AI Writing Tools: The Good and the Bad

Something happens every fall, especially after the middle of November as we barrel into the holidays and the close of another year.

My to-do list starts bursting at the seams.

And all the projects I've been shuffling around become dark shadows looming over me.

If you're a procrastinator (like me), it's easy to feel overwhelmed.

For instance, this weekend, I have a newsletter and a few scripts and slides to write. A lecture to update. Work on a research report ...

At the core of all these projects is one thing: writing.

Something I love to do but takes lot of time.

And I wonder how can I ever complete it all?

Enter AI

This would be the perfect time to turn to an AI writing app. I mean, offloading some of the copy generation to a machine might take a word or two off my plate. Right?

Well, the answer is complicated.

AI writing tools, as I mentioned in my last newsletter , are improving. But they're still not ready to be the headline act.

At least not when a task requires thinking, reflection and creativity.

Three things I'm not ready to give up.

What Are Your Creativity Tradeoffs?

That's a question all marketers should consider.

As you begin to use AI for writing and other tasks, you'll need to figure out where it's a help and where it's a hindrance.

For instance:

• Coming up 10 or 20 versions of the same ad? AI could help.
• Brainstorm sessions when you want a massive dump of out-of-the-machine ideas? Sure.
• Low attention text that provides directions on how to fill out a form or enter a content? Copy that.
• Headline ideas? As long as they don't sound too much like clickbait.

But for any project requiring forethought, reasoning and an aha moment where you grasp how it all fits together, it's people-10, machines-zero.

Because algorithms still have major issues.

Meta recently released Galactica, a large language model designed to help researchers create scientific papers using AI.

Let's just say it didn't take very long for users to cause Galactica to spew false, vile and dangerous text that had an aura of academic credibility.

Needless to say, the model was pulled a few days after launch. Here's a post from MIT Technology Review and another from TNW talking about what happened and the fallout .

And now, OpenAI's ChatGPT is getting a lot of attention because it admits mistakes and tells you if it's unsure of an answer. And because of that, and how well the algorithm has been trained to spot patters between words, the chatbot can have what seems like a more human conversation.

But it still spews out lies and that's a major cause for concern.

Proceed with Caution

Right now, large language models are a lot like that loud know-it-all friend, who makes stuff up at the drop of a hat and, when you call them on it, lashes back in a mean and toxic way.

Until there are filters in place to guarantee an acceptable level of fairness, safety and truthfulness, we won't be able to use AI for more than the most mundane or simple tasks.

But the tools are here and as more brands use them, they're going to improve.

So this is a good time to try them and develop a new workflow for your human/AI marketing creative team:

• Which tasks lend themselves to AI automation?
• What are the ethical or privacy considerations?
• Do you have a process in place for choosing the best output options and assembling a decent first draft?
• Have you planned the steps you'll take from draft to revisions to finished copy and which ones will include input from an AI?
• How will you ensure your human writers/editors and fact checkers catch all the glitches?
• Which parts of your approvals process will you need to refine?
• Have you developed a safety checklist that you review before you press publish?
• Who's responsible if a serious AI error slips through and how will you correct it?
• Do you have a protocol to select and evaluate the tools?

The Current State of AI Writing

In this week's Digital Marketing Trends video, I demo HyperWrite AI , one of the new natural language generation tools that offers a freemium model so anyone can try it.

I show you how easy it is to use and the variety of documents it can create to provide a glimpse of where it fits into the marketing workflow.

You can watch the video below.

Can We Talk?

Before I go, I wanted to let you know that if you missed the latest DM Live show with Deirdre Breakenridge and me, you can catch the recording.

Our special guest is in-the-trenches marketer and popular author Brooke B. Sellas talking about how to be social and use brand conversations to build an emotional bond with customers.

Brooke is fun, smart and engaging and shares her stories, strategies and tips. And I highly recommend her book, Conversations That Connect , if you want to take your customer interactions to the next level.

Connect With Martin

And now, I have to switch to another writing project and send issue #67 off to press.

When it comes to your writing, which parts are you willing to cede to an AI app? And what aspects are you not willing to give up? What would a marketing AI tool need to guarantee to gain your trust? Please add your thoughts in the comments.

Be sure to reach out if you have questions about any of the videos in Digital Marketing Trends, or my other?LinkedIn Learning courses .

If you want to find me, follow me on?LinkedIn ?or?Twitter .

Or visit?my?my website ?and send a message or a question.

See you in a couple of weeks. Hope all of our to-do lists shrink a little by then.

Note: post updated with info on ChatGPT on December 7, 2022.