There is a certain irony to writing content on Chat GPT without actually using it. It is the talk of the town though and as such is worth discussing. However, just in case you don’t know what it is, Chat GPT is a chatbot with self-learning AI. “So what?” I hear you say but where the benefit lies is that you can generate clear, coherent and well-written copy in a wide variety of styles, topics and languages – and this time it has been done properly.
Consequently, even I may find that I have more time on my hands and not in a good way. While the tool is one of, if not actually the most powerful tech development in the world in recent years, there have been some concerns. This whole debate was started quite innocently by an American student who simply commented that, “With Chat GPT, the university essay is dead.” He is right and wrong on a number of levels. What he meant was that if he could use it effectively, he’d never actually ever have to do any hard, real studying. That may work for a while, but sooner or later, someone’s going to ask him a straight question to his face and unless by some magnificent bluff, he manages to use Chat GPT to answer it, the original premise falls flat.
Professional educators have been discussing this, largely on social media. The quandary though is that how do you know even that has not been generated by Chat GPT? Serious question. And, the truth is you will probably never know. This has massive implications for companies that want to post regular content without wanting to waste time concepting. That of course has its own consequences but the option is there if that’s what you want to do. Brands survive on their connection with their customers though, and if the implications are that you are not being genuine, well, you don’t need me to tell you, you know the risks.
Now, I don’t want to spread alarm. It does not generate content by itself and it will never completely override you. However, if you want the right answers, you have to ask the right questions, and that’s kind of how it works. This is why Google are extremely worried about the integrity of their search rankings. If a business can generate tons of SEO content that is indistinguishable from the real thing, how are Google supposed to defend themselves or monitor against this kind of thing? So, what happens if suddenly, the algorithm pushes a company to the top of the list and nobody knows if they’ve ever written a piece of original content in their lives?
There is one more question. What happens to creativity and imagination? Is the next Steven King novel going to be generated by Chat GPT? Perhaps, but only time will tell. In the meantime though, play around with it and see how you can make it work best for you and your business. As a last word of caution, don’t try and use it to write a love letter to your partner. On the other hand, if you need a sonnet, Chat GPT may be exactly what you need.