AI-generated content has become an indispensable companion for bloggers, opening up new horizons and possibilities in the realm of content generation.
And yes, ChatGPT told me that.
AI is no longer a futuristic concept but a practical tool that can enhance your writing, streamline your research, and supercharge your creativity.
Can you tell the difference yet?
Artificial intelligence is everywhere. If it’s not revolutionising science, it is staffing helplines or writing Hollywood blockbusters.
But did it write this blog? Is this AI-generated content? And should you care?
Maybe it is all just progress and we shouldn’t stand in its way. Maybe you’re not bothered about Bard and quite cheery about Chat GPT. After all, technology has been accused of stealing people’s jobs for decades.
You could easily make the argument that only now, when it’s encroaching on communications, we’re all suddenly card-carrying Luddites. Square brown Hoolet-embossed cards but we’re carrying them nonetheless.
Human connection
Well no, you should care about how to know whether you’re reading AI-generated content. And that’s the most obvious indication that Joanna had some involvement in writing this blog.
You should care if you care about veracity, relevance, accuracy and human connection.
AI-generated content is scraped from the worldwide web, and we are all aware how accurate that can be. To be fair, it is only repeating errors in human-generated copy.
We seem to remember Aberdeen Chamber supremo Ryan Crighton describing how he AI-ed himself and was astonished by the accuracy and depth of information of the tale it told. Right up until it bluntly revealed he’d died in an air crash in Nepal.
How to spot AI content
So do you know what ChatGPT told me? It said “some AI-generated content can be very convincing”.
That’s as may be, but do you want to know how to spot it?
- It will probably have bullet points. It will definitely have a list and that might even stretch to a numbered list.
- It will be repetitive. AI likes to produce content that is consistent and may repeat certain phrases or ideas
- It will be couched in vague or corporate language. This is not surprising as again it is scraped from the web so you’re getting the sum total of everything. Or the lowest common denominator, if you prefer.
- It may rely on complex data, statistics, or technical jargon without providing clear explanations. AI might excel at generating content that involves data manipulation but struggle with explaining it in a comprehensible manner. That, my friend, is where a competent copywriter should step in. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve had to explain to someone that if they don’t understand what they’re talking about, their readers won’t either.
- It will be repetitive. AI likes to produce content that is consistent and repeat certain phrases or ideas. I know, we’re hilarious.
- It may lack personal detail or regional specificity. By this, we mean your human connection or any wandering anecdotes.
Some advice from AI
Want to know what advice Chat GPT gave me to fool you? Because yes, it is whispering in my ear right now, telling me what to do.
It tells me how to make my content sound more natural, how to add in personal experiences or specific details (cheers, Ryan) – it basically told me to customise it to the point of rewriting.
You can’t say it isn’t very self-aware about its own weaknesses but wow, that is insightful and just a little creepy.
I’ve thought about this a lot and it boils down to whether you want to read things that inform, or copy that sparks and sizzles. That makes you want to read on, makes you think or makes you smile.
AI-generated content isn’t gonna do that. At least not soon.
But sometimes you do just want to know something. And other times you want to be informed and entertained. You want someone to give insight into a particular topic that isn’t the sum total of every other opinion on the internet.
So who did write the blog?
I’m pretty sure you’ll have guessed by now that this blog is very much a joint effort between me and my AI. The answer is we sat side by side and wrote this together.
I have moved my position from one of horror-filled rejection of any notion of AI, to embracing it as a useful tool.
It is brilliant for initial research, for inspiration and brainstorming, and it can be invaluable for beating writers’ block.
AI technology is rapidly advancing, and some of its content can be very convincing.
Glancing through the list of telltale signs above, I also accept that it is entirely possible that a human author could exhibit some – or indeed all – of the above characteristics.
But at the moment – and I say this as someone who devoured Isaac Asimov novels in her youth – AI is a tool. And in the hands of a talented practitioner, a good tool will lead to excellent work. But it needs human input, human empathy and human experience.
As a wise old AI assistant friend once said to me: “Remember, the goal is to make the content feel genuine and original while retaining the valuable information provided by the AI. But there is often a preference for content that is authored by humans who can infuse their unique perspectives and emotions into their writing.”
See, we’re still good for something.
Hoolet is a strategic communications consultancy. Come say hello on social channels at @hoolet_hoots, or follow us on LinkedIn. You can read more blogs here.