The emergence of powerful, easy-to-use artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT and Google’s Bard have some people asking if software is a substitute for human communicators.
As an AI language model, ChatGPT is designed to enhance assist and augment the work of professional communicators, not replace them. While ChatGPT can generate human-like text and respond to questions with a high degree of accuracy, it still lacks the emotional intelligence, personal experience, and creativity that human communicators bring to the table.
Professional communicators, such as journalists, copywriters and marketers, bring a level of nuance and understanding to their work that AI language models like ChatGPT are not capable of replicating. They craft compelling narratives, understand cultural context, and connect with their audience in a way that is unique to the human experience.
Take a moment to read the previous two paragraphs again. Because I didn’t write them. They’re a response to a query I crafted.
Honestly, the machine’s answer nails the basics about what works and what AI can’t do yet. (And provides some comfort for those of us in the comms game).
This wasn’t my first experiment with AI. After reading how to create a good query, I asked ChatGPT to create a half-marathon training plan, with mediocre results that ignored the parameters I set.
After I delivered a public speech, I went back to ChatGPT and gave it a chance to rewrite my remarks. The output was, again, pretty good. It nailed the themes I wanted and, had I started with the bot, it probably would have saved me a couple hours of research. But it could not have added the personal stories that connected with the audience, or the last-minute joke bringing together The Real Housewives and the story of the Exodus.
I’ve talked to coders who have seen similar results: They say automated tools can do a great job finding errors in programs and can save time adapting existing code for new uses. But, much like the current generation of “self-driving” vehicles, it still needs a human at the wheel to smooth out the rough edges. (I’ll let you ponder the implications of software on your own!)
Why does this all matter? We know some companies wish they could get rid of their comms teams and find a less-expensive alternative. They may test drive the machine-learning route. For now, their results probably won’t be as good as working with a flesh-and-bones professional who understands the big picture and has more EQ than RAM.
