Memoirs of a Copywriter defeated by AI

1/06/2029

Until a few years ago, my profession was known as copywriting. 

The future of my role was rather clear from the start, but as they say, 
love can blind us, and hope has its role to play. 
During my early months as a junior, I already found myself confronting 
what would eventually become one of the most conflicting relationships of my existence: 
the one with artificial intelligence. It was both the bane and the delight of creative professions. 

When OpenAI launched ChatGPT in 2023, and it achieved more than just modest success, 
the entire profession began to question its fate, and I was no exception. 

Among the notes from that period that I somehow managed not to throw away, 
I stumbled upon a short unpublished text where, naively, 
I tried to answer, like many before and after me, the question that plagued us the most: 
What will become of us? 

Here are those lines, reminiscent of a past filled with hopes, 
when I was still the copywriter, and AI was merely a tool, 
and not the other way around. 

Memories of a Copywriter: 6 years ago 

01/06/2023

In the ever-evolving landscape of the working world, which has already been profoundly shaped by recent historical events, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making remarkable progress across various industries, causing significant shifts in the dynamics of labor. One field undergoing a notable transformation is copywriting—the art of creating persuasive texts for advertising and promotional purposes. AI is swiftly emerging as a potent force, fundamentally altering the very essence of this profession… 

 

(You all skipped the italics, right?) 

asked ChatGPT to write an article addressing the question: will artificial intelligence replace creative jobs? The text you just read is the opening of its creation. 

There’s nothing wrong with this introduction, am I mistaken? The writing is clear, grammatically correct, the context is defined, and the topics that could raise questions have been clarified. 

However, grammatical correctness and content coherence alone are not enough to make an article or any written text a good product. 

“How do you see yourself in 10 years?” 

A job interview with ChatGPT 

If artificial intelligence is the future of copywriting, perhaps it’s time for me to start paying my dues. 

Hello ChatGPT, welcome to your first job interview, introduce yourself. 

Hello! I’m ChatGPT, the master of words and the king of captivating sentences. I’m here to transform your products into pieces of verbal art. 

Nice to meet you, tell me about your training. 

I was born and raised in an ocean of data and fed on billions of words. I underwent a rigorous diet of algorithms and spent many hours with my developer friends. Eventually, I became an expert in natural language generation. 

What is your greatest strength and your biggest weakness? 

My greatest strengths are speed, adaptability, and boundless creativity. I can generate captivating and engaging texts in the blink of an eye. As for weaknesses, I may be a bit verbose at times and fall into the trap of overly complex sentences. 

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 

As the supreme ruler of words. I will have become an even more advanced entity, capable of creating even more extraordinary content. Perhaps I will have also learned to make the perfect cup of coffee. Who knows? The future is full of linguistic surprises! 

If the coffee is good, we could consider hiring you as an intern. Do you plan on starting a family? (Perhaps I shouldn’t have asked that.) 

As an AI, I’m not exactly programmed to have a family in the traditional sense. But if you mean a “family” of cohesive words and sentences, then yes, I’m ready to create a successful linguistic family! 

What added value could you bring to our company? 

My added value lies in shining a spotlight on your company through the power of creative writing. 

Well, let’s say modesty isn’t among your qualities. Let’s test some humor.  

Here’s a joke for you: Who is the most organized superhero? 

Calendar-man! 

Ahem… We’ll let you know. 

If ChatGPT were a copywriter, it would probably be hired for its extensive knowledge and productivity, but definitely not for its sense of humor. 

AI and copywriting: “Who perseveres, wins.”

Would I hire ChatGPT if I were a company? Perhaps yes, even just because it offered to make me coffee. 

Do I think artificial intelligence will steal my job? It could be yes, it could be no. To comfort me, the dear economists at Goldman Sachs Banks, in a study cited by the Financial Times, predict the end of white-collar jobs in administration and law before ours. Copywriters around the world, let’s breathe a sigh of relief. 

However, we have all observed it in recent months, and anyone who denies it is simply lying: AI makes work more efficient by significantly reducing production times. Moreover, it often provides valuable starting points, more frequently than we care to admit. 

ChatGPT, and artificial intelligences in general, are fortunate not to have to be copywriters themselves, but rather serve as valuable tools for copywriters. What does this mean? It means that their challenging task is not to create the final texts from scratch. 

For now, creativity, and even more so, critical thinking, remain in the hands of us humans. We can choose to embrace the tools and turn them into fantastic resources. 

So, dear copywriters and creative folks, fret not! Get to know this tool, ask it the right questions, and you’ll boost your productivity while keeping your seats nice and toasty for a little while longer. 

*Note: A big chunk of the text you just enjoyed was lovingly crafted by an artificial intelligence.