Artificial intelligence and machine learning is a hot topic right now, and with the ever increasing sophistication of AI, it’s something that marketers all over the world are turning to – but is it something that will replace them?

With the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the concept of AI generated content has been gaining traction in recent years. AI generated content is a type of content that is created with the help of algorithms and natural language processing (NLP). It can help create content that is free of errors and is more cost effective compared to content created by humans.

However there are many debates around the ethics and wisdom of doing so; should ‘creative’ work be outsourced to an artificial intelligence? We already do it with many other industries, so why not marketing? Will machines replace us?

The idea of AI generated content has sparked a debate about whether it can replace the human touch when it comes to creating content. On one hand, AI generated content can help create content quickly and accurately. AI algorithms can be programmed to understand the nuances of language, grammar and structure, enabling them to create content with more accuracy than a human. It can also help reduce costs associated with content creation, as AI can generate content at a fraction of the cost of a human writer.

But its important to ask the question; is the quality as good? Is it clever enough to target an audience you want it to? Does it know your product like a human can? Can you teach if everything about your company values? Right now, we don’t think so. Especially for brands that are focussed on human interaction; the care sector for example, it’s important that we don’t lose that human touch.

AI generated content is often seen as lacking in creativity and emotion, as it is created by machines and not by humans. AI algorithms can understand the structure of language, but they cannot understand the emotion and feeling associated with language, which is something that only humans can do.

Machine Learning Expert Dr. Adam Sroka, of Hypercube and Beyond Data blog says that:

“AI-generated content has captured the attention of the masses and some in the industry are already warning of a new wave of overhyped expectations. These technologies will break new ground and change the way some businesses do work, but not in the way many think. Without careful tuning and attention to detail, these tools can easily produce content that will fool at first glance, but crumble under scrutiny”

You can see in things like the errors mainstream art generation tools like Midjourney come across, with things like human hands often being difficult for it to generate properly, or struggling with numbers of toes and features placement on cartoon imagery (see below)…but they’re improving and you’ll see lots of fantastic AI generated art, edited by experts subsequently and really blowing us all away.

Furthermore, AI generated content can be seen as impersonal and robotic, as it lacks the personal connection that comes with content created by humans. Ultimately, the answer to this question may depend on the context and purpose of content creation. For certain types of content, such as technical and factual information, AI generated content may be a viable option.

Dr. Sroka works with companies across a variety of sectors every day, and suggest that “ I don’t think anyone’s job is being replaced by AI any time soon – but you might be replaced by a skilled practitioner that knows how to leverage this new class of tool to scale their productivity to heights yet unseen.”

Content requires a personal touch, especially in areas like storytelling and copywriting, so AI generated content may not be the best option – however, with clever engineering and editing it can make your output much more efficient, meaning you’re getting the most out of your resources. AI generated content can be seen as a viable option for certain types of content, but it is no replacement for the human touch when it comes to creating content with emotion and feeling. AI algorithms may understand the structure of language and help reduce costs, but they cannot replace the human connection and creativity that comes with content created by humans.

Now, what if I was to tell you that 50% of this blog was written by an AI, and the other 50% written by a human. Would you be able to pick the bits which are and aren’t? Are there some obvious tells? Am I even telling the truth? Who knows…

At Square Media, we’re always exploring new tools designed to make us more efficient, and in return pass on that efficiency and turn it into success for our clients. Whether we’re using our expert content writers, a combination of tools we have and editing and analysis techniques or any other marketing secrets, we’re always looking to help you grow your business.

To speak to us about content writing, or any other marketing, contact us on [email protected] where we can help you get that personal, important human touch into your important content.