Hi Mike, Yep – I bet you’re talking about the Washington Post OpEd. Just about every copywriter I know had that forwarded to them by relatives! The important thing to note is that though those writers called themselves copywriters, they’re actually content writers. AI absolutely has and will continue to replace content writers (not that that’s a good thing, but it’s a reality). Copywriters, though, provide a very different type of writing and a different level of strategy and partnership with their clients. We dig in a bit more in podcast episode linked above if you’re interested. Thanks for commenting!

Perhaps these weren’t the best writers, or their employers didn’t value good writing, but there’s a small percentage whose clients have decided a ChatGPT article is “good enough for SEO.”

Platforms like Fivver have acknowledged that much of their business — optimized articles written for fractions of a penny per word — is at risk.

I don’t cry over the loss of content mills, but I do believe jobs are being lost.

Hi Itzcha,

I’m going to have to continue to disagree with you. Computers will certainly replace many things and many jobs, and while AI can run numerous permutation of word combinations, it hasn’t mastered creativity. Copywriting is a combination of creativity and strategy that delves into emotion and intention and AI isn’t capable of doing that. There’s a reason that no one is concerned about AI replacing authors or painters or entrepreneurs—it’s not capable of the original though that all of those pursuits (and copywriting) require.

Thanks for commenting!
Nicki

“I’m sure some companies will test them out and some will try to use them, but the vast, vast, vast majority of companies will still get more benefits out of using human copywriters—and that will still likely include the companies who are using the software, too.”

Just like it seemed impossible that everyone could carry a mini-computer around with them everywhere with access to tons of information with a few key strokes (i.e. smartphones) through the lenses of the 20th century, it’s not far-fetched to predict that forms of AI will become available to smaller companies with time.

Although copywriting will never fully “go away,” as in there will always be marketing strategists to come up with the “big ideas” and how to execute a layered campaign, I can definitely see copywriting as a “career” first being augmented by AI, then eventually phased out with the advance of technology.

Just thought I’d offer an alternative viewpoint.

Hi Mike,

I completely agree. 🙂

Thanks for commenting!
Nicki