With the Rise of AI in Marketing, Here’s Why You Still Need a Human-in-the-Loop
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making incredible developments across industries. It’s improving quickly and taking up so much of the conversation that many marketers fear it’s coming for our jobs!
Well, don’t worry. AI isn’t there yet (although many may think it is). As a result of the public discourse around AI, many businesses believe it can consistently create content for companies to publish. The reality is, while AI is becoming a valuable tool for content creators, current technology cannot produce the same quality of written content that humans do.
Although an AI writing tool can be a great support system, you still need a human-in-the-loop to keep it in check.
The public perception of AI
As AI has risen in notoriety, the public sees AI models create content like never before. From having an informative conversation with ChatGPT to creating whatever image you desire with Dall-E 2, there’s no telling what AI could be capable of building in the future.
However, although AI promises to make life easier for humans, many people are wary of the dangers and risks it could bring.
Some people aren’t ready to accept AI…
Many people don’t fully trust AI. Whether that’s from horror movies about AI overlords enslaving the Earth or the more common fear of AI taking away jobs from humans, people just aren’t convinced it lives up to the hype.
The sentiment that AI tools will replace many human workers grows daily— especially as corporations buy into the idea as a cost-saving mechanism. A Goldman Sachs report from March 2023 revealed that AI could replace around 300 million full-time jobs. And humans are starting to feel the pressure, as one-third of PwC’s global workforce survey respondents shared that they are concerned technology will take over their roles.
So, on the one hand, we have people who fear AI will advance so far that it’ll take our careers away. On the other hand, we have people who see that AI is not ready to work without human supervision, let alone conduct a complicated task like a human can. Take, for example, the media and news website CNET.
In early 2023, CNET faced public backlash after it was revealed they were using an AI tool to write articles for their website. Out of 77 stories CNET wrote and published using AI, 41 required corrections due to plagiarism. As a result of not properly reviewing AI-written articles, CNET damaged its brand reputation and lost readers’ trust.
While some see AI’s shortcomings as a reason to avoid it, others see it as an opportunity to transform how we create content.
… While others are ready with open arms
For those who are ready to explore how AI can evolve and improve the way we do our jobs, a content creation evolution is upon us. Not only do 84% of global organizations think AI provides a competitive advantage, but bloggers who leverage AI tools spend around 30% less time writing.
As we’ve seen in many instances (such as Google’s new chatbot giving incorrect responses), AI can not be left to work alone. And many writers who have used AI tools know it will be a very long time until an AI tool can create quality content the same way humans can. That’s why despite the recent fame AI tools have gained, only 12% of organizations currently use AI to create content.
So if AI cannot create content independently, why should marketers pay attention to it?
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Why marketers should care
As AI evolves, it will become difficult to ignore it. And why would you want to ignore it if it could make your job easier? Content marketers should be aware of how AI is evolving because not only could it improve how you produce content, but you may also need to educate coworkers and leadership on its capabilities.
AI can’t work alone
People are panicking that AI will take away our jobs, so AI must be able to create content independently, right? Wrong.
Budget-conscious business leaders may think they can use AI to run their content creation. But as we’ve seen, AI writing tools can not be left alone to complete a writing task. From factual errors, grammar mistakes, and even plagiarism, you at least need a human to review AI-generated content to ensure it’s factually correct and reads like a human wrote it. Otherwise, you could end up like poor old CNET.
As a marketer, you may need to communicate to your leadership team why AI writing tools are not ready to create content independently and will not be ready for a very long time. And to communicate the shortcomings of AI, you need to keep up with the latest innovations in AI along with new tools on the market.
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em
There’s no stopping the evolution of AI, so why not use it to your advantage? Keeping up to date with the latest innovations in AI is also important because while AI isn’t ready to write on its own, it can be a great support system. Tools like Writesonic, Anyword, and even ChatGPT can be extremely useful for helping write outlines and getting you through the dreaded writer’s block.
Leveraging AI tools effectively could help you create the best content possible by helping you ideate more rapidly, conduct more thorough research, and iterate more creatively. It also signals to your leadership that you’re willing to try anything to produce the best content possible. Especially for tech-focused marketers, being an early adopter of innovative tools that accelerate and improve content will show business leaders that you practice what you preach — tech is the future!
How to ethically adopt AI into your writing practice
If you plan on using AI to create content, you should do it properly. First, you should always get clearance from your leadership team to use AI tools for content creation assistance. Using an AI tool without disclosing it could seem like shady, dishonest behavior.
Second, anyone using an AI tool to support content creation must deeply review and edit all content before presenting it as your work. You are responsible for ensuring every piece of content you create is void of plagiarism, factually accurate, clear of spelling and grammar mistakes, and aligns with any company guidelines.
Third, always remember that AI tools are here to assist with and improve how humans create content. AI should not be used to replace humans’ creativity, judgment, and critical thinking skills — because it simply isn’t capable.
Did you beleive AI could act as your content team before this blog? We’re not judging; we’re here to help! Contact us today to learn more about our content services.
