Will AI Writing Software Replace Social Media Influencers?
Is ChatGPT taking over?
“AI is going to take our jobs one day.”
Chances are that you’ve heard rumors or rumblings about how artificial intelligence could one day take your job. It’s no secret that most companies would love to replace a human with a machine at the very first opportunity possible.
Is it possible that AI-powered writing tools like ChatGPT could replace social media influencers one day? Let’s take a look to see if we’re all doomed by AI…
What’s happening with AI-powered writing software?
The revolutionary new tool ChatGPT is changing the content creation industry, and many folks are worried about the future of content. I was shocked by how prompt and impressive ChatGPT is. You could ask this chatbot to do anything. For example, I asked the chatbot to do the following:
Write a poem about Martin writing an article for Substack about ChatGPT replacing social media influencers. Here’s what it came up with:
“Martin sat at his desk, with a laptop in hand, Crafting an article, in Substack's land. His mind was alight, with inspiration so true, As he wrote about ChatGPT, and what it could do.
Social media influencers, once the trend of the day, May soon be replaced, in a new kind of way. ChatGPT, a model, so advanced and so bright, With its language abilities, a force to unite.
Gone are the days, of generic posts and fake smiles, ChatGPT can converse, with accuracy and finesse for miles. Answering questions, giving advice, so on-point, Making social media, a more informative joint.
Influencers beware, for this AI has arrived, Making content creation, easier and more refined. Martin finishes his article, with a smile and a sigh, ChatGPT, a game-changer, in the world of social media high.”
Pretty impressive, eh? You can ask this chatbot to do anything (with ethical and legal boundaries), and it will reply within seconds. It’s a huge step up from trying to use Google to find anything useful.
This leads to an obvious question…
How reliable is AI writing software?
Since ChatGPT was released late last year, there have been many debates about how reliable this software is for creating content. The jury is still out on this one, as it has been revealed that the chatbot passed medical and law school exams. However, many school districts are banning this tool over fears of plagiarism (where was this when I was in school?).
Here are some of the more popular uses of AI writing software:
Drafting legal documents.
Writing marketing content.
Solving math problems.
Creating social media posts.
Writing out essays on a specific topic.
Creating a quick customized cover letter or resume.
Explaining complex topics in simple terms (seriously, try it for anything).
Writing jokes (not exactly the funniest ones).
Dating advice.
Writing code.
Content in different languages.
Anything you could possibly think of.
I’m 100% serious about everything on this list. You have to try it out for yourself.
On top of the practical uses of AI writing tools, users have also been having fun by creating messages for dating apps and writing poetry about silly topics.
There’s just one question left to answer…
Will AI replace or boost human social media influencers?
We decided to ask ChatGPT if AI writing software could replace human social media influencers. Here’s what the tool had to say:
“It's unlikely that AI writing software will replace human social media influencers entirely. While AI technology has advanced to the point where it can produce text that is difficult to distinguish from human writing, it still lacks the creative, emotional, and personal elements that make human influencers unique and valuable.”
Here’s how AI will boost human social media influencers:
AI can help with writing out descriptions and other boring content.
AI will assist with research and looking up topics.
AI could help with writer’s block.
AI could give you ideas.
Here’s how AI writing software could replace human social media influencers:
Lazy content creators or companies will rely on chatbots for content. It will be obvious to detect who’s writing their stuff and who’s using a bot.
Some people will use ChatGPT instead of searching for information through Google or social media hashtags. It’s possible that when you want a quick response, you’ll play around with a chatbot instead of filtering through keywords and hashtags.
When you’re looking for a specific response to a situation, you’re going to be more likely to want to use a chatbot due to its follow-up capabilities. Anyone who has tried to look up a topic on social media or through a search engine knows how frustrating it can be to filter through information.
When asked about AI replacing social media influencers, ChatGPT also pointed out the following:
“Social media influencers have built their personal brand and have a strong following because of their individuality, personality, and ability to connect with their audience on a human level. AI writing software can assist influencers in their content creation, but it is unlikely to completely replace them.”
While it’s difficult to predict what the future holds for social media content and algorithms, it’s clear that users still follow those with that they feel some connection. We all have creators and accounts that we follow and will continue to follow for years.
What’s next for AI-generated content?
Generative AI had limited access until last year when OpenAI released DALL-E 2 and ChatGPT. The previous tools didn’t have capabilities, and the public didn’t have access to such powerful tools.
There are still a few issues that we need to consider when it comes to AI writing tools.
There are going to be several concerns as to plagiarism and ownership of content. We would have a serious dilemma if creators were to post identical content based on information they pulled from an AI writing tool.
We also can’t forget that these tools are still being used as an experiment. Major tech companies like Google have been worried about releasing similar products to the general public due to concerns over reputational risks.
ChatGPT won’t be replacing social media influencers any time soon.
“If more information was the answer, then we'd all be billionaires with perfect abs.”―Derek Sivers
The truth is that people already have enough information. We don’t need more information as much as we need to apply what we already know. As a result, I wouldn’t worry about people having access to additional knowledge.
Here are the main reasons why ChatGPT won’t be replacing social media influencers:
We want to be entertained. We don’t simply follow influencers and popular social media accounts for knowledge or data. We want to pass the time with entertainment. Anyone who has amassed a decent following knows how much work it takes to build an audience. People follow you because they’re entertained by you in some way (they could think you’re hot or silly).
The medium is still the message. Most of us still scroll social media when bored at work or 24/7, if we’re honest. People aren’t going to stop going on Instagram or Tik Tok just because a chatbot gives better or more information.
Google has been around this entire time. Do you know how often someone will send me a DM or leave a comment instead of simply Googling it?
It’s still a visual world. I would much rather read an interesting quote attached to beautiful scenery than rely on boring text from a bot.
We still want a human connection. Yes, it’s fun to have a chatbot type out a poem for you, but we use social media because we love to see what’s going on with other people. This won’t be replaced anytime soon.
TL;DR Social media influencers aren’t going anywhere. Becoming an influencer may be more challenging as the market is more saturated than ever. However, chatbots won’t replace entertaining Instagram reels. We’re not going to suddenly stop scrolling just because some bot gives a more detailed response to a question that we didn’t actually want the solution to.