While AI writing tools aren’t new, OpenAI’s recent launch of ChatGPT has brought the issue of AI writing to the forefront. Suddenly, everyone has been talking about AI writing tools and discussing what they mean for the future of writing, academics, cybersecurity, Google and more.
In the midst of the current ChatGPT buzz, we decided to take a good, calm look at AI writing tools to gain a deeper understanding of what we’re dealing with and what all the hype is about.
What Are AI Writing Tools?
AI writing tools are what they sound like: online tools that use artificial intelligence to help people write effectively and quickly. Before ChatGPT launched, there were plenty of others, all with varying degrees of expertise and different areas of focus. Rytr, WordTune, and Jasper are just a few, but there are many more.
ChatGPT, in particular, has made waves due to its ability to produce various forms of content in different tones, and its seeming ability to learn as it goes along. For example, you can ask it to compose a poem about fish in the style of William Wordsworth or write an essay about the Boston Tea Party and it can do so in a matter of seconds.
Moreover, if you ask the chatbot a question, it will answer, and if you ask it a follow-up, it will build upon its previous answer.
ChatGPT’s seemingly magical capabilities have caused people across many industries to go a little crazy with excitement. In the first few days of its launch, the system was so overloaded with users that it couldn’t function. Today, things have calmed down, but the potential of AI writing tools has finally been recognized by the public.
Who’s Concerned about AI Writing Tools and Why?
While AI writing tools are capable of producing different kinds of output, the entire industry is not without controversy. In fact, the AI writing industry has got people in several other industries shaking in their boots.
Let’s take a look at who’s concerned about AI writing tools and why.
- Professional writers
It’s only natural for writers to fear for their jobs when AI tools arise that can seemingly do their jobs — and in a fraction of the time! For example, the AI writing platform Jasper is capable of generating high-quality content for emails, ads, websites, blog posts, and more. With AI platforms spewing out content at lightning speed, where do writers fit into the new future? - Google
The tech giant has reportedly declared a “Code Red” in response to the release of ChatGPT, which seems to be a threat to Google’s ad-based search business. Google, of course, is taking measures to protect itself.
Even before the release of ChatGPT, Google ranked AI-generated content as spam, meaning it wouldn’t show up high on the SERP. It’s also working on its own AI technologies, including an AI writing tool, Wordcraft. - Educators and academics, from elementary school through higher education
New York City public schools have banned the use of ChatGPT while university academics are sounding alarms. If students have access to ChatGPT, how will they ever learn to write an essay? How will they ever learn to research?
While many educators are indeed concerned about the ramifications of such powerful AI writing tools on developing students, others view AI writing, and ChatGPT in particular, as helpful tools that won’t necessarily cause damage to students. In fact, these tools can even level the playing field for students who speak English as a second language or students who aren’t used to academic writing, just as the widely-used Grammarly app. - Cybersecurity professionals
Like any new technology, AI writing tools raise their own cybersecurity concerns. Namely, can bad actors use these tools to write malicious code or phishing emails that look realistic? Did crime-as-a-service just become easier than ever? These are issues that cybersecurity professionals will have to deal with.
Who’s Excited about AI Writing Tools and Why?
While AI writing tools have raised valid concerns across several industries, many are also excited about the untold potential.
People who are excited about ChatGPT and other AI writing tools include:
- Professional writers
While some writers are gnawing their nails, fearing for their jobs, others view AI writing tools as what their titles suggest — tools — to help them excel. For content writers specifically, who are often involved in marketing strategy, social media, and many other areas of marketing, using AI tools to help them to do their jobs better and faster is an exciting prospect, not a scary one.
The only scary thing about it is if the AI tools produce incorrect output, which is currently a kink that ChatGPT still hasn’t worked out. This is why a human eye will always be necessary — to check that the output is correct, and also to achieve the desired output by asking the right questions. More than that, although general tone is achievable, there is certainly a limit. Truly creative and insightful which matches a person’s tone of voice, can only really be achieved with a human touch.
- Investors
Investors see the potential in the AI writing industry and don’t want to miss out. Microsoft is reportedly looking to invest $10 billion into OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. In December 2022, an AI startup called Writer raised $21 million in Series A funding. In October 2022, the powerful AI writing platform Jasper announced that it raised $125 million in Series A funding, bringing its valuation to $1.5 billion. And the list goes on. Investors view AI writing as an industry with untold potential and are showing it with big investments. - Customer support
AI writing can be a big asset to customer support teams, which is very exciting for many companies. First, AI chatbots can help customers who have basic inquiries and don’t need actual human input. This enables the customer support team to have more time for those who really do need human input.
An AI chatbot also increases support time and ensures that a company’s language and jargon is the same in accordance with its brand.
A Final Thought
Like them or not, AI Writing tools are here to stay, and they will likely be involved in the future of many industries. Whether they’re scary or amazing or concerning or correct isn’t the issue— all technology has its pros or cons.
As a tool, rather than a replacement for writers, AI writing tools can only take us so far and at Percepto, we plan on continuing to maintain our high standards in terms of quality, tone and creativity.
