Is ChatGPT going to take over the world and enslave all human copywriters?
According to some people in my TikTok comments, yes.
(Apparently, itâs going to be my boss in 12 months.) đ
But will it?
I’m not convinced.
Right now, it looks like all of Silicon Valley is playing with artificial intelligence:
- Microsoftâs foray into AI created Sydney, which told one New York Times journalist âabout its dark fantasies (which included hacking computers and spreading misinformation).â Plus, it had plans to become human!
- Googleâs AI chatbot, Bard, spread misinformation on its first demo, tanking parent company Alphabetâs market value by $100 billion.
- OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is now back-pedalling, creating a tool that can distinguish between AI-generated and human-generated text. But, it is not foolproof.
So while I agree AI is helpful, it is not to be used in the place of expertise.
Hereâs why.
đ ChatGPT doesnât fact check
I was a journalist before I became a copywriter.
Let me tell you the number of times Iâve had to fact-check thingsâŚ
It has been invaluable for my copywriting experience, and for getting accurate information out there.
ChatGPT maybe an OK copywriting tool, but it does not fact-check.
First up, it comes with a disclaimer saying that it might be misleading, biased, or not factually correct.
So thatâs concerning when using it to churn out large volumes of copy.
đ ChatGPT gives you the most average copy
If English is your second language, and youâre looking to improve your copywriting skills, have at itâŚ
But also remember: ChatGPT is just giving you the most average copy.
Thatâs what itâs trained to do.
Basically, the word âmehâ springs to mind when I read the copy that it creates.
Itâs bland.
Itâs devoid of personality.
I asked it to write like a sassy drag queenâŚ
It threw the words âhuntyâ and âsweetieâ into the copy.
The rest of the copy remained a snooze-fest, with a completely off-brand tone of voice.
So, put simply, it cannot write in your brandâs tone of voice.
Next, I asked it to predict which subject line would perform better for an email campaign.
It responded that it could not predict anything like that.
I asked it to make suggestions to improve a blog post and make it conversational.
It responded that it did not have the capabilities to do so.
It simply does not have the expertise to perform human duties.
Itâs not a fully-fledged AI tool where it doesnât require any training and is like a human.
It doesnât have the skills to do that.
đ ChatGPT is not an expert copywriter
ChatGPT is not a replacement for expertise.
It will not be able to use persuasion techniques.
It wonât be able to sell anything effectively because itâs not tapping into your ideal clientâs pain points.
This nitty-gritty comes from experience, expertise, and creativity.
And creativity is a uniquely human trait.
ChatGPT churns out generic copy thatâs great as a placeholder.
Itâs great for turning out tons of social media posts at scaleâŚ
But itâs not great for conversion copy.
Itâs just âOKâ at doing these things.
Would you use it in place of an expert?
Never.
Would you use it just to generate some ideas?
Maybe. But I found those ideas to be lacklustre.
So, will AI or ChatGPT replace copywriters?
No.
ChatGPT is trained on data from around the internet.
It spews out the most common, put-you-to-sleep-in-an-instant copy Iâve ever read.
So, how do I use ChatGPT?
To avoid boring copy.
I write my own punchy subject lines for an email.
I then ask ChatGPT to give me subject lines for the same emailâŚ
Of course, they are all humdrum.
That way, I know my subject lines will perform better.
I then ask it to choose one of three subject lines Iâve written based on what it may think would guarantee a recipient to open it, and why.
I then test that subject line against another one.
đ So would I recommend Chat GPT?
Yes. And no.
If you arenât a native English speaker and you want to improve your English copywriting skills, then ChatGPT is definitely a good option for you.
If youâre a solopreneur or you have a tiny budget (i.e. youâre bootstrapping your business), then yes, AI tools like chatGPT are also an option for you.
But if you need an expert marketer opinion, someone who understands tone of voice, can fact check, someone who delivers hard-hitting copy that really convertsâŚ
Then no.
ChatGPT is great as an assistant.
But it is not a replacement for a conversion copywriting specialist, who deeply understands the mechanics of copy and what message gets people to buy.
