The era of automation is here, and it will affect all of us. The sci-fi vision of robots doing hard labor for us presented a utopian vision of a life filled with leisure, but the reality has been that computers are taking jobs, and the workers are left searching for other ways to make money. This is in contrast to the sci-fi vision of robots doing hard labor for us, which presented a utopian vision of a life filled with leisure. For a time, artists believed that they were the sole exception to this basic concept. There is no way that a machine could ever paint the Sistine Chapel, and it is inconceivable that an AI could ever take Shakespeare’s position as a writer. However, as a result of advances in technology, it is not entirely obvious whether or not their claims are genuinely true.
Even though there are a lot of debates regarding whether or not a computer could ever create “art,” recent advances in artificial intelligence have allowed it to make significant progress in the field of writing. Taking a look at the history, the state of the art, and where it’s going in the future of machine-generated writing opens the door to some new and unusual artistic and technological possibilities. Even if writing occupations aren’t totally taken over by machines, there’s a fair chance that a large number of writers will have to adapt their processes because of it.
The limit of what can be accomplished with AI in writing
Due to the fact that it is founded on statistical and probabilistic models, artificial intelligence is not yet at a place where it can compete with human intelligence. The question, therefore, becomes: why is there such a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the existing capabilities of AI in the field of writing?
This could be due to the fact that many AI writing firms are simply over-promising in terms of what their tools are capable of doing. However, this could be a result of human bias. There are numerous AI businesses that make claim that they can generate an entire article just on a short prompt. After informing the computer that you require a “top SEO tools” article and pressing the “GO” button, you will quickly receive the entire content.
If that is indeed doable, then why not migrate to this cheaper and more efficient approach that is led by machines instead of continuing to use writers?
These machines do not possess any form of consciousness
There is still a need for input from humans in order for the machine to be prompted. The latest buzz coming from Google suggests otherwise; yet, these machines do not possess any form of consciousness. These are statistical techniques developed specifically for the purpose of predicting the next word. It is remarkable in what it can generate, but it lacks the ability to think for itself. The presence of human activity is necessary for incorporating something with meaning. However, there is no question that using these tools can improve one’s capacity for both creative thinking and idea generation.
The skill of writing consists in putting one’s thoughts into words.
We are still in need of wonderful ideas. Even if a computer is constructed with the writing level of a modern Shakespeare, we will still need to lead it toward what we want it to write about in order for it to fulfill its purpose. To put it another way, there is still some degree of contact between humans and machines. You will need to give the model specific instructions to convey the message you want to convey. You will, in essence, be responsible for monitoring the AI.
In order to solve algebraic equations, you will certainly need a calculator. But how does it determine which equations to solve if it doesn’t have a human to inform it? The application of AI to writing is fairly similar. Imagine that you give the computer instructions to write about the hat that you are now wearing. A fairly particular subject, but one that nonetheless offers uncountable possible angles from which to approach writing it. Should it publish something about its production process? Color? Fabrics? Because of this, the human direction is an essential component of the process that AI writing goes through.
We will always want to read what real people have written.
Because we are human, we have a natural inclination to follow, read, and consume content that is produced by other humans as opposed to machines. Who wants to read an opinion post that was written by a bot, especially if computers can write like people? Human readers will find ways to authenticate human writers if machines can write like humans.
The fact that we prefer to get our information from actual people could render the writer a vital component of the process, despite the limitations imposed by technology.
AI’s role in the future of writing
We expect that writers who use AI will eventually replace writers who don’t use AI, but AI itself won’t replace writers. When we are no longer concerned about AI replacing human writers, we will be able to examine in greater detail how AI can make writing better.
The Tasks That Cannot Be Completed by AI
When you read news like this, it’s natural for you to feel nervous, especially if you’re a writer.
Should writers just quit? Absolutely not.
AI is powered by NLP, which stands for “natural language processing,” and NLG, which stands for “natural language generation.” These are two relatively recent technologies that make it possible for any AI software to generate a written article.
Is that all that’s needed to produce writing that’s worth reading?
Honestly, no?
Here are three reasons why artificial intelligence will never completely replace human writers.
Creativity
Artificial intelligence works with data that can be turned into something written, like an article or a short novel. You will, however, notice a gap in any writing generated by an AI program.
Creativity is the thing in question here. Every artificial intelligence software has a finite vocabulary, which is one reason why the output generated by these programs always seems so… robotic.
The creative potential of humans is enormous, and this quality cannot be replicated by any form of computer software.
Empathy
AI is capable of a wide variety of tasks, but one of those tasks is not the ability to identify with human feelings and emotions. Engineers and scientists have not been able to figure out how to program a machine with human feelings, and it’s possible that they never will.
Writers who are skilled allow themselves to be guided by their feelings and are aware of how to express each event in such a way that readers can comprehend and interact with their thoughts. Because of this, machines will never be able to truly comprehend the human experience that comes with the act of writing.
Affordability
One last point, but perhaps not the least important: the cost of artificial intelligence is high. Building it, getting it up and running, having it managed, and using it are all pretty pricey endeavors. To create quality software that utilizes artificial intelligence, you will need a lot of patience in addition to a team of experienced programmers, data scientists, and engineers.
Because of this, just before you give up on your writing talent entirely, keep in mind that you are not as easily replaced as you may believe you are. All of this requires time and money.
What Does the Future Hold for You Writers?
You have absolutely nothing to be concerned about if you are a creative writer. In point of fact, you need to improve the talents you already have and consider the many ways in which you might advance your career by incorporating AI into your daily activities.
You should not view artificial intelligence as a danger but rather as an asset. When you have artificial intelligence working for you, you’ll find that you can do a greater number of tasks in a shorter amount of time.
