The Human Touch: Why AI’s Lack of Emotional Intelligence Will Keep Article Writing Safe from Automation
Let’s get back on top!
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to advance, there is a growing concern among hard-working freelancers, whether writers, editors or graphic designers that their jobs are no longer future-proof.
Ever since the emergence of popular sci-fi movies, where robots complete the majority of labour within the capital, the worry about robot replacement has been significant.
But, you’ve got nothing to worry about! Well, as long as you start adapting how you work.
The bottom line is, AI is a robot. They have no idea how to use emotional language that aims to persuade or draw in the attention of their audience.
And for us writers out there, Google’s new SEO policy works wonders. It favours posts that are original and insightful — personal accounts and perspectives with real-life scenarios do incredibly well!
Why?
Well, because no one else can use that exact example. It’s original.
Limitations of AI
First and foremost, it’s important to recognize that writing is a uniquely human skill.
We’ve been doing it for generations. From sending love letters and stern emails to our bosses, to epic romance and fantasy novels.
The Emotional Connection
The reason why the written form has remained popular is because of the emotional and human connection that is used. The way that two humans interact is only known by humans — and so writing that down for AI is difficult — unless it is copying it from someone else.
We all understand that AI can be programmed to produce text, but it lacks the creativity and critical thinking abilities that human writers bring to the table.
Articles are not simply about conveying information — they are also about engaging readers, telling stories, and sharing perspectives.
Human writers are able to draw from their own experiences and emotions to create content that resonates with readers in a way that AI simply cannot.
Context & Data
Luckily for freelancers, AI has a fundamental flaw. It has a complete inability to understand nuance and context.
While AI can analyze vast amounts of data to identify trends and patterns, it struggles to comprehend the complexities of human language and culture.
For example, sarcasm and irony can be difficult for AI to detect, and cultural references may not translate well across different regions and languages.
Human writers, on the other hand, are able to use their knowledge of the world to craft articles that are nuanced and culturally relevant.
The Complexity of Writing
As writers, we are more than just people who string together sentences.
We spend hours at the keyboard researching, analysing and applying unique angles on complex topics. In order to do that, we need a deep understanding of a topic.
Whilst AI can regurgitate information, it can never truly understand it.
Human writers are able to draw from their own knowledge and experience to provide unique perspectives and insights that AI cannot replicate.
Case Study: Journalism & CNET
It’s worth noting that AI has already had a significant impact on the field of journalism and article writing. AI tools are being used to assist with tasks such as fact-checking, data analysis, and language translation.
However, these tools are not designed to replace human writers — rather, they are intended to enhance their abilities and improve the quality of their work. By automating certain tasks, AI can free up time for human writers to focus on more creative and high-level tasks.
CNET is one such company that utilised AI to form 1% of its articles over the course of three months — totalling 77 articles.
It was part of a test that CNET wanted to conduct regarding the authenticity of automated writing. During the process, a team of editors provided a basic outline for the AI tool to create an article. They then expanded and edited before hitting publish.
A CNET spokesperson noted that:
“A small number requiring substantial correction.”
Some of the other corrections included rephrasing terms due to plagiarism, “We’ve replaced phrases that were not entirely original.”
Many other journalism and media industry leaders are all trialling the use of AI within their organisations. And why shouldn’t they? If it cuts the amount of time used to create an article — then costs will be severely reduced and profits increased.
Yes, it may feel unfair to us as creators. But they’re a business. And unfortunately, they don’t care.
But, there is a fundamental issue that all of the cooperation that have begun on their AI journey have said.
They don’t trust the data that AI collects because it doesn’t understand nuance, and complexity nor does it truly understand a topic.
The Guardian spoke with the CEO of Reach, “The way I look at it, we produce lots of content based on actual data. It can be put together in a well-read [piece] that I think AI can do. We are trying to apply it to areas we already get traffic to allow journalists to focus on content that editors want written.”
He continued to note that it was not part of a wider plan to get rid of it’s workforce:
So, whilst the heavy lifting of article writing may be changing, writers will still be needed. For editing, expanding, fact-checking and producing the research used for AI, humans will continue to be necessary.
We just need to learn to adapt.
Those that don’t and shout about how it’s unfair, may find themselves being replaced.
WrapUp
Ultimately, the value of human writers in article writing lies in their ability to bring a unique perspective and voice to the content they create.
While AI may be able to produce text that is grammatically correct and (sometimes) factually accurate, it cannot match the creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence that human writers possess.
In an age where information overload is a real problem, human writers are needed more than ever to help readers make sense of the world around them and provide insights and analysis that go beyond the surface level.
Writing is a uniquely human skill that requires creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence, all of which are difficult for AI to replicate.
By leveraging the strengths of both AI and human writers, we can create better, more engaging, and more informative content that benefits everyone.
