In a World of Sentient AI, Do We Still Need Human-Generated Content?

GPT 3 or Generative Pre-Trained Transformer 3, a new AI-based language generation model, is among the hottest buzzwords in the field of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning today. AI is being increasingly used by fintech firms and brokerages to create informative content for their clientele. It has proven to be a quick and cost-effective way to create and distribute finance content in multiple languages.

So, is human content becoming redundant? Will people like me no longer have a job with AI, machine learning and Natural Language Processing (NLP) becoming capable of creating grammatically correct content? Here's what I know and believe so far.

The Power of AI in Content Generation

AI and ML crawl through huge data sets to find the most relevant information, including news, articles, analyst reports and more. Drawing related information from these sources, it writes its own article. The article is different enough from existing content to qualify as original, meaning it isn’t plagiarised. Several fintech firms are offering these services to brokers, which proves to be a very cost-effective way to keep traders informed about the latest market news and analysis.

For instance, Autochartist offers original content for brokers to address traders through “every stage of their trading journey.” Brokers can use the content creation platform to create and publish content aimed at lead generation, conversion, ongoing trading support and client retention. They also offer multilingual content, powered by NLP.

On the other hand, hoopsAI offers AI-generated real-time market overviews, research, analyses and insights for brokers to support traders. Their content culls information from company statements, financial data releases, historical records, trends, etc. Acuity goes a step further in using AI to generate visual analyses of market sentiment. The content solutions provider states that graphs and other visual representations make it easy for traders to make sense of infobesity in just one glance.

Then, there’s Trading Central, which offers a wide range of content types, including automated analytics, expert research, fundamental analysis, technical analysis, sentiment & news and economic analysis.

All these AI-driven content providers also offer APIs and integrations for brokers to send out emails, newsletters, push notifications and SMS to their clientele. Such services can set a fintech firm apart from the competition, without majorly impacting the company's budget allocations. Compare this to hiring an in-house team of analysts and translators.

Advantages of AI-Generated Content

Undoubtedly, there are pros and cons of human-generated content. We human beings tend to be opinionated, so our biases could inadvertently colour our content. Then, there are factors such as human error or lack of consistency in writing style. The worst-case situation is when we’re faced with writer’s block!

AI has no such problems. The content generation platform is fed?specific algorithms, which it follows to sift out relevant information and thread it together to create grammatically correct content (well, most of the time anyway). They won't fall prey to misinterpreting data either.

Plus, as mentioned earlier, you save on time and resources with AI-powered content production.

The Drawback with AI and ML

Any AI and ML-powered solution is only as good as its underlying algorithms. And, even if you choose a powerful, tried-and-tested content generation platform, AI can only base its content off existing information sources. They are great at analysing huge data sets to extract meaning. So, essentially, the content it creates isn’t actually "new," in the true sense of the word.

This also means that AI cannot create an opinion piece, an effective content type to build credibility and establish yourself as a thought leader in your field. Fintech professionals have long depended on analyses and opinions to establish expertise.

I believe the most important differentiator between AI and humans is creativity. Language sets human beings apart not just from other living species but also AI. Our ability to manipulate symbols, read between the lines and understand nuances of culture while using language remains unmatched by AI. The difference is that humans understand the information before we create content.

AI, even something as advanced as GPT-3, has what philosophers like to term "competence without comprehension." They ingest data to build dialogues and paragraphs but there isn't any understanding that goes into such collation of information.

I have a background in theatre and film studies, and one of the key things I learnt was that audiences engage and relate to truth - your truth. So your opinion, biases and even mistakes, are going to resonate with your readers in a way that AI compiled content simply can't.

We Still Need Human Intervention

Although these AI-powered content platforms are doing a great service to fintech and brokers, I don't think we can leave them alone to their devices (pun intended!) completely. Some human editing and oversight will add value even to this kind of content. In world of finance, a human touch and personal connection are invaluable. So, while AI can help you with audience segmentation to deliver personalised content - personal connections will only come through the human element.

When humans generate content, they understand the context and sentiment. They know the tone of voice that works best with different types of audiences. They understand the nuances of language. Something simple, like using humour, can prove powerful in building relationships with clients. But please don't ask AI to scour through finance jokes to create such content.

People today spend an average of about 7 hours a day consuming content on the internet. And they prefer human-generated content because they believe it adds authenticity and personality to the piece, whether it is text, image or video. This is quite evident from the fact that user-generated content can increase conversions by 10%, while leading to a 50% rise in engagement.

We are capable of recognising and showing emotions through words. Content marketing is essentially about understanding people’s pain points and then offering help to solve those problems. This empathy isn’t possible through computer-generated content.

At Contentworks, we take pride in our ability to resonate with the target audience. If you’re looking for content marketing solutions that build relationships, talk to us today.