Is A.I. an enhancement or replacement for the creative workforce today?

A.I.- We've all been hearing about these two letters in the background for quite some time. First it was sort of in the distance, maybe a few years away from really being involved in our daily lives. Now, it is here. Today. It is a part of our daily lives and we can’t avoid it. Instead, we now navigate how to use it effectively. And everyone has a different opinion.

The term A.I. stands for Artificial Intelligence. It can be used in many industries such as such as cars and machinery or part of an online program that assists with writing. It is a very diverse tool across the board.

At first, this may seem fantastic. A fancy new tool to make everyone’s lives easier- what could be better? Admittedly, I've used the copy assistance A.I. tool from time to time when writer’s block hits. But, when taking a deeper look into this phenomenon, the A.I. wave has caused quite a few headaches within the hiring and specifically creative industry.

Let’s take a deeper look at the example of using A.I. to assist with copywriting. For one off moments where copy assistance is needed, this tool is great. It is like a band aid for a quick fix. This feature, however, should not replace copywriters. A copywriter intertwines the human element; critical thinking, creative solutions and perspectives that an A.I. feature cannot replace nor provide.

If, for example, you are rebranding your organization a copywriter can find your tone or voice and communicate it out effectively to your directive audience. This type of technical and creative writing is a skill that takes years to perfect and can only truly be accomplished with a human behind the keyboard.

In the news, you may have read about the recent writer’s strike in Hollywood. This strike was a very big deal and thankfully has ended (for now). The Screen Actor’s Guild of America united on several fronts, but one of their main topics for change revolved around the use of A.I.

In the historical 148-day strike, writer’s claimed that A.I. generated content should not be credited and referred to as material. Additionally, SAG-AFTRA argued against the use of A.I. generated characters because A.I. has the ability to incorporate features that resemble real life actors without consent.* This tool is taking away the individual, human, uniqueness that comes with bringing on real life talent. And with that, the compensation associated. For studios, A.I generated characters and content is certainly more affordable. It can also be quicker and faster, which studios see as a bonus. But is it fair? Is it ethical? Can and should A.I. content replace human jobs, skills and even facial traits?

Let’s go back to the example of the company trying to rebrand itself. Right now, hiring managers mistakenly think they can simply use A.I. for all of their copy needs; newsletters, essays, SEO copy etc. But is the writing really hitting all of the marks your leadership team wanted to fold in? Does the copy help with your SEO? Is the tone too much or too little? How can you talk through a concept and brainstorm or problem solve? A human writer has the expertise and knowledge to perfect copy for their client. Relying solely on an A.I tool is not advised and can actually lead to more rounds of revisions to get it right. Sure, A.I can be a tool for that quick fix, but for large projects a skilled writer makes all the difference in the quality of work.

Bottom line, hire people. A.I. should not replace writers, actors or any other job. It is an impressive tool that has the ability to enhance and assist in content development, but it should not replace the workforce.

Do you agree?

* Jake Coyle, “In Hollywood writers’ battle against AI humans wins (for now)”, Associate Press, September 27, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/hollywood-ai-strike-wga-artificial-intelligence-39ab72582c3a15f77510c9c30a45ffc8