My view of generative AI
There are many recent articles bewailing advancements in generative AI. From artists to writers — really anyone who makes a living in the arts — have raised their voices in concern. Just ask the Hollywood writers on strike, who have added a point to their demands regarding protecting their intellectual property and livelihoods from AI.
But, like Crisper for gene editing, the genie is out of the bottle for generative AI. Or, for those who prefer a more ominous viewpoint, Pandora’s box has been opened and we have yet to see the malign results.
I make no claim to knowing AI’s ability to generate creative stories and books but suspect at the current pace it is not far off.
However, one area where generative AIs will make an immediate impact is in technical copy writing where there is a high level of structure and churn, such as product announcements. And while this is not ‘creative writing’, it should rightly raise concerned eyebrows for those who are technical writers, technical journalists, copy writers, or marketing writers. Sure, there will likely need to be a basic content review of output, but when an AI can do in 5-10 minutes (with the correct prompting of course) what would typically take a copy writer several days or a week, then the cost/benefit falls on the employer side.
There are now a number of ai-copywriting solutions available on the market, so it is only a matter of time before their capabilities expand into the more structured world of full technical writing.
As you might surmise, I am a technical writer by trade — have been for many years (bills must be paid) — and have been keenly following the advance of this technology. With the writing on the wall, it looks like it is time to learn how to work with AI, cause it is not going away.
But, like Crisper for gene editing, the genie is out of the bottle for generative AI. Or, for those who prefer a more ominous viewpoint, Pandora’s box has been opened and we have yet to see the malign results.
I make no claim to knowing AI’s ability to generate creative stories and books but suspect at the current pace it is not far off.
However, one area where generative AIs will make an immediate impact is in technical copy writing where there is a high level of structure and churn, such as product announcements. And while this is not ‘creative writing’, it should rightly raise concerned eyebrows for those who are technical writers, technical journalists, copy writers, or marketing writers. Sure, there will likely need to be a basic content review of output, but when an AI can do in 5-10 minutes (with the correct prompting of course) what would typically take a copy writer several days or a week, then the cost/benefit falls on the employer side.
There are now a number of ai-copywriting solutions available on the market, so it is only a matter of time before their capabilities expand into the more structured world of full technical writing.
As you might surmise, I am a technical writer by trade — have been for many years (bills must be paid) — and have been keenly following the advance of this technology. With the writing on the wall, it looks like it is time to learn how to work with AI, cause it is not going away.
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