Why AI will not replace writers

With the sweeping success of generative AI models like ChatGPT, one of the top questions on the minds of most writers and creatives is, will AI replace writers?

To answer this question, most analysts believe that not only are jobs like content writing increasingly at risk of being replaced with Artificial Intelligence, other jobs like creative writing as well as journalism will eventually be taken over by AI.

Of course the threat is real. And as a writer, this news can shake you, as you continue to imagine how your writing skills will eventually become obsolete and your job lost to machines.

To be factual, Artificial Intelligence is a threat to some jobs, not just writing. But, the sweepy conclusion on its role in the future of jobs and unemployment is not only hasty; it is also being blown way out of proportion.

For example, it’s a fact that generative Artificial Intelligence is still at its infancy. So, it’ll take some time for it to mature and eventually get to where it can replace writers, if at all.

But notwithstanding, there are some significant reasons why artificial intelligence will not replace writers any time soon. And in the following paragraphs, I’ll be sharing some of these reasons with you…

Insufficient Creativity

One of the main reasons AI will not replace writers entirely is because of its insufficiency in creativity, when compared to human content writers.

Although artificial intelligence bots can generate texts, based on patterns and algorithms inputed into it, it still lacks the ability to come up with innovative and creative ideas compared to an actual writer.

On the other hand, content writers have the uncanny ability to think outside the box, evolve new patterns and come up with new, original and creative ideas. This is a unique attribute that still gives you an edge as a writer.

AI Lacks Human Feelings

Emotional feeling is one important human elements that can enrich a piece of content, make it relatable to the target audience and even increase its possibility of achieving expected outcomes.

While a Content Writer has the natural ability to connect to its own well spring of emotional intelligence, personal feelings and sentiments in the course of creating content, Artificial Intelligence cannot replicate such capabilities.

Specifically, AI lacks the ability to understand and express human emotions in a way that human writers can. This is one of its key limitations yet and another important reason why AI will not replace writers.

Limited Socio-Cultural Understanding

Socio cultural understanding plays an important role when it comes to creating content your audience can easily connect with. As a writer, to be able to create effective content, you have to understand the social nuances like culture, attributes or even the tone of voice your audience can relate to, if you’re planning to create content that sells.

Even though generative AI like ChaptGP3 is increasingly improving AI’s ability to write like humans, it still lacks the cultural and societal understanding that human writers have, when it comes to creating that deep connection that drives real time results. And for this reason, AI will not replace writers.

Inadequate understanding of literary devices:

One of the essential tools used by story tellers to create engaging stories is literary devices like metaphor, symbolism, allusions among other writing tools.

Combining these tools with a clear understanding of the audience and its own writing goal, a content writer gets to create powerful stories that will deliver on expected outcomes.

AI lacks the ability to understand and use creative devices while writing content | Credits: Pexels/Kindel Media

On the other hand, AI lacks the ability to understand and utilize these devices in a way that will fit in with content goals and expected outcomes, without errors. Thus making this one of the reasons why AI will not replace humans just yet.

AI Lacks Editing and Revising Skills

As a writer you don’t only get to create content, you have the capacity to edit or revise the content you create as well as effectively self-critique any piece of content, to bring out its best outcomes.

While AI writers on the other hand can also generate text like writers, it still has limited ability to edit and revise its content effectively thus giving content writers an edge in this aspect.

Also, AI does not only lack the ability to fully understand good content or filter out biases and content errors, it is largely utilizing a garbage in garbage out system where it relies on creating content based on what material is inputted into it or the ones its learned.

With this reality, AI will not replace writers until this is improved. And unfortunately, there’s still a long way to go.

Ineffective in Storytelling

As a business leveraging storytelling to build your brand, one of the key tools you can use to deepen your stories are your experiences, personal brand stories, and relatable analogies.

Naturally, Content Writers have these tools at their disposals. And they can leverage it anytime to craft masterful stories that are both engaging and relatable to the target audience.

As a robotic tool on the other hand, Ai does not have such tools or the capacity to use them. This is one of the attributes that gives you an edge as a writer and another significant reason why AI will not replace writers or artistes, in the next few years.

Limitations and Biases

While AI is being developed to evolve human capabilities as well as create content faster and easier than humans can, its content is not without biases and limitations in terms of accuracy.

Even though it’s still in its developmental stages, using advanced AI tools like Chat GPT3, you will realize that some of your outputs are subject to error and biases.

Again, although the tool is touted as having huge potential in being useful as a writing tool for academic researches, ChatGPT in particular does bring up inaccurate or unreliable citations in its research results.

What this means is that; even if it were to be used for research purposes, at its current stage of development, AI can’t really deliver a successful research article devoid of errors. At most, it can best be useful in preferring a research guideline. With such reality, in its present form, AI will not replace writers.

Final Words

As a matter of fact, Artificial intelligence has brought with it a lot of innovation in the writing and creative space. However, instead of replacing writers and creative, AI has made writing easier for writers and creatives.

For example, with AI writers can easily generate writing outlines, break down complex ideas, create headlines and even get suggestions on search optimization key words that will be useful. However, one thing you must keep in mind is that AI will definitely take away some low skilled writing jobs so, you have to up your game.

Although AI cannot replace writers at the moment because it lacks creativity, human feelings, cultural and societal understanding among other elements of writing, with consistent innovation, AI will eventually compete for jobs with human writers.

And the best way for you to get ready for this latest disruption in digital technology is to learn relevant skills and get ready for the next level of creative mastership that will set you apart from low skilled writers. And you can reach out to us here on how to get started.

Now, it’s over to you! What are your biggest fears about AI replacing writers? Drop your comments below.

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Victor Winners

Victor Winners

Award winning Blogger, Author, Web Developer, Senior Digital Strategist and Founder of Africa's most widely read blog on Content Marketing and Digital Strategy, VictorWinners.Com.Named as one of the top 50 design influencers globally, since 2014; Victor Winners has helped over 2 million readers to understand and use digital technology to transform their lives and businesses.

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