the stories you choose to tell to the words you choose to use, speak volumes about your brand. Sparkling copy draws your audience in, it casts your messages in the most compelling, persuasive way and it speaks with a tone of voice that is distinctly you. It’s easy to see how AI might seem like a dream for brands looking to market themselves, creating content in a matter of minutes.

But what of the limitations? Crafting copy is not simply a case of generating words. What about the concepts behind those words? How will AI ever understand how something will land – how will it ever grasp the delicate social context of the time in which something’s written? And will it ever understand the nuance of  emotion – the ultimate goal of marketing – to really connect with people.

We wondered what ChatGPT might make of its own limitations so we asked it to tell us. We gave ChatGPT-4 the instruction:

Write a Blog. Title: The Boundaries of AI in Copywriting: Understanding the Limitations

It was fascinating to watch the copy flow, word after word was rattled off with barely a pause as if the screen were possessed. What follows is what ChatGPT wrote for us (in just over one minute!), in its own unedited words:

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made significant strides in the realm of copywriting, enabling content creators to generate high-quality text with increased efficiency. However, despite the remarkable advancements, AI-powered copywriting tools are not without their limitations. In this blog post, we will delve into the challenges and constraints of using AI for copywriting, to help businesses better understand the technology and make informed decisions when incorporating AI into their content creation processes.

 

The Limitations of AI in Copywriting

While AI-powered copywriting tools can be highly effective, it is essential to recognize their shortcomings to maximize their potential and avoid pitfalls. Some of the key limitations include:

  1. Lack of Creativity and Originality: AI models, like GPT-4, are trained on vast amounts of text data to generate human-like content. However, these models rely heavily on existing patterns, structures, and ideas found in the training data. As a result, AI-generated content may lack the creativity, originality, and unique perspectives that human writers can bring to the table.
  2. Contextual Understanding: Although AI models have come a long way in understanding language and context, they can still struggle with complex or nuanced concepts. This may result in content that appears superficial or lacks depth, making it less engaging and persuasive to the reader.
  3. Emotional Connection: Crafting copy that connects with readers on an emotional level is crucial in effective copywriting. While AI can mimic human language, it may not fully capture the emotional nuance that is vital for creating truly compelling content. Human writers have the innate ability to empathize with their audience, which can be challenging for AI to replicate.
  4. Ethical Concerns: AI-generated content raises ethical questions regarding plagiarism and intellectual property rights. AI tools may inadvertently generate text that closely resembles existing content, which could lead to legal disputes and reputational damage. Additionally, there are concerns about the potential misuse of AI-generated content for spreading misinformation or creating “deepfake” text.
  5. Over-Reliance on AI: An over-reliance on AI-generated content could result in homogenized, formulaic copy that lacks the personal touch and flair of human-written content. While AI can assist in creating copy quickly, it is crucial for businesses to strike a balance between efficiency and authenticity.

Conclusion

AI has undeniably transformed the landscape of copywriting, offering numerous benefits in terms of efficiency and scalability. However, it is essential for businesses to recognize the limitations of AI-generated content and adopt strategies to maximize its potential while maintaining the authenticity and quality that only human writers can truly create.

While some of these limitations seem straightforward to mitigate, others are not. The future most likely lies in working together. The opportunities are colossal, there really is a new dawn of endless possibilities on the horizon. But we’re certainly not there yet. Context is everything, both in terms of what’s said and how it resonates in the wider world. AI plunders the pool of information already out there. The real power of marketing relies on original ideas, on concepts that spark connection and that is something that remains – for now – resolutely human. 

If you’d like to find out more about how the humans at the fabl can support your marketing, get in touch. We can’t promise it’ll only take a minute or so but we can promise you ideas which will blow your mind and grow your brand.

Send us an email to storygellers@thefabl.com and we promise you a human will read and respond.