It's a little bizarre to be at a point in history when it bears considering whether technology is going to eclipse innate human creativity.
That said, artificial intelligence (AI) first contributed to music in the early 1950s, so it's long been involved in creative projects to some degree. We could even consider predictive text on our early 2000s Nokia brick phones as a primitive form of AI writing.
Recent advances in AI writing software have resulted in an increase in the amount of AI-generated content published online. Should writers be concerned?
Before we start to panic and envision a Planet of the Apes scenario—but with robots—let's consider whether AI really is the death of creativity, or whether it's a helpful tool that can create compelling and 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1... *coughs in robot* (Just kidding!)
ChatGPT took only five days to reach a million users, and Jasper's net worth has reached $1.5 billion, so there's no denying generative AI is already a massive industry.
But is the interest in and desire for AI content generation warranted?
Some agency owners are favoring the software for a variety of reasons. It's cheaper than hiring a human, and it's quicker. Plus, there's an element of novelty that makes AI-generated content fun to experiment with. Jasper specifically focuses on helping marketers create content by offering over 50 templates for various forms of content, such as blog and social media posts, ad campaigns, email marketing, and more.
Want to learn about other generative AI tools? Check out MarketingProfs' AI Tools Directory!
How to Use Tools Like ChatGPT and Jasper
We've done some research from the perspective of professional copywriters to clear things up on what AI writing tools can do. Here's what we determined.
1. Generate blog post title ideas
When writer's block strikes, enter generative AI! Generating blog post headlines is a useful way to employ AI in your content strategy. Wrestling with writing a concise but meaningful post title can be tricky, but AI prompts can help nudge you in the right direction.
It's also handy if you're stuck on subheadings within your blog post, and for email subject lines, too.
2. Get ideas for outlines
AI tools can provide helpful material for further inspiration, which can be especially helpful if you're writing about a topic that's new to you.
Using generative AI, you can generate outlines that help you organize your thoughts and provide a framework for your post. AI-created outlines take the work out of planning a blog post, allowing you to enjoy the creative process of writing it.
3. Generate copy for humans to edit
If you don't have an in-house copywriter or you haven't outsourced a professional copywriter, AI can provide you with a starting point. Some tools are quite proficient writers; with a bit of human editing, the material can be suitable to publish. But there is a caveat: You shouldn't fully trust artificial intelligence as the sole author. It needs human intervention.
4. Gathers sources for backlinks
This use of AI has been a bit of a gamechanger for improving SEO. Backlink generator tools use AI technology to scan your writing to find options for backlinks that can increase traffic to your website. Using AI to generate backlink suggestions is many times faster than doing it manually, and the AI tools can search a wider range of sources than a human could.
What We Still Need Human Writers For
And now, behold the humblebrag.
1. Flexibility of writing style
It's not that difficult to tell when a piece has been written by artificial intelligence. Generally, all AI tools—ChatGPT and Jasper included—have the same tone of voice and are lacking in personality (surprise, surprise) and individuality.
Humans have the creative advantage, and we can use it as often and as effortlessly as required. We're able to adapt our tone to a brand's unique voice and tailor our writing style according to the subject matter, splashing in a bit of sass or treating delicate topics with compassion and care.
2. Accessible analysis
When tackling complex issues, humans once again come out on top. Often, AI-generated content around a topic with multiple layers can either miss the mark entirely or focus on just one element.
Humans are still best at taking complex ideas and breaking them into smaller, digestible points. Human-written content is often more readable and is better at providing unique and interesting takes. Writing requires many subtleties that AI cannot yet keep up with.
3. In-depth research
There's no denying AI's capacity to scan and interpret material online at a pace unachievable by humans. However, AI tools simply mimic the information they find online. They do it exceptionally well, but they are not creating their own, original research. It takes a human to do that.
We have the brain power to gather information from various resources in an intuitive way that can change with our findings. We have the capacity to interpret what we learn from that research and expand on it, forming original ideas and valuable insight; AI can't yet match that ability.
4. Emotional connection
Contrary to what films such as Her or Ex Machina might have you believe, AI's grasp on emotion doesn't make it a viable option for a romantic partner, regardless of how jaded you are from the dating scene.
Jasper, ChatGPT, and other AI writing tools copy the language of human writers. They don't have the capacity to create original emotional connections between a written piece and its audience.
Humans understand the emotional power of words. Professional writers know how those words can engage fellow humans online to connect with an audience and lead buyers through the buying journey.
Emotion is integral to great copywriting, and it simply cannot be achieved by artificial intelligence copywriting.
The Bottom Line
So, are ChatGPT and Jasper going to lead to the demise of human creativity?
We certainly hope not. And we also don't believe that it ever will.
AI writing technology can serve a purpose in content writing when used correctly. It's best used as a tool to assist your creativity and workflow, not as an alternative to human brainpower. Although AI writing tools have many useful benefits, they are not capable of the level of cultural nuance and unique emotional capacity of the human perspective.
Only humans draw on lived experience and inspiration to truly connect with audiences and fellow humans.
More Resources on ChatGPT, Jasper, and AI Writing Tools
Empowering B2B Marketing Teams With an AI Content Process: May Habib on Marketing Smarts [Podcast]
Why PR (And Marketing) Pros Need to Embrace Imperfect AI Writing Technology Now
Six Ways B2B Marketers Can Use ChatGPT to Save Time and Improve Their Workflow
