AI-Generated Content Is Almost Ready for Prime Time – Should Agency Content Teams Be Concerned?

Content professionals across the world are currently experiencing equal measures of excitement and trepidation as AI language models display the potential to revolutionise their craft. Trained on vast amounts of data these advanced deep learning models, also known as Large Language Models (LLMs), have seen a sharp rise in popularity, with ChatGPT the most well-known. Developed by OpenAI, this chatbot-based model has been fed more than 570GB of data, enabling it to generate text that is accurate, engaging, and – most remarkably – convincingly human.

As the full extent of ChatGPT’s capabilities are explored, AI chatbots are quickly becoming indispensable tools for content professionals. From supporting content creation for websites and social media through to assisting with the development of heavier-weight content such as eBooks and product brochures, the potential applications for these models are limitless. 

Discovering the benefits and limitations of chatbots

When applied across the end-to-end content development process, AI-driven models offer content teams an opportunity to elevate the efficiency, ingenuity, and quality of their work as well as helping to accelerate tasks such as research, concepting and editing.

A valuable feature content writers are discovering is the ability of these bots to provide writers with feedback on their work. While it may come as no surprise to those who are already familiar with LLMs, ChatGPT has the capability to not only check grammar but also suggest sentence structure and style, providing writers with valuable feedback to improve their work.

However, ChatGPT is not a silver bullet for content creation and also has its limitations. It requires informed direction and, without proper guidance, is unable to fully understand the context and purpose of an asset. Any text generated by the bot also requires human filtering to pick up on inaccuracies and ensure the copy matches the intended meaning. AI models may help with overcoming the dreaded feeling of ‘writer's block’, but – when used incorrectly – they generate monotonous, repetitive, and generic text that lacks unique insight and fails to meet the client's needs. Therefore, the intuition of a content expert is necessary to determine what is, and what isn’t, good and valuable content.

Producing great content requires creativity, thorough research, and a flair for writing. ChatGPT and other AI models are valuable tools, but they are just that; tools that should be used in conjunction with the knowledge and instinct that comes with years of content writing.

The unique value of agency content in the age of AI

With any technological innovation, it's natural to wonder how tried-and-tested conventions will stay relevant. This is a question all agency content teams are currently dealing with. However, while AI can help automate certain tasks and improve the efficiency of the content development process, it still lacks the ability to take a content brief, truly understand the business imperatives around the programme, and connect with the target audience on a human level.

This is where the personal touch becomes vital. The creativity and skills possessed by content professionals will become even more valuable in an age where AI-generated content continues to develop. Content creators possess a deep insight into their client’s business and customer base, along with the ability to craft compelling stories that address the most pertinent challenges within the customer’s industry. This insight is what separates human from machine.

AI should therefore not be seen as a threat to – or even a replacement for – agency content support. Rather, AI presents an opportunity to accelerate the conventionally slow and low-value parts of content development, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the whole process and the final quality of the work produced. 

Staying relevant to clients in a ChatGPT era

For us here at TMW Business, the rapid rise of ChatGPT has brought some self-reflection on what makes us a valuable partner for our clients. Both presently and in a future where AI becomes further embedded into our everyday work.

With decades of experience under our belt, we have developed and refined a content creation model that consistently helps our client to create stand-out content, covering everything from blogs and podcasts to whitepapers and webinars. The typical process involves gathering unique insights and perspectives directly from our clients and from their customers, which is usually produced through expert interviews, discussion panels, consumer/executive surveys and research into human response via our proprietary insights service, the Human Understanding Lab. A crucial prerequisite to creating exceptional content that resonates with the client’s target audience is the support we provide to develop human insights and understand industry trends, which can't be replicated by AI alone.

So, as we all watch eagerly for what comes next in AI, it’s important to remember that the reason tools such as ChatGPT are revolutionary isn’t just the technology - but the human using it.