Will AI Eliminate the Need For Human-driven Creativity?

As far as these sorts of revelations go, this one has sidled up rather quickly. OpenAI launched ChatGTP for public use in November 2022, and by the time we all rubbed the sleep from our eyes in January this year, it has become quite ubiquitous, and I admit, that creating unique artwork by typing “Metallica’s Ride the Lightening album done in the style of Van Gogh” did entertain me for an afternoon.

(Imagine the art I could create that would adorn my walls” I thought….)

In September 2023 (at the time of writing) there’s a flourish of ChatGTP prompt guides dominating social media adverts and keeping Click Funnels in business into the bargain.

The enticing thought being dangled in front of business owners and managers being;

Can I use this stuff to create stuff that I used to pay people to do for me?

There is a delightful irony here, which I hope is not lost on you all.

Was this piece written by AI, or by me…..?

While your brain may melts a little over that question, it’s a trick question, because there’s probably no way of knowing the real answer.

In posing such a question, of which I am not the first to ask, the objective is simple, if not rhetorical; has AI has rendered the age of the human ‘penning prose’ obsolete?

Do we need content writers, journalists, bloggers, copywriters and ad men / women? Do we need graphic designers, novelists, artists and – wait for it – musicians?

Where is the line drawn? There is AI out there now that can create music in any style you want. It can write in the style of Nabokov or Roald Dahl. It has democratised what once was limited to those who invested time and money to become proficient in a skill set.

It’s a deep conversation. Language is one of our greatest achievements and documenting that has allowed us to survive planetary upheavals, ice-ages and Kanye West (thus far) but plenty of conversations I have had with individuals and companies of late have touted the virtues of AI, hailing it a godsend.

“It’s such a money saver, not to mention the time I get back” or “no need to pay a copywriter now!”

It’s hard to argue against such bald facts and when it comes to social media posts, or brief snippets of content distributed online to a prosaic audience, AI has a place. There is no doubt, and it will continue to grow, and fast.

But it does not replace a human. Consider the answer below when I asked the following:

Write an opinion piece on why Artificial Intelligence is better than humans at writing copy

To which, it responded:

As an AI language model, I don't have personal opinions, but it's true that AI has several advantages over humans in writing copy.

• Consistency: AI can write with consistent tone, style, and language, which can improve the overall quality and effectiveness of copy.
• Speed: AI can write copy much faster than a human, making it ideal for high-volume tasks such as product descriptions or news articles.
• Accuracy: AI can be programmed to follow specific guidelines and rules, reducing the chances of errors or inconsistencies.

However, it's important to note that AI still lacks the creativity, empathy, and intuition that humans possess, which are essential in certain types of copywriting, such as advertising or storytelling. Ultimately, the choice between using AI or humans for writing copy will depend on the specific needs and goals of the project.

This last paragraph provides a valuable insight.

We are storytellers.

Before language was bedded down, our history was passed down in stories.

From discovering the sciences that have given us the technology that I am semi-dismantling, to every religion, (the bad, the very bad and the downright crackpot) the rise and fall of every empire in history and even Harry Styles winning a Grammy – Storytelling has been how that information has been conceived, passed on, enhanced, and fuelled our curiosity as a species.

Any brand that is worth its salt has a narrative that is carefully cultivated and presented to reflect and represent the business that it supports. And the custodians of any brand should be aware that over leveraging AI might cheapen that brand.

Unless you’re Donald Trump, chances are you need, and have, a bit of empathy. And if you if you don’t have the linguistic dexterity to write that down you can engage someone with the ability to create that for you. Who’ve spent the time and money learning how to do it.

A Brand Story that is created by an entity that cannot understand story will make for a lot of neutered brands that will all reflect the same tired prose.

Like the stock photography revolution of the early noughties, we may in time come to recognise the disingenuous narrative crafted by something that cannot feel, understand, or empathise with the human condition.

That revelation did not kill the photographic industry, but I’ll bet it sent more than a few ripples of anxiety through the place.

There is a reason for that. Human’s need to be in charge, we need to extract the story, the narrative, the theme, the composition and visualise the outcome. AI cannot do that.

People buy people, they always have.

To place all our eggs in the AI Faustian basket will only serve to lead us down a rabbit hole not unlike the one that titular character found himself in throughout that delightful piece of storytelling.