AI is the subject of much discussion these days. Some sing its praises while others worry about technology going too far. For me, I just think it’s kind of nice to move on from pandemic and vaccine talk to “Skynet is going to destroy all humans” talk. It’s just good to find something fresh to fuel our collective panic. On the other hand, I don’t know that I would last long in a James Cameron future. Fortunately, we are not quite at the point of T-800s roaming the streets. There are, however, some real-world concerns about the implementation of AI.
The Downside of AI
Aside from those of us who’ve seen too many movies worrying that artificial intelligence signals the beginning of the matrix (if we aren’t already in it), there are a few considerations about the technology. possible downsides include:
- Loss of human skill – Think about your Grandma complaining that no one can balance a checkbook or write cursive anymore. Reliance on new tech destroys old skills.
- AI putting people out of work – This is the one we hear about the most. in the words of South Park “Dey terk er jerbs!” Many professionals fear that technology will replace them.
- Manipulation and misinformation – If we rely fully on artificial intelligence as our source of knowledge, how easy would it be for that source to be manipulated?
Will Artificial Intelligence Replace Writers?
AI writing has disrupted quite a bit in our world from academia to the workforce. It’s perfectly reasonable to worry that those of us who make a living with our words will be replaced by a machine that does it as good or better. I, however, have two arguments against this notion. If you are a freelance writer worried about losing work to technology, here are a couple of things to keep in mind.
AI Can’t Compete With a Human Writer.
While it is a powerful tool, AI is far from perfect. Personally, I have no interest in letting artificial intelligence do my writing for me. However, I did experiment with AI giving it a writing task that I had completed for a client so I could compare notes. What I found was that the “Skynet version” as I will call it mostly did a good job of putting words together, however, it clearly did not understand the assignment. The content that was generated included some factual errors and other problems that made it clear that it wasn’t written by a person. I’ve noticed the same thing reading articles online. Sometimes, just reading a headline is enough to show you that an actual writer had little to no involvement in creating the content. This looks sloppy, and clients do not want this!
AI Might Be Good for Freelance Writers
Consider this, as AI is used more and more to create content, the value of an actual human writer goes up. I have had clients from around the world hire me because they like what I do. because of the technology takeover, thoughtfully created human content becomes a valuable exception. If you are a freelance writer, use this to your advantage. Market yourself as a writer who creates original and one-of-a-kind work rather than someone who outsources the work to a machine.
What Do You Think?
Are you afraid of losing work to technology? Do you see it as an opportunity to grow your business? Maybe you’re wondering if we’ll ever get to see the liquid metal from T2. Whatever your thoughts, I would love to hear them. Drop a comment below.