We have enjoyed the advent of artificial intelligence in our entertainment. My family shows me a new AI-edited video of them doing ridiculous things every time I see them. And sometimes they even text me the videos. Because it is crucial that I witness the ridiculousness.
I doubt this experience is much different for many of us. If we aren’t seeing entertaining AI videos, then we are creating them. The entertainment possibilities have exploded thanks to AI.
AI is capable of many great things. It entertains us, makes editing easier for selling products, and generates name ideas. There isn’t much that AI cannot improve.
Unfortunately, many of us freelance writers fear it. Anyone within a creative field fears what AI will do in the future, actually
AI can put out content for pennies on the dollar. Already, businesses are seeing the benefit of using AI-generated content within their operations. And where does that leave human writers? We already cannot compete with AI cost-wise. Not without a massive pay-cut where we practically work for free. All we have left is the quality of content we can produce.
AI will not kill freelance writing, though.
The current landscape of freelance writing will change because of AI. We can’t deny that. There will be new challenges we must overcome. And new evolutions we must make. But there will always be a need for human writers.
AI Writing is Stiff
Although AI is capable of great things, it cannot produce content the same way as a human. Writing done by AI is stiff. It’s unnatural.
When you read through a short essay generated by AI, you find strange phrases that aren’t used. You see metaphors and similes that don’t make sense. AI writing is predictable because it doesn't think. It gathers existing examples from numerous different sources. These sources vary in writing style and tone. So, AI mimics the commonalities. Plus, it lacks first-hand experience. All of this results in its stiff and predictable writing.
These issues are painfully obvious with long-form content. Content that requires storytelling, emotions, and varying rhythm to keep audiences engaged. AI is not capable of creating this type of content. With short-form content, it mimics the words and sentences without much issue. And many businesses will turn to AI for this type of content instead of freelance writers.
AI Talks Too Much
Do you remember when you were a high school or college student with a word count for your essays? You end up writing “these occurrences demonstrate certain aspects of human nature that are often demonstrated within regular daily lives as being unnatural and unnecessary,” instead of “this shows us that humans behave irrationally.” Why? Because we have a word count to reach.
Hey, I’ve done it. You’ve done it. We’ve all done it.
That is how AI writes. AI repeats itself often. It rehashes many of its sentiments from earlier in the document.
Freelance writers still have a word count. However, they fill this word count with valuable information. They aren’t rehashing the same point until they meet the word count. AI isn’t capable of understanding the importance of value. It doesn’t write with purpose like a freelance writer does.
All AI is, is a wordsmith. Give it a word count and a topic, it will write something for you. A freelance writer strategizes. Freelancers get that same word count and topic, but they have purpose in their writing. They align content with marketing. They optimize for SEO.
AI Only Gives Verbs
Not only does AI talk too much, it doesn’t say much in its content. It’s incapable of creating writing with a voice. For companies who need content that matches their brand and tone, AI won’t cut it.
This issue primarily pertains to long-form content. But companies who publish long-form content are doing so to promote a brand. Long-form, AI-generated content cannot maintain the same tone. It attempts to. At first, a long-form article written by AI even seems promising. As you read on, though, that tone disappears. The writing becomes flat and AI’s stiffness comes out.
Freelance writers are the only ones capable of adapting. They are capable of maintaining the same tone across a long article. Or even within a book. This creates content that is more specific to a business. It’s unique and connects with audiences in a way that AI-generated content does not.
AI Is Not Human
Well, duh. Talk about understatement of the year, right?
It’s a valid point to consider, though. AI cannot compete with humans when it comes to relating to other humans.
Human beings are complex. We see or read things that make us feel sad, happy, or angry at the same time. We experience grief and loss. Think of all the times you’ve experienced something personal, and you hear “I know what you are going through.”
No. Most likely, you do not know what I’m going through.
Humans can’t even relate to every other human. We all have different experiences in life. How can a machine ever hope to relate? Well, it can’t. AI cannot understand human emotions. It cannot storytell. Nor can it appeal to an audience’s natural thoughts and feelings.
AI learns from human output. It’s capable of mimicking it on a small scale. But it will always be a machine. And its content will always lack the human touch that only freelance writers can provide.
What is AI Good At?
There is no denying that AI is beneficial. It excels in certain areas. And, within these areas, it appeals to many. Ignoring what AI does well makes matters worse. It keeps us in the dark until AI does end our freelance writing career. When we ignore AI’s strengths, we stick our head in the sand instead of adapting.
Benefits to Businesses
The use of AI benefits certain teams. AI doesn’t do well with long-form content. But it does fine with short-form content.
Businesses seeking a lot of content are often seeking short-form content. With different AI tools, content is generated instantly. It saves hours of manual writing work. Which reduces costs for a company. Keywords are also researched and worked into this content using AI. So, companies still get a boost in SEO.
Another aspect that reduces cost is AI’s skill at handling repeated actions. Routine updates and summaries are spun with AI tools. An employee can focus on other work instead of writing these updates thanks to AI’s automation.
Finally, there is a benefit for companies needing multilingual copy. AI is capable of taking one piece of copy and translating it into multiple languages. This eliminates the need for finding someone fluent in every target language. As a result, companies enjoy faster localization despite targeting multiple markets.
Benefits to Freelance Writers
Yes, there are benefits that AI offers to freelance writers. And understanding these are part of what freelancers need for adapting to AI.
The main benefit of AI is using it as a tool. Instead of fearing AI, make it work for you. Use it for speeding up your research process. What previously took your hours, requires only a quick search on an AI platform. Verify the factuality of these sources before using them.
AI also aids in the writing process. It creates outlines for your articles based on minimal input. Use that outline as-is. Make some modifications, if necessary. Either way, it saves you writing time.
There are also name generators using AI technology. These are great if you cannot think of a catchy title. Even when these generators fail at creating a full title for you, the suggestions often spark some latent creativity. Regardless, you end up with a catchy title.
Finally, consider using AI for generating social media posts or other small content. It saves you time. And it ensures regular updates on social media.
AI is Not the Enemy, It’s a Tool
Depending who you ask, AI technology offers numerous benefits or drawbacks. It’s normal that we are fearful of it. At the end of the day, it’s the unknown. None of us know what the future holds. So, we are fearful. We fear the potential. AI could have negative impacts on our work. Or, it could not. But we don’t know, so we fear it.
Freelance writing will change. AI is capable of handling short-form, low-quality content at a lower cost. The unfortunate reality is that a lot of companies are fine with this. They’d rather save the money. So, AI will take those jobs. Freelance writers who occupied those areas will lose work. Some of them will increase the quality of their product. Which means increased competition for higher-quality freelancers when it comes to getting clients. But some of those freelancers won’t.
High-quality freelancers offer the emotional intelligence, voice, and connection that AI can’t. This will always be in demand for certain clients. For those who occupy this space, AI won’t replace them. Aside from incorporating AI tools, they will likely experience minimal change, at all.
As AI grows, we will all face a point of reckoning. Some of us will find that we are not as strong of writers as we believed. With that information, we have the choice of quitting. Or improving. Meanwhile, others of us will learn that we are more valuable to clients than we believed.
Either way, AI is not the enemy of freelance writers. It is a tool. A push toward professional evolution.
So, will AI kill freelance writing? No, it won’t. But it will change it.
What thoughts or concerns do you all have about AI?