AI writers ChatGPT and GPT-4 are the hot topic as of late. Since its public access last fall, people have been running to learn this new technology and leverage it to its greatest potential.
First of all, what is ChatGPT and GPT-4? GPT-4 and ChatGPT are artificial intelligence writers that are able to write in a conversational format. This makes it more human-sounding than previous generations of AI writing bots. It scans the web for information relating to your imputed subject and spits out a writing format much like those written by humans.
Will GPT replace human writers?
It has brought about a lot of conversation about its abilities and do we even need writers anymore? I’m here to argue that GPT is just another tech tool to keep in your back pocket, but its not going to replace writers anytime. Instead, it’s going to change the writing process, not replace it.
How, you might ask? Well, I have been experimenting with the capabilities of both open and paid versions of ChatGPT and here is what I have learned so far.
1. You have to learn how to ask it questions.
Anyone can plunk in a question, phrase, or query, but in order to get really quality answers from it, you need to learn how to ask it quality questions. This itself will be a skill that can be learned and marketed as a writer/editor for assisting in creating blogs and short articles. This opens the door to market yourself as a GPT expert.
2. Check all the answers.
As it says when you start to use ChatGPT, it is not infallible. This means there are places for fact-checking and further research to back up your articles and arguments. So, while it may spit out some great-sounding content, you will want to do some extra research to make sure that it has pulled the correct information to form its statements. This is especially relevant if you work in a highly technical industry, medicine for example. It also pays to know that its information will only be as current as its last update. So, make sure that what you are taking from it is truly current.
3. It may write like a human, but it doesn’t have that human touch.
I have found that while this technology is great to help get stuff written quicker, it still needs a human to read, revise, edit, and add to make it good to read. I would suggest using ChatGPT programs to help create titles, outlines, and generate ideas, but then use a human to actually fill out the article, blog or whatever you are writing.
The wording tends to be redundant or use awkward phrasings or sentences. It can often use strange metaphors that don’t work in every instance or for every audience.
Even just for interesting reading, it needs a human to go in and make it more reader-friendly. We’ve all read articles where boring language has been used. And while boring language is not the end of the world you risk losing readers who turn to articles or blogs that have been revised, rewritten, and edited by a human for a human audience. After all a writer and editor knows who the intended audience is and can keep their interests at the forefront.
As a writer and editor, I have great respect and will make use of such technology myself. It will help to generate ideas, saving time and energy, not to mention give starting off points. One of the writer’s biggest complaints is writer’s block. While I cannot say that AI writers will solve every instance where you just can’t think of what to write next, it could help as it spews out ideas and thoughts to help get around those times when you just can’t come up with anything.
GPT programs can be a great starting point.
In other words, AI writers can be a great jumping-off point. When you aren’t sure exactly where to start, as long as you can come up with a topic and ask the program a well-worded question or prompt, it can help provide direction and provide related thoughts to help your brain get going.
It would also be a great tool for creating a content calendar. Just like a keyword planner, this is another tool to help come up with ideas and related ideas, as well as what your readers might be interested in learning from you.
So where do GPT programs leave writers and editors?
Chat GPT technology is here to stay and we may as well embrace it and use it to our best ability, with the knowledge that it will never truly replace human eyes, ideas, thoughts, and innovation. It is only going to get better and more user-friendly as future versions are published.
As long as we remember that it is a machine, that it can only be used as well as the user understands the technology, recognizing that as a machine it cannot review it as a human would. This leaves the industry open for those to become expert users. It would also be best served if it is fact-checked, reviewed, and edited to make sure the article achieves the goal of the “writer”.
Remember an editor and writer can be worth the investment. A good writer will sit down with you and hammer out how you want the writing process to go. Whether its completely from scratch or where you save some money by providing an outline by using AI tech yourself, a writer, or editor can come in handy to make sure you don’t sacrifice the quality of the work you want to publish.
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