It’s been more than a year of ChatGPT upending the content marketing world. Actually, it’s upended far more than that. I’ve seen what happens when a student assigns their homework to the AI platform and it’s lackluster, to say the least.
While it’s tough to know if slower times for writing over the last year have been because more companies are relying on AI for writing or if the economy is more to blame, I’m certainly seeing a trend. Larger companies are still willing to pay for human-written content. And I’m getting fewer inquiries and requests from smaller companies looking to elevate their marketing with expertise.
That’s concerning on many levels. Mainly, it makes it harder for small companies to take root because robot-written content isn’t as emotionally connecting as professionally written content.
A year into the craze, here’s why ChatGPT and similar platforms make me sad about the future of content.
Saddening Aspects of AI Written Content
I like a well-placed split infinitive. It doesn’t mean they belong everywhere. And honestly, sentences that end in prepositions can sound so much more natural than those that are written to avoid the faux pas as many view it.
But the problem is, AI uses absolutes. It believes sentence structure should be simple all the time and that certain grammar usage must apply. Strict rules can make content boring, unattractive and cookie-cutter.
Here are the reasons why I’m sad that AI-written content is taking hold instead of human-written prose.
1. We’re Losing Emotion
Computers can’t feel. They don’t understand the human condition like a human does. And with that, you lose emotion in writing.
We’ve known for years what robotic conversation sounds like thanks to personal assistants and the like. But now we’re finding the same can apply to the written word. It’s cold, unfeeling and strictly utilitarian.
2. Sentence Structure is Boring
I remember diagramming sentences in middle school and thinking it was the most pointless exercise I would ever complete in school. And then I started writing for a living. I finally got it. When every sentence sounds like the last and uses incredibly simple structures, it’s boring to read.
Understanding parts of speech and how they come together to form complete thoughts through sentences and paragraphs is so valuable. While AI writes complete sentences, it also writes in a way I despise. Every sentence reads like the last and each new sentence is a paragraph. Sentences aren’t paragraphs. They can be, but that isn’t a rules and AI acts like it is.
3. We’re Treating Readers Like Robots
Your brain is far more complex and intricate than a computer program. Yet, we’re treating brains like they are no more than a robotic function when we think that readers want robot-written content.
Here’s an algorithm that tells you what you should buy and why without taking time to get to know you or your interests. It will never take into account strains like budgeting in the busy phase of raising small children. I sympathize with that greatly as a mom to three young children who grow out shoes long before they can wear through the sole, and trust me, they put those shoes through their paces.
With time, we’ll think that robot-written content is normal. It doesn’t challenge us, expand our vocabulary or way of thinking. In many senses, it’s easy. But I don’t know about you, I want to keep my level of thinking above that of a computer.
4. Uniqueness is Gone
AI content is rewriting information it can find on the internet. Unique ideas and perspectives are getting lost.
I don’t want my professional website to simply be a culmination of other people’s thoughts. I’m selling expertise and as such, I have thoughts that are entirely my own and can’t be pulled from thousands of other websites online.
I love reading a headline and being wildly impressed at its creativity and ability to draw me in. When I have tried to get help from digital tools to do that, they end up sounding sensationalistic and like millions of other headlines I’ve read elsewhere.
5. It Sounds Too Perfect
Humanity is messy. It isn’t linear or clear-cut. If I explain an experience, it won’t sound perfect but it will sound human. You can’t replicate storytelling from AI because it’s simply too perfect. It lacks surprise, twists, turns and of course, emotion.
Content that sounds perfect doesn’t appeal to me. That’s probably one reason why I don’t love social media influencers who create a pristine appearance on their pages. My home has zero designer touch and is built around practicality. I want my content to be the same way because perfection is overrated.
6. You Have to Read Great Content to Learn How to Write Great Content
Our youth were already learning how to write based on TikTok skits and lingo. But now we’re losing other areas of writing that were once great. Blogs where people could go to nerd out about a topic are now robot-generated. And the fewer comparisons, hyperbole and personifications we read, the less our brains will write them.
The next generation might not know what great content is. They’ll learn to read short, simple sentences and high-quality prose will slip further away.
I love digital conveniences. I’m not great at handwriting and the day I could type out most of what I needed to communicate on the average day, my quality of life felt better.
I read on a Kindle or my iPhone because the apps sync and I don’t have to carry another thing around with me. As a busy mom of three, that’s important to me.
But the thought that my kids may read 90 percent robot-written content as they learn and grow hurts and I’ll advocate until my final breaths that good writers are still worth their weight in gold.
If you want to connect with your customers on a deeper level through human-written content, schedule a free consultation with Bridge the Gap Communication. Rebekah Brately is a writing professional with more than a decade of experience and has helped many brands make their storytelling come to life.