If you’ve read any of my past articles, you know I have a passion for writing. I love putting words to paper (or Google Sheets or whatever electronic medium I may use that day). But perhaps I love it because I love the anticipation of how the reader will feel or react when they read what I have taken the time to write.
This said, the concept of AI-generated blogs and the impact of AI on human bloggers has perplexed me these last several months. Though I suspect that more content than we realize has been created by robots, the article about Ammaar Reshi, published in December 2022, shook me – to my core. As the press has stated, in just one weekend, Reshi came up with the idea to write a children’s book that he would later give to friends. But Reshi didn’t use his own brain to generate the content. He tapped into robots available via ChatGPT, an AI-powered chatbot through OpenAI. In just a couple of days, he published a 12-page picture book, printed it, and started selling it on Amazon without ever putting pen to paper (and fingertips to keyboard was little more than a few keystrokes).
Can AI Change My Approach to Blogging?
I’ll be honest: I have recently joked with family and friends about how AI could change my approach to blogging. I expressed concern that it could render what I do irrelevant. And somehow, until this point, I have stayed away from experimenting with it. Until last night. And what happened shook me again, and now I am left scratching my head in disbelief, wondering what AI will do to the true written word, powered by humans.
So, let me provide some context if you are unfamiliar with me and my background. The truth is that I’ve been a writer for nearly 40 years. I say this not to date myself (in my head, I’m not a day over 29). When I was young, I was the kid who was more comfortable in her room. I devoured books or wrote short stories in whatever notebooks I could get my hands on. When my family purchased their first computer, I taught myself to type. I took my writing to the electronic era, writing page after page on whatever topic or fiction idea popped into my head.
Writing gave me a creative outlet. It was my own form of self-care before self-care became a thing. But what truly gave me joy was watching the faces of whomever I had trusted to read my latest written ramblings. They loved what I wrote. The joy and wonderment on their faces were evident. And the truth is, I can’t pinpoint the day I made the decision. But, at some point before the age of ten, I knew writing would forever play a role in my life.
The Blogging Assignments Start to Come In
Fast forward to 2019, and I finally found the opportunity to get paid for my writing. I started taking on paid blogging assignments through Upwork and through word-of-mouth, blogging on just about anything that I felt I could get the facts on to develop a point of view. And my world became a happier place. Before I knew it, clients were coming my way, and since I had a full-time gig in the marketing space, I had to turn away more work than I could take on. But the rush was real. Businesses appreciated my work, and I had clients that recognized my talents.
So, what does this have to do with AI? I promise we’re almost there. And to answer that question, let me start by saying that my sweet spot is in writing pieces between 400 to 1,000 words. I’ve helped clients write landing pages for their company website(s). I’ve written blogs to help increase placement via SERPs. And, I’ve even written taglines to help promote products. And a typical blog of fewer than 1,000 words takes me anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours to write, not to mention that unbilled time when I am up in my head, thinking of what I want to say.
My Dilemma – The Impact of AI on Human Bloggers
Let’s take that data point and get to the crux of my potential dilemma. What is it that left me staring at the ceiling as I tried to sleep last night?
The truth is that I did it. I opened OpenAI on my laptop and asked the chatbot a question. And it answered – a good answer. Before I knew what was happening, I watched the screen of my mobile device fill with words. And the 350 words made sense. And they were original (as proven through a quick cut and paste to Copyscape Pro).
The chatbot told me, and I quote, that “artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in various industries, and blogging is no exception. Recently, AI-powered tools have been developed to assist human bloggers in various ways. It runs the gamut from generating content to optimizing website traffic.” But that wasn’t all it had to say.
The chatbot continued, “One of the most significant impacts of AI on human bloggers is the ability to generate content automatically. AI-powered tools like GPT-3 can write blog posts, articles, and even news stories. These tools use natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) algorithms to analyze a large dataset of text and generate new content that is similar in style and tone.”
The Game of Predictive Text
But here is what really got to me. The bot seemed to know my next concern, as it told me, “While AI-generated content may seem like a game changer, there are still concerns about its accuracy and authenticity. In addition, using AI-generated content raises ethical questions about the role of human bloggers in the future. Some argue that AI will eventually replace human bloggers. Others believe it will simply augment their abilities and make the job easier.”
Now, the AI had more to say; after all, 350 words were generated for me in about ten seconds. But what really got me was how it concluded the blog that I had asked it to write. “Overall, the impact of AI on human bloggers is a complex and multifaceted topic. While AI-powered tools can assist bloggers in various ways, it’s important to remember that they do not replace human creativity and unique perspectives. The key to success in the future of blogging may be the combination of AI and human intelligence.”
And this all begs the questions that are racing through my head.
- What does this mean for today’s authentic bloggers, such as myself, who take pride in using their brainpower to create content?
- How many AI-generated blog posts are out there that we don’t know weren’t written by humans?
- How many decisions have we, as consumers, made based on content that we thought was prepared by a human? And then we find it was actually generated by a robot?
What Will AI Do to Human Bloggers?
The questions are truly endless. But one thing is for certain: this writer-for-hire will continue to use her brainpower and the power of your typical and tried-and-true search engines to create content that my clients can proudly showcase on their websites. While there may be a place for AI in the future, nothing can truly replace the authenticity and beauty of the brain and everything it wants to say.
What do you think? Is AI going to change the future of blogging? For the better? Or for the worse? Let’s discuss!