Where AI Excels

With all these drawbacks, where does AI excel?

AI is exceptionally good for tasks that are predictable, repeatable, and objectively measurable. In these situations, an AI algorithm can repeat a given task or solve a simple problem incredibly quickly, and at scales impossible for human beings to achieve. In the context of writing, this means that predictable, formulaic writing is trivially easy for AI algorithms, and articles of this level can be written many thousands of times faster with an algorithm than with a human writer.

Another key advantage of AI is its ability to learn and adapt, which could push it into new territory when it comes to writing; over time, algorithms can be trained to evaluate the quality of their output based on many different factors. Given enough time and resources, algorithms could learn to write much more complex, arguably creative works.

The Current State of AI Writing

Already, AI algorithms are working hard to produce content. Chances are, you’ve read many articles that were written by algorithms, and you don’t even realize it. For several years, major news outlets have relied on algorithms working in the background to create articles designed for simple reporting; for example, algorithms are frequently used to report updates on sports matches or stock market fluctuations.

Some algorithms have attempted to go even further, pushing the limits of what machines can do. For example, some programmers have created algorithms designed to replicate the form and writing style of famous authors and poets, creating brand-new works that are hard to distinguish from original human writings. Of course, these advanced algorithms are still in an experimental phase, and have yet to see widespread use or even consistent results.

Online Articles and Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

One of the most promising areas for development in AI-based writing is in the world of online marketing and search engine optimization (SEO). Content marketing has become one of the most popular marketing strategies in the world, due to its ability to generate traffic across many different channels simultaneously. While the best content often requires human creativity, opinions, and emotions—things AI can’t currently mimic—the bulk of published online content could feasibly be written by machines in the near future.

Of course, even low-level content marketing fodder is still more complicated than reporting on sports or stocks; it’s going to take time to develop programs capable of rivaling human writers in terms of comprehensibility and style.

Books and Creative Works

It’s going to be even more impressive when AI algorithms make a breakthrough in the world of creative writing, tackling short stories, novels, and poetry. Algorithms have gotten exceptionally skilled at learning to recognize speech, and some specialty algorithms have gotten good at recognizing speech patterns, including local dialects and styles. When these algorithms are sufficiently advanced, they may be able to accurately and consistently replicate the styles of famous authors, possibly even hybridizing different styles together, much in the same manner that Deepfakes can convincingly fake the presence of a specific human being in a recorded video.