Is AI a Threat to Creative Writing?

“There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns.” – Edward de Bono

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has left its mark on almost every modern industry – and copywriting is no exception to this rule. There is no doubt in my mind that as AI use continues to become the norm, its influence on the copy that we put out as writers will continue to grow.

With AI-powered tools like ChatGPT able to generate content in seconds, writers like myself and my colleagues at Empowered English have been forced to confront a worrying possibility – that we will eventually be completely replaced by AI. But is this a valid concern?

In a 2023 article for the Guardian, copywriter Henry Williams writes that he had ChatGPT generate a draft article for him in just 30 seconds! While this is undoubtedly impressive, it did raise alarm bells for Henry (and for myself.) AI writing could certainly lead to job losses for writers – but Henry noted that the content it generated lacked the nuance and creativity of human-written content.

Now, we writers face a crucial question: Is AI a godsend that helps us get our work done quicker, or is it gutting the humanity, artistry, and creativity from our writing?

What Is AI and How Is It Used in Copywriting?

Just in case you have been living under a rock – AI stands for Artificial Intelligence. In the context of this blog, AI is a computer-based system that is able to learn from data inputs. This helps it to solve problems and make decisions with very little human intervention.

To simplify: AI is able to mimic the human learning and decision-making process and how we process language.

How is this relevant to content creation? Let me tell you: The AI oligarchs claim that their AI-powered tools can do everything we human writers can do. AI can write everything from social media posts to product descriptions and long-form blog content. The makers of ChatGPT also claim it uses “natural language processing” to generate text that mimics human writing.

Organisations are attracted to AI tools for these jobs because they can produce content faster than human writers. Business owners often feel that using AI tools can help create content faster – all while personalising it based on user data that they input.

But can AI really write like a human? And how can it do that without the “creative spark”?

Creativity Makes Us Human

As a playwright and performer with a theatre and performance studies background, I am a staunch advocate for a creative education. Creative learning teaches us empathy, communication skills, and problem-solving.

The creative spark is what makes us human and without creativity, we would not be where we are today. And it isn’t just me who thinks so! 

In his book The Creative Spark: How Imagination Made Humans Exceptional, anthropologist Agustin Fuentes argues that creativity and our desire for collaboration have been the main drivers in the human evolutionary process. It was not our strength, our need to reproduce or our desire for power, but rather our creative problem-solving that led us to our most significant advancements.

Psychologist and Director of Research at Harvard Business School Teresa M. Amabile believes that creativity is not only the driving force behind all human progress but remains a vital skill within organisations today. While agreeing that human creativity is needed for our progression, she also advocates investing in research into how AI might yield creative breakthroughs through collaboration with humans.

Can AI Match Human Creativity?

Okay, I concede that AI is extremely useful for quick content generation. I often use it in my planning phase to help me break down my research into useful chunks and to help me generate easy plans and structures that my writing will follow.

But, I still wholeheartedly believe that the “creative” abilities of AI will never be able to come close to that of humans. 

AI produces formulaic, often repetitive content. It does this using pattern recognition. However, it lacks the emotional intelligence, the spontaneity, and the cultural awareness of humans – all of which make creativity possible.

AI Isn’t Funny

AI’s creative limitations are the most apparent when you ask it to use humour. AI lacks the nuance and emotionality to deliver original or truly funny punchlines. 

An article for BBC Future looked at AI’s ability (or lack thereof) to actually be funny. Comedian Karen Hobbs tested AI-generated jokes on stage. She found (unsurprisingly) that the material ChatGPT generated relied heavily on outdated and overdone stereotypes. Essentially, the jokes written lacked the complexity and the emotional buildup of a human comedian’s set.

Karen found that AI was not able to be truly amusing. AI essentially regurgitates jokes that are already readily available online. It can convincingly rewrite or repurpose the stolen jokes to appear as if they are newly written, but it cannot be humourous in a way that resonates with audiences on an emotional level – probably because it has no emotions.

As a playwright, I understand that humour relies on developing an emotional connection with the audience and writing “funny” material requires an understanding of society that AI does not have. This means that AI cannot authentically be creative in the same way as human beings.

AI’s Threat to Movies and Music

This inability of AI to “authentically create” has raised concerns in other creative industries. In 2023, Hollywood writers represented by the Writers Guild of America went on strike in protest over fears that AI could replace human writers.

Screenwriters like Michelle Amor have come out with concerns over beliefs that AI-written scripts would lead to a diminished role for human writers in Hollywood. There is a growing concern that AI use would compromise the complexity of human-written narratives and replace them with formulaic, even plagiarised or stolen stories. 

Even filmmakers like Tyler Perry have put large projects on hold. Perry worries that AI advancements could eliminate the need for traditional production teams.

Screenwriters and filmmakers aren’t the only ones who have concerns about AI. Over 200 music artists, including Billie Eilish and Jon Bon Jovi, have demanded more protections against its use. In an open letter, they called for AI developers to “cease the use of AI to infringe upon and devalue the rights of human artists.” 

Work With Empowered English

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… Or, if you’re an aspiring content strategist or copywriter, feel free to reach out, we’re always on the lookout for talented content creators to join our team.

Copywriting Needs Creativity

A copywriter is more than just someone who strings a bunch of words together – they are storytellers. Copywriters are adept at writing copy that resonates with readers, differentiates brands from their competitors, and gives organisations an edge in oversaturated markets.

Creativity is the heart and soul of copywriting. Without it, the narratives created would lack the ability to engage people and build emotional connections with readers. 

AI tools churn out content from existing information on the internet. It uses patterns and data in a repetitive and surface-level way. Human copywriters use creativity to connect with target audiences in a way that goes beyond formulaic responses.

Copy Suffers When AI is Used

While AI tools are undoubtedly efficient at producing straightforward content to serve basic needs quickly, they fail miserably when you ask them to be original. 

AI can outshine the best of us writers in terms of productivity – this is something I have had to come to terms with myself – but it will always fall short when it comes to the subtleties that make human copy special.

AI can be great for generating ideas or helping you draft content, but it cannot replicate human tone, creativity, or the emotional connection needed to build a strong brand and connect with potential clients and customers.

Creating creative copy is still a skill that is uniquely human.

Where Does AI Work?

I think my stance is pretty clear. But in what situations does AI actually work better than a human copywriter?

1.) AI is fast and efficient. It can help you churn out hundreds of short product descriptions that only need a basic chatbot reply. 

2.) AI is unbelievably helpful at consolidating your ideas / a client’s brief into a rough draft or a structured plan for you to follow and improve upon. 

3.) Grammarly. Let’s be real here: Grammarly is my best friend. It helps me ensure that my writing is grammatically correct, and the AI suggestions for improving clarity and engagement are valuable.

However, even in these circumstances, we have to admit that AI will eventually hit a wall. It certainly saves time on surface-level content creation, but it finds it difficult to deliver when tone of voice and originality come into play. 

There’s no instinct, no cultural awareness, no real understanding of audience nuance. That typically results in generic copy that doesn’t land the way a human-written message can.

My Final Thoughts

So, is AI a threat to creative writing? Maybe in terms of volume, but certainly not in terms of value. As Edward de Bono reminds us, creativity is what drives progress. It’s what makes us human. And it’s something that no machine can truly replicate, no matter how sophisticated.

The ability we as humans have to connect with people through words still matters – and I argue more so than ever. AI is a great way of supporting the copywriting process, but what about the spark? That still comes from us.

My fellow writers at Empowered English and I can breathe a sigh of relief. We aren’t going anywhere. For now, at least.

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