I’ve been doing a lot of research to stay current on what’s happening with artificial intelligence, especially as it relates to content creation. AI has definitely had an impact on my line of work, as companies decide a ChatGPT-written document is good enough for their purposes, and other businesses look for employees who have the ability to write quality AI prompts and make use of the data that the computer system provides.
Spend just a few minutes on a web search for the term “AI” and you’ll come across people who say it’s going to make the workday so much better, because people will be able to concentrate on the really important parts of their job. You’ll also find people worried that it will eliminate a lot of positions (and already has) that won’t be filled… and how do those people make a living?
Maybe the best solution is to land somewhere in the middle. While AI systems can create basic documents from what’s already been human-written and human-designed, it still needs someone with experience and an understanding of language to review it.
For example, there are websites with a list of “tells” that AI programs use when generating content (remember when using an em-dash was enough to assume it was AI?). On the visual end of things, a glossy look or a human body that isn’t quite right are still pretty common.
The AI companies keep improving their tool’s performance, but it needs a professional writer, artist, or graphic designer to make something that will hold up to scrutiny, and that is better than just “good enough.” At the very least, that professional can review the AI’s finished product and refine it.