Bots Can Play a Useful Role, But Emotional Intelligence Cannot be Created in Code
A copywriter worried on LinkedIn about his firm “training” an AI bot to replace him. It’s not an unwarranted fear, but it would be an ill-considered decision by his employer.
AI can benefit copywriters, public relations professionals and public affairs professionals by scanning and distilling large volumes of digital information to identify useful data points. AI may be able to identify key messages based on data analysis.
But AI cannot replace the human element of writing, marketing or persuading other humans. Human expression is complex, flexible, emotional and empathetic, traits AI bots cannot replicate regardless how much training they receive.
Emotional intelligence cannot be reduced to computer code.
Help Writers, Not Replace Them
Instead of trying to replace writers, the emphasis should be on freeing them from mundane chores so they can think, write and edit their own work. AI can be a valuable partner but a not the most literate or creative teammate.
Linguists who have compared writing by people and bots say AI-authored work tends toward formulaic and repetitive phrasing. That’s a kind way of saying bots can say something plainly but not always freshly. Bots regurgitate what they have learned, not what they think about what they have learned.
AI engineers are working on making bots speak and write more like humans. But sounding human and displaying human capabilities for creative insight and fresh thinking aren’t the same. Linguists say bots lack “authentic emotional comprehension”. While bots follow learned algorithms, humans have the capacity to think outside the lines.
‘Let’s Train Some Bots’
The “let’s train some bots” line of thinking is a mistaken belief that producing written content faster, on a larger scale and at less cost will improve efficiency and benefit the bottom line. Called “data-driven optimization,” AI bots identify trends, personalize content and increase conversion rates. It’s Moneyball in the field of writing dreams.
A more constructive concept to pursue would be “human optimization”. Using AI as a research assistant and data analyst can save time for writers. A research tidbit or flash of light from data analysis can spark a human train of thought, including how to deliver growing conversion rates. This approach casts AI as a tool not a talent.
A creative use of AI could be to help writers overcome writer’s block by providing a first draft or even a suggested first paragraph. Bots also can provide writing topics that can trigger a writer’s interest or kick off a strategic concept. AI may be able to spot what’s missing in a marketing campaign, even though it may be incapable of filling that gap strategically.
College professors grow irritated when students copy someone else’s work, which is how AI is trained. As a consequence, AI writing lacks originality and the unexpected because that’s not how it was taught.
One intriguing use of AI is asking for it to write a draft on a given subject. In turn, that draft is used by copywriters as an example of what not to replicate.
Employers should exercise care not to alienate or demoralize their human workforce with the threat of replacing them with a machine.
Spotting the Tracks of Bots
In a LinkedIn post, Nela Tači, a senior project manager, offered advice on how to spot AI-generated writing: Look for extra-long dashes, extra spaces in random places, sentences that seem contrived and phrases that have gone by the wayside like the “moral of the story”.
The “tell”, according to Tači, is writing that sounds canned rather than reflects a human spirit.
Here’s what an AI bot said about detecting its handiwork: “AI bot content can be detected by analyzing linguistic patterns, assessing content quality, looking for structural red flags and using AI-detection tools. Predictable writing styles, repetitive phrasing and structured transitions are common indicators. Other clues include inconsistencies in vocabulary, sentence structure or the complexity of ideas compared to the author’s typical writing style can be red flags. “
Evolution of Writing
Writing has evolved from chiseling words into stone through pen to paper to typing on a laptop. Through time and media, writers and ghost writers were always human.
Now humans have the technological ability to delegate writing to a machine. However, there is still no way to delegate the authenticity of human creativity. Discerning readers will detect the lack of a human touch on the keyboard.
