Let's chat about ChatGPT

Is AI technology saving you time or stealing your job?

An image of a robot typing at a computer.

Image: michagehtraus / Adobe Stock

Image: michagehtraus / Adobe Stock

Opinion

An image of Missy Burrell

By Missy Burrell
Master of Writing, Editing and Publishing '22
Content Director, Bastion Promedia

If you’ve ever used Gmail’s Smart Compose email feature, Grammarly’s ‘writing assistant’, or even sent a text message using predictive text, then you’ve already written with the help of artificial intelligence (AI).

Using AI for writing isn’t a new concept – it’s been growing in popularity for years – but OpenAI’s free research release of ChatGPT late last year has rocked the writing world, making headlines for its ability to generate human-like text and complete briefs instantly, using a simple ‘question-in, answer-out’ interface.

So it’s natural for copywriters, and the clients who seek them out, to wonder what this mean for the future? Will AI, like ChatGPT, replace the drudge work for writers and free up brain space and time for refining ideas and execution? Or will it replace the need for human writers entirely?

Screen with ChatGPT chat in action.

Image: irissca/Adobe Stock

Image: irissca/Adobe Stock

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is a large language-generation model developed by AI research lab OpenAI and is based on GPT-3 technology. It’s trained on a diverse range of internet text, allowing it to generate human-like text for a wide range of tasks. The model can be fine-tuned for specific use cases, such as language translation, conversation and dialogue, text summarisation, and question answering.

For example, the preceding paragraph was created by ChatGPT, with a little editing by me (more on that to come).

Use cases for copywriters

ChatGPT posits that ‘it’s useful for writers and copywriters as a tool for content and idea generation, helping them to save time and improve their productivity.’

I don’t disagree. As part of Masters of Writing, Editing and Publishing dissertation at UQ, I conducted research on the effect of prompted AI generation on productivity, creativity and style in short fiction works and found much the same.

Given the right information, guidance and copyediting, AI can be a great tool to output complete articles, blog posts and social media copy. When it comes to larger creative works, its ability to instantly rewrite a passage can help authors test alternative approaches quickly, improving productivity through better flexibility and experimentation.

Early in the ideas or drafting process, AI can be used to suggest surprising plot turns and spark author creativity. Its ‘brainstorming’ (can we call it that?) capabilities can boost ‘world-building’ by offering suggestions and ideas led by the author’s prompts and examples.

User beware

I wouldn’t go so far as employing ChatGPT for proofreading tasks or using the AI to generate content without thorough, expert review. Its own website lists the numerous and dangerous limitations of the technology: it sometimes writes plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers; it’s only as effective as the input or prompts it’s given – more experienced users will get better answers; the model is verbose and repetitive; and it can generate biased and unsafe content – a negative side-effect of being trained on wide and unfiltered internet data.

In my research, I also found AI’s lack of common-sense reasoning and real-world context was clearly evidenced. Character descriptions like “her hair is a burnt apricot” and “a smile like a marble horse”, fall just outside of reality. They are good for a few laughs though, like when the AI described a newborn child as looking like “a new iPhone that had been wrapped in a photo of beef jerky”.

One of AI’s biggest challenges, grasping a sense of humour, still hasn’t been overcome. For example, a highly offensive AIDS ‘joke’ was included in its output for one of my characters.

Large, obvious flaws aside, the AI also lacks the beauty of subtext, the ability to disguise exposition, the practical knowledge of the world, and the judgement of authentic human interactions needed to truly engage the reader.

It can write, but it's no storyteller.
The Contact team asked followers of @uqalumni about their knowledge of ChatGPT.

The Contact team asked followers of @uqalumni about their knowledge of ChatGPT.

The Contact team asked followers of @uqalumni about their knowledge of ChatGPT.

There were mixed responses from users on whether they had tried the free technology.

There were mixed responses from users on whether they had tried the free technology.

There were mixed responses from users on whether they had tried the free technology.

The majority voted that ChatGPT is here to stay.

The majority voted that ChatGPT is here to stay.

The majority voted that ChatGPT is here to stay.

An image of ChatGPT in action on a phone screen.

Vitor Miranda/Adobe Stock

Vitor Miranda/Adobe Stock

The burning question: will it take away jobs?

Ryan Reynolds described the technology as “mildly terrifying, but compelling” in his latest ad for Mint Mobile . In the lo-fi video, Ryan explains the brief given to ChatGPT to create the script and reads the output to camera. It’s effective and fun. It’s Ryan Reynolds, of course it’s effective.

But it’s important to remember ChatGPT didn’t make this video. The video idea was conceptualised by a human (possibly a team of humans, seeing as it looks like a partnership between Mint Mobile and OpenAI), its format refined by a human, and delivered by human talent.

Humans are still needed, if not moreso, when using AI for writing tasks. It’s a tool that can improve productivity and stimulate creativity, but it needs a human to stand at the helm, to do the concepting, directing, editing and critiquing.

Where to from here?

Further research on the formulation of ‘humanness’ and its application to machine learning is needed for AI to truly excel. I also believe alternate and specific data sets need to be trialled instead of the deep, dark corpora of the web. In the meantime, AI serves as an excellent digital tool to serve writers by saving time in the drafting and editing process; helping to explore potential plot twists; and assisting with world-building ideas and suggestions.

I don’t think AI will take your job (stops sweating). But you may want to be wary of a writer who can wrangle the technology for the better.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The University of Queensland.

About the author

Missy Burrell is a writer and content director with a background in journalism and media. In 2022, she completed her Master of Writing, Editing and Publishing from UQ, with a Dean’s Commendation for Academic Excellence. Her creative nonfiction piece, The Magician’s Profonde, was published in the Crackle Anthology of Creative Writing (Corella Press). She is currently exploring the effect of prompted artificial intelligence generation on productivity, creativity, and style in short fiction works.

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