I might have made a mistake...
AI really could put writers like me out of business!
Maybe I spoke too soon…
When I wrote “AI for Writers: A Threat or a Boon?” for the Author’s Guild back in Oct 2022, I wasn’t afraid of losing clients or readers to ChatGPT. Instead, I was actually excited about the possibility of outsourcing all the admin and emails to a program that could take that work off my plate. After all, I had two small kids, a full-time job, 2 businesses, and a whole lot of living to do. Who wants to sit at home revamping a resume when you could be eating ceviche on the Pacific Ocean? Priorities people!
But, then, the Writer’s Guild of America called a strike. They didn’t take to the picket line because movie producers were ditching them for AI writers, but because big tech had cut their wages in other ways. Forced “gigs,” weekly labor, and terrible royalties had become the name of the game with the streaming business, and that was a big break from the prior pay promised working behind the scenes of the silver screen.
Streaming isn’t AI, you say?
Sure, but then SAG actors walked out too. They were pretty pissed off by the same things writers were, but they were also worried that AI would put them out of business. There were tales of extras being asked to use their digital likeness in perpetuity and without compensation. So, the man #2 in the coffee shop who used to get paid for a 2 week stint on set could have had his face lifted from a commercial ad three years ago and reused in a big motion picture - without his knowledge. This could happen if the legal frameworks to protect data and intellectual property continue to lag well behind the development of AI technology for commercial use.
In my business, I help founders and funders figure things out. It’s hard for AI to replace strategy. After all, it can take months of thinking, research, A/B testing, and interpersonal conversations to get at the heart of brand identity and storytelling. After that, sure maybe an AI writer could compete, but they’d still need a human to change “happy” to “glad” when the brand guidelines call for consistency.
But, here’s where I am worried: Magazines.
Writing jobs in digital content meant to edutain (educate and entertain) seem to be drying up. Nat Geo cut over a dozen writer positions. And these days, digital subscriptions are doing away with page-turning magazines and newspapers that we once loved. So what’s next?
Can writers outrun technology?
Or do we all need to look for UX/UI jobs in the Metaverse?
Truth be told, I have no idea. I’m more inclined to log off and cuddle my kids.
After all, AI was meant to save us (by us, I mean me) time so that we could return to the joys of living. But, now, it feels like a race to get ahead of whatever a programmer or gamer can implement.
I’m waving the white flag.
I struggle to admit when I might be wrong, but here we are.
Writers are struggling these days. The opportunities are different, if not fewer, and making a living as a “big ideas” person is more challenging than ever.
So, if you see a writer today hug them. Tell them that real people read what they’ve shared and appreciate their work. Ours is an agonizing business. We look footloose and fancy-free, but our brains have a billion tabs open in the background, and validation is rare.
Human connection goes a long way in our digital world.
So give a shout, holler, or air kiss to the wordsmiths in your life.
If you ever see me, hugs are highly recommended.