How AI is Improving the Writing Industry for Everyone

Artificial intelligence, or AI, has become a buzzword in the writing world recently. From doom-and-gloom “robots are taking our jobs” posts to helpful “here’s how to use ChatGPT” content, AI tools have taken over the writing industry.

Here’s the thing: Yes, writers and editors have lost jobs to AI technology. However, I believe that this doesn’t have to be the case.

Here are six ways that AI is improving the writing industry for everyone involved, including writers (both newbies and veterans), clients, agencies, and consumers.

Forcing Writers to Improve Their Content

There has been debate in the writing industry for some time now about the impact of general, low-paying content.

By “general”, I don’t mean the work of generalist writers who write about many topics. I mean basic content like list posts that don’t include original research or storytelling. They simply repeat facts and figures that are available in a dozen different places online.

This kind of content drives down prices for everyone because it is typically very low-paying. It’s the kind of writing that content mills specialize in and companies pay pennies per word for. It also makes freelance writers appear to be a dime a dozen and easily replaceable. This is the kind of writing that is at risk of being replaced by AI.

When AI tools take these types of low-paying jobs away, it forces all types of writers to be more creative and personalize their content. A basic list post can be easily generated by tools like ChatGPT, but a well-researched article that tells a story can’t be easily replicated.

In short, if your content is personal, authentic, well-researched, and creative, an AI bot can’t replace you. When it comes to original content that brings value to a client, humans do it best.

Requiring New Writers to Build Their Skills

Writing isn’t a difficult industry to break into. Pretty much anyone can start writing. But building a lasting writing career takes dedication.

It isn’t just about writing skills, which of course you must improve constantly. You must also learn other business-related skills, like marketing yourself and running a business.

AI tools can help you learn these skills, but they can’t do it for you (at least, not effectively). It takes creativity and daring.

The writing skills themselves need to be sharp. With AI taking the place of basic writing that usually falls to new writers, those breaking into the industry need to be sharper than ever to attract clients who know the value of good writing.

Writing, especially freelance writing, is often touted as an easy side hustle to make a few bucks. But one thing that the advancement of AI has highlighted is the fact that this is not a side hustle at all, but a career path that you must dedicate yourself to.

This is why it may be a good thing that it’s no longer that easy to break into. With any other career path, you must study, learn new skills, convince employers to hire you, and continue to improve once you’ve landed a job. You constantly build your skills and work your way up the ladder.

It should be the same in writing. You need to study, learn, and build your writing skills. Never stop learning and constantly strive to become a better writer.

You’re not interviewing with employers (unless you decide to go in-house, which is a valid way to earn a living as a writer), but you are building and running a business. This requires you to learn skills as well.

Anyone can start writing, that’s still true. But new writers will need to show their worth right away, just like any other job. I think that’s a good thing that will improve the caliber of writers coming into this industry.

Convincing Clients To Pay Fair Prices for Valuable Content

Companies that want general content with little value can now easily generate it for themselves with ChatGPT and other tools. But I think in the long run, they will start to realize that this type of content will not help them. They won’t stand out because everyone else is using the same tools and spitting out the same content. What we’ll end up with is an Internet full of lookalike websites with lookalike content.

In my opinion, it won’t take long for many companies to realize this is not helpful. They will see that general, low-value, and cheap content is not the way to go.

Now, we do need to remember that the companies interested in general content were paying cheap prices for it before. They clearly don’t value it much. Now they can get it for free without hiring anyone.

But I do think there’s a movement on the horizon pushing companies to pay for more valuable content. If they want websites, social media accounts, and email lists that increase their leads and revenue, they’ll need to pay fair prices for authentic content.

And yes, many companies who were paying pennies before will now stop working with freelancers altogether in favor of AI tools. But this will benefit writers, too – they’ll need to look for clients who pay well for more valuable content.

Look for the clients who see the value in what you do. You’ll still need to prove your worth, but it will be worth it in the long run. You’ll make more money and your clients will get content that will genuinely help their business.

Forcing Agencies to Improve (Or Disappear)

This movement extends to agencies as well. The so-called content mills will need to completely revamp how they do business, or risk disappearing completely. They will no longer be able to offer cheap, generic content. Their clients will be able to get that same content for less or even for free.

They will need to start offering content that is genuinely valuable for their clients. If they don’t, they are likely to vanish.

This works out well for writers. We won’t have low-paying content mills to compete with, nor will we have to take these jobs to make money. New writers will start with clients who pay fairly, rather than getting stuck in the cycle of writing for content mills. This will teach them to know their worth and they will build meaningful careers because of it.

Now, content mills aren’t the only agencies out there. The ones that value their creators and their work will shine amidst a flood of boring content. Working for a marketing agency can be a great way for a writer to improve their craft – just make sure you do your research and choose the right one.

Producing Valuable Content for Consumers

All this also benefits readers and consumers of your content. They will find content that they actually want to read. No one wants to read the same list post over and over. We’re looking for interesting content that’s different.

That’s something only a human writer can provide. AI is amazing, but it has limits. It can only research things already online and regurgitate them for you to read. Again, we’re looking at an Internet full of duplicate content, which leads me to my final point.

Preventing Google and Other Search Engines From Penalizing You

Okay, here’s the thing: Google wants to rank content that is valuable for its audience. It doesn’t like duplicate content and it doesn’t like spam.

If your content looks like everyone else’s, Google will not like you. If Google doesn’t like you, it’s not likely to rank you well. And if the content you write for a client doesn’t rank well, that client may not want to work with you again.

Companies are going to realize this as well. When they see that their AI-written content is not getting on the first page of Google no matter what they do, they will start to rethink their strategy.

This all works out well for writers who write thoughtful, valuable content. They will be getting the clients who see the value of what they do. They will also see their own blog posts and articles ranking better in a sea of generic content.

Final Thoughts

It is my personal belief that AI doesn’t have to be the end of writing as we know it – in fact, these new technologies can enhance and improve the industry we work in. They are not just helpful for companies who want to generate easy content. They will also benefit writers, clients, and agencies, as well as the consumers we produce content for.

There’s a lot of doom and gloom on this topic, but I’d like to see more encouragement in our community about the possibilities.

If you focus on your craft and adapt your marketing efforts, there’s no reason for you to fear the onset of AI. In some ways, you can see AI technology as representative of progress itself. If you work with progress instead of against it, you will move forward and find yourself with more opportunities than you know what to do with.

This is just my opinion. What do you think about AI technology? Are there steps you have taken in your writing career to avoid or include AI? What advice or tips would you give to other writers? Share your story in the comments below!