AI No You Don't: Write Against the Machine
How freelance writers can deal with the threat of ChatGPT
The freelance writing community that I help to run has only one thing on its collective mind right now: ChatGPT and the impact it's having on our profession.
The fear is natural. ChatGPT and similar AI-writing technologies like Bard or Jasper are completely changing the content marketing landscape. The old ways of doing things are getting turned on their head — why pay a writer tens or hundreds of dollars for a blog article when a ChatGPT subscription can deliver something 50% to 80% as good for a few cents?
It’s something I’ve spent a good deal of time thinking about. Not just in my own career, but for other freelancers and creatives who rely on their wordcraft to pay the bills and protect their future.
Here’s my conclusion: We’re not powerless. We’re not all doomed. But, we need to be realistic. And we need to change.
Freelance writers have to change their perspectives
Professional writers must adapt to survive. Our clients are changing the way they source and create content. Marketing is getting turned on its head. The old way of doing things won’t be enough against the onslaught and uptake of artificial intelligence.
It’s time to stop gnashing our teeth and see what we can do to stay relevant. How? I believe it comes down to changing our perspectives:
Recognizing that AI technology is here to stay, and not burying our heads in the sand.
Understanding that some types of writing will be replaced quickly by AI, and moving away from that type of content.
Learning AI tools so that we can support our human-driven writing.
Specializing into niches where greater expertise is valuable.
Experimenting with creating different types of content.
Creating a distinct and interesting voice.
Nurturing the relationships we have with clients and moving beyond just being a “content creator.”
Building our skills beyond writing to bring in expertise that’s harder to get from an AI.
Let’s explore what this could mean for all of us.
AI technology isn’t going away, it’s writers that must adapt
The genie is out of the bottle, and the advances are coming fast. $10 billion buys enormous skill to build a leading AI platform. Since we can’t beat OpenAI at their own game, we need to look for the gaps.
AI writing is far from perfect. It can be bland, suffers from “hallucination,” and doesn’t have much expertise in specialized topics. Those are all areas where we can take advantage. That means staying up to date with what AI writers are capable of, and where human writers can step in and continue to add value for our clients.
We must think strategically. We can’t sit on our laurels, look away, or hope for the best. The only ones that can advocate for and protect our writing careers are us. Staying relevant means staying vigilant. Understanding the threats that AI poses, and having the courage to change how we work.
AI will doom some types of writing, it’s time to diversify
I said above that some writers aren’t doomed, but some types of writing will be. It’s going to be a good idea to move away from creating low-effort content. That means:
Click-bait articles, especially when there’s not much substance in the writing itself.
Product descriptions, reviews, and affiliate marketing content.
Listicles and filler content that’s mainly for entertainment purposes.
Any articles that rely on quantity over quality.
The reason this content is vulnerable is that it’s everywhere. AI is trained on openly published writing, and the more prolific that content is, the more likely it can be replaced by ChatGPT.
If you diversify away from generic and filler content, you can prevent AI from catching up with you as quickly. If you’re currently stuck writing this type of content, then you’ll need to find other ways to set your work apart —adding a unique voice, writing from an alternative perspective, and injecting some personality.
AI tools can help us write — if we use them correctly
AI vs. human writing isn’t all or nothing. There are crossover areas where we can make use of AI tools to enhance our research processes, give us a starting point, or provide ideas for our content.
You might use a tool like ChatGPT to:
Create headlines or snippets of information.
Summarize research topics for further exploration.
Break mental blocks if we’re stuck.
Expand on ideas or concepts.
I’d advise against using AI writers to create content wholesale. If a client is paying you to write, they probably won’t be impressed if you turn in AI content. These tools can be a good starting point, but be sure to add value to the writing through your unique insight, approach, and skill.
AI isn’t great at specialty content, so put generic writing behind you
Developing writing skills in a high-demand niche will give you a moat against more popular content. There’s less material out there for AI to train itself on, and specialized content has a higher barrier to entry.
In most cases, business-to-business (B2B) topics are going to be in more demand than business-to-consumer (B2C) areas. You can build expertise in specific areas, develop a portfolio and reputation in that field, and insulate yourself from less specialized, more generic AI content.
Of course, skilling into a niche takes some time and effort — but in many cases, you do not need qualifications or an extensive background. Often a curious mind, discipline, and a willingness to learn will get you the experience you need.
AI is good at blog posts, you can be good at something else
The blog post or article is not the beginning and end of content marketing —but it is what AI tends to focus on. If you want to get away from AI competition, there are other types of content that you can experiment with:
White papers and other content that requires deep research to help you create authoritative thought-leadership content for a client.
Case studies that demonstrate how your clients have helped their customers overcome challenges and get benefits.
Data analysis and reports that create insight and helpful analysis for readers.
Specialized landing pages and web copy that hits topics in an emotional way to encourage sales.
Insightful pieces created from interviewing subject-matter experts about their outlook, job, skills, and experience.
Content that’s built for specific audience personas or parts of the sales funnel.
AI lacks a strong voice, find your own and shout it out
One criticism that’s regularly leveled at AI content is how bland it is. Once you’ve read a fair bit of AI-written output, it becomes fairly easy to spot as it’s lacking in personality. A “Lowest Content Denominator” if you will.
Many brands are looking for more than that — they want vivid, unique, impactful writing. Find a tone of voice you’re comfortable with and lean into it. Explore metaphor and the texture of the words. Create content that’s inspiring and interesting. Discover brands whose values matter to you.
AI doesn’t nurture relationships, only you can build trust with clients
So much of successful freelancing is about relationships, and those relationships are based on trust. Remind your clients of the value of working with you:
The fact you always meet your promises and commitments with minimum hassle.
The way you know exactly what your client needs, and can deliver to that.
The speed with which you respond to feedback and adapt it into your writing.
The ability to integrate with their marketing team and processes.
The way you think about their long-term goals and suggest new strategies and ways of doing things.
The can-do attitude, professionalism, and ability to communicate that’s central to how you work.
These all matter, and they’re hard for an AI to replicate.
AI is currently focused on writing, so expand your skills beyond content creation
Content creation and running a business teaches us a lot. If you can combine those skills with your writing, you can become a “triple threat” and make yourself more valuable to clients. You might develop expertise in:
Project management, so you can do everything involved with longer-term writing projects, from proposals and requirement gathering, through research and content creation, to review, delivery, and publication.
Marketing management, so you can develop other professional skills designed to enhance marketing and drive sales.
Content strategy, so you can advise on high-level approaches to get a client’s message across, including audience, channels, formats, and the like.
Research, so that you can uncover facts, figures, quotes, and similar from obscure areas, and use them to add context and citations to your work. This is particularly useful for white papers and similar.
Interviewing, so that you can talk to SMEs, get their insights, and use them to add value to your writing.
Connections, so that you can take seemingly disparate information and weave it together into a story or narrative, that builds on previous points and reaches a satisfying conclusion.
Data analysis, so you can use client data and information gathered from elsewhere, analyze it, and share it in a compelling way to support particular points and findings.
Software, so that you can learn SaaS platforms and similar to assist your clients This might be anything from WordPress and other CMS tools to RFP responses or content strategy management.
ChatGPT and tools like it are demanding that we adapt or fade away. We owe it to ourselves and our careers to understand and act. The technology isn’t standing still, and neither can we.
It’s a daunting thought —the need to reskill, change how we’re doing things, and push ourselves out of our comfort zones. But, we’re used to that challenge. This is another obstacle to overcome, and we can do it.
Ironclad Creative is my publication dedicated to helping freelancers and other creatives to enhance their careers and build strong, resilient, successful businesses.
I adapted and expanded this content from a reddit post that I wrote in the freelance writing community that I help to moderate.
It sounds like writers need to...become writers.
We've been so conditioned by the frameworks and patterns of internet content that we need to re-learn what good writing is. We need to be reminded what it's for, that it's not simply a commodity to use for marketing but a tool and platform to teach, spark discussions, and shape culture.
The writers who will stand out in the AI boom are those who, as you point out, embrace their own humanness and hone in on all that's involved in craft. Other skills come with experience, but the core of being a writer is the writing that only unique individuals can do.
Nice post! I am a writer by trade and eventually chose to embrace it, been a help in editing, wrote an AI article on it also - good work here!