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I’ve written a hundred – if not more – articles on AI automation over the past few years. My message has been almost exactly the same: AI will not replace humans, but instead, can take over basic tasks to free people to have more time to focus on the things that only people can do. 

Regardless of spending so many hours reassuring other people for years not to fear AI automation, I have to say my heart stopped when I started playing with ChatGPT and saw how advanced it is. Yes, ChatGPT uses some not-so-reputable sources. Yes, the facts aren’t totally accurate. But this is just Version 1.

AI learns through data and gets smarter as more people use it. So ChatGPT and all the other tools will become more accurate and more powerful.  What we are seeing now is just the beginning. This is a very important point that I think many writers aren’t realizing right now. AI writing tools will become a lot more accurate in the (very) short-term future. 

Our Role as Freelance Writers Are About to Take a Big Shift

While this feels scary right now, it’s nothing new to our industry. Freelance writing isn’t a field that stays the same. Writing used to mean sending out mailed queries and publishing only in print publications. Writers who did not adjust to writing for the internet became outdated and didn’t succeed. The same is true of social media. And at the same time that journalism outlets have closed, many writers who have not added content marketing into their services are struggling to make a high income or even a living wage. 

Our jobs are not doomed. In fact, I think that in the long-term AI writers will actually benefit freelance writers not put us out of work. But I do think that our jobs as freelance writers will evolve and change over the next few years. And the writers who will be the most successful are those who embrace AI (not fear it) and grow their own skills to add value. So, no, you should not panic about AI writing tools. But at the same time, you absolutely should not ignore this development and hope it goes away (Spoiler: it won’t). 

AI Tools will Likely Take Over Content Mill Type Projects 

I do think that AI will take over some writing gigs. And I think that the technology at the current level can do that, pretty much right now or in the near future. Yes, I said that out loud. I predict that AI will replace some (if not most) of the content that is currently created by content mills and low-paid writers. So if you are doing this level of work, then yes, I do think that you need to begin expanding your skills and business model. Like yesterday or sooner.  

However, I don’t think that the projects that most high-earning writers work on, especially thought leadership, copywriting, and journalism-style content. are in danger. More on this later. 

I personally think that ChatGPT will have a similar effect on highly skilled content writers in the next few years as when content mills first became a thing. You may lose some customers in the short term, but many will come back. I also fully expect that the Google algorithm will quickly adjust to prioritize human-written content, just like they did with the content mills. Because companies that use AI content as their main source will not get the search results that they want, many will return to human writers.

AI Will Take Some Time-Intensive Tasks Off Writers’ Plates

AI is a machine. Yes, it’s a very smart machine that gets smarter with time and experience. But ultimately it must be programmed based on existing content that is already out in the world. But even formulaic writing projects will still need human writers to review the content and make edits before its published, which opens up more editing and rewriting opportunities. 

I also believe that there are some tasks WITHIN the writing process that we can use AI to do for us, especially as it gets even smarter. Writers can use ChatGPT to do tasks such as finding sources, creating titles, writing social media posts, writing an outline, and making decisions about headlines. 

Smart (and successful writers) will use AI for the things that AI tools do better than humans. And your writing and results will be better if you use these tools the right away. You shouldn’t think of it as taking away your job, but giving you more time for the high level and creative tasks that need a human touch. 

AI Cannot Fully Replace Human Creativity and Unique Thought Process 

The key words are creative and unique. Machines can’t be creative. And they don’t have that human insight, touch and judgment. AI cannot fully replace that element of writing, no matter how amazing and advanced that it becomes.  I am positive that there will always be a place for writers who bring a level of art and creativity to what people read – even for B2B content. 

Most of us are writers at heart, meaning a writer is what we are, not just what we do for our job. And that’s because we have a gift for writing. It’s our superpower. We add something to our work that most people simply cannot do because writing is not their gift. And a machine can’t put that into the writing either. 

There is a big difference between being good at writing and being a writer. I firmly believe that there will always be need and role for those of us who are true writers. But only if we continue to evolve both technical skills and build our writing business with limitations of AI tools in mind.  

What Should Freelance Writers Do to Stay Relevant? 

Let’s start with the tech skills. Content marketing writers need to start using ChatGPT to learn the technology and how to best use it within your projects. And more importantly, stay up to date on the latest evolutions, new tools and use cases. You should consider understanding AI writing tools as part of your business development from here to eternity. I personally think that freelance content marketing writers who become experts in AI writing tools are those who will achieve the most long-term success. 

As you stay on top of the technology, you should not only learn what it can do but what AI writing cannot do. And then focus your business and marketing efforts in those areas. For example, I currently write a lot of thought leadership pieces, where people or companies share their original insights and ideas. I also write a lot about new and emerging technology, often that the company I’m working with is creating.

I also think copywriting is safe. The goal is that the copy needs to be unique and creative. You don’t want your webpage and emails to look like everything else on the web and other companies’ emails. Sure, I expect AI may help with the initial place to start with copywriting. But the need for great copy is something that I don’t see going away. In fact, I think the rise of AI will actually increase the need because it’s a way for companies to really stand out. 

I’ve seen some pretty interesting debates about whether reported journalism is going to be taken over by AI. And I think that the answer is yes and no. I do think that AI will take over more formulaic journalism, even those requiring interviews. Yes, this will be possible in the near future – AI is already doing job application interviews. However, AI can’t develop the relationship needed to truly get a source to open up or get the insights that bring a story to life. For the reason, storytelling-type journalism that is thought-provoking and makes a difference simply cannot be replaced by AI writers. 

Many writers talk about going into strategy and project management as well. I do think that if these are your gifts then these are great areas to explore and services to add. But I don’t think it’s a necessity if what you really want to do is write. Right now, I plan to stick with just writing. But the beauty of this is we can always change our mind and add in these services if needed. 

I also think that writers with a specialized niche are more likely to remain relevant even as AI becomes more advanced. Niche writers bring more than just writing skills to the table. They are experts in their field. They understand the audience and the trends and the challenges. While I know many writers like being generalists, I think that now is a good time to seriously think about picking a few niches – it doesn’t have to be just one – and becoming known as an expert in those industries. It doesn’t mean you can’t write about any topic you want at any time- niches don’t limit you, but instead bring you more opportunites. . 

And as you are thinking about all of this, keep in mind the types of writing that you are especially good at – meaning you have a gift in that area that other writers don’t. You can then focus on those areas because if writing jobs become more limited, then you are more likely to get those projects over other writers since they are your superpowers. For example, I’m really good at interviewing technical experts and getting them to talk, which is very challenging and something my clients tell me is very rare for a writer. And then I am great at turning that jargony content into stories the audience can understand. 

Yes, it feels right now like all we have worked for and built could be taken over by a machine. And that’s a scary feeling, especially for those of us that are mid to late in our careers. I do think that writers who don’t evolve and stay relevant will find themselves struggling.

But I honestly think that this is going to turn out VERY positive for those writers who learn to use AI and evolve their services to fill in the gaps of what AI cannot do. It’s easy to think that AI will devalue our profession. But I really think that the opposite is true. I think AI will actually improve the value of human writers. Many people will realize the difference that a skilled writer can make to a story and their business for the first time.

I am positive that writers who embrace technology and change will end up with even stronger freelance businesses than we have today.

What are your thoughts on AI and freelance writing? What steps are you taking to stay relevant?