We live in this incredible age where our toasters are seemingly more intelligent than the computers that landed humans on the moon.
Wild times, indeed! Among the most head-scratching marvels of our era is the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its foray into… wait for it… writing. Yep, these digital whiz kids are now crafting content that often seems, well, human. But does an AI’s eloquence hold a candle to the heart, soul, and occasional chaos of a human touch? Furthermore, should AI ever be used to create content for regulated, legal, or highly technical industries? Let’s dive into this delightful dance of humans vs. AI-written content and see what all the fuss is about. Buckle up, because it’s about to get real (and maybe a tad bit nerdy).
What Is AI-Generated Content?
AI-generated content is any content created or modified by machine- or deep-learning processes. From customer service chatbots to full-length articles, AI content is all over today’s web. And thanks to advancements by machine-learning leaders such as ChatGPT, AI software is constantly becoming smarter and more capable of producing quality results.
How Do I Use AI to Create Legal Marketing Content?
When using AI to create an online article on a specific search query, you enter the query into the software. The AI software will then scour the internet for all available information on the assigned topic and produce a search-engine-optimized (SEO) article based on the search term.
It sounds amazing, but don’t replace your marketing content department with AI just yet. While the technology and capabilities of machine learning are impressive, there are a host of things to consider. Some experts even caution that certain industries (such as the legal field) shouldn’t use AI-generated content at all. Let’s delve into the pros and cons of using AI to create content. Afterward, we’ll compare those with the pros and cons of human content creation.
Pros of AI-Generated Content
From speed to cost-effectiveness, AI-generated content offers several advantages. Keep reading to explore each in more detail.
Speed and Efficiency
Even the fastest writers take at least a couple of hours to produce an article. On the other hand, AI doesn’t need extensive research and writing time, a coffee break, or sleep. Give it a prompt, and within moments, AI can create a full-length piece of content. Need 100 more articles all on the same day? No sweat; AI’s got you covered.
Cost-Effectiveness
Whether you hire freelancers or employ full-time writing staff, you’ll pay hundreds or thousands of dollars in hourly wages or salaries. However, AI software typically costs around $100 per year, according to HubSpot.
Saved Effort on Difficult Research
If you want to publish an article on a complex topic, AI can be an extremely handy tool. While a human may struggle with difficult research and in-depth data analysis, AI can easily research and write about any topic—with no inconvenience to you or your staff.
Reduced Risk of Human Error
Humans sometimes make mistakes. By using AI, you can reduce the risk of human error, especially in content that involves mathematical equations and other subject matter that requires exact attention to detail. That said, there are other error risks when using AI that we will cover in the “Cons of AI-Generated Content” section below.
Consistency
AI operates based on parameters and algorithms. You won’t find it having an off day or misinterpreting the style guide. As long as you provide the correct parameters when setting up and training your software, AI offers a certain level of consistency from piece to piece.
Tailored Content
AI can process vast amounts of data at lightning speed. This means it can generate content tailored to specific audiences, using real-time data, quicker than any human can. For example, do you need content in ten different languages? Some advanced AI tools can write and translate simultaneously, breaking down language barriers.
Instant SEO
You don’t have to train AI to optimize your articles. One of AI’s top benefits is that it pulls data from top-ranking pages for any search query you enter. AI-created content is instantly geared toward achieving a good SEO score.
Cons of AI-Generated Content
While the benefits of AI are impressive, the cons are also significant. There are several factors you need to consider before using AI-generated content.
Inconsistency
Now wait a minute, didn’t we just include “Consistency” in the “Pros of AI-Generated Content” section? Well, yes. But while AI offers consistency in terms of operating on the same parameters and algorithms each time, there’s another area in which you may find inconsistency. AI generates content by synthesizing the information that is already available on a subject. So if the internet has a wealth of information about one subject you want to write about, but very little data is available on your next desired topic, you may find that the quality of AI-generated content is inconsistent from one subject to another.
Potential Plagiarism
Because AI pulls information from so many sources all at once when crafting content, it doesn’t typically provide citations. This puts your website at major risk for plagiarism issues. One of the best ways to combat this problem is to have a human check all content before publishing. You should run your content through Copyscape or another duplicate content checker and also manually search for the sources of any data, images, or quotes so you can properly cite them.
Note: ChatGPT has recently added a “Get citation” feature. However, it is only in Beta and doesn’t seem to be fully functional. For example, our team entered the query “How to file a personal injury claim” into ChatGPT. The response was a 360-word, step-by-step article (with several issues that we’ll discuss throughout this page). And when we clicked on the “Get citation” button, the result simply said, “OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com.”
Negative SEO Impact
Again, we know we listed SEO as a benefit of AI, and it is. AI does a great job of optimizing articles for specific keywords. However, AI-generated content can also flow in a very stilted way. In other words, sometimes it’s obvious when an article was written by AI. Now that Google includes E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) in its “helpful content” algorithm, using AI could result in your article’s ranking being devalued. A great way to combat this is to simply use AI for outlining and producing the first rough draft of your article. A human SEO writer can then tweak the article for better sentence structure, engagement, and nuance.
As we previously mentioned, we put ChatGPT to the test with the query “How to file a personal injury claim,” and the interface provided a very short 360-word article. Anyone who works in SEO knows that length matters when it comes to ranking. Typically, you need to create articles that are at least 1,000 words of comprehensive, relevant information if you want to rank at the top of Google for a specific keyword phrase. This is especially true for a phrase as competitive as “How to file a personal injury claim.”
The article didn’t include any links, which are imperative for a good SEO score. Additionally, the language in ChatGPT’s response was repetitive and lacked personality. For instance, the article used the word “general” twice in the introduction alone. Here’s ChatGPT’s full introduction for our search query: “I am not a lawyer, but I can offer general guidance on how to file a personal injury claim. Keep in mind that you should consult with a qualified attorney for advice specific to your situation. Here are some general steps you might consider…”
Lack of Genuine Emotion and Contextual Nuance
A machine doesn’t feel joy, sorrow, or the excitement of a child with a new toy. Human stories, experiences, and emotions are hard to replicate authentically with algorithms. For that reason, AI-generated content can be a bit cold and disengaging.
Along those same lines, AI sometimes misses out on cultural or contextual nuances. This can lead to content that feels generic or even tone-deaf.
Risk of Incorrect or Incomplete Information
We’ve all searched Google for a specific term only to find that the top result contained incorrect information. As we’ve covered, AI works by scouring the internet for data on a given search query. If your AI system finds incorrect information on the topic you assign it, that falsehood could make its way into your content.
Using generative AI is especially risky with legal content. According to Wealth Counsel, the drawbacks of AI-generated content for the legal industry include the “inability to consider all necessary legal information when crafting legal documents, as well as their collection and storage of private data, which could breach client confidentiality.”
Wealth Counsel even did a case study on using ChatGPT for creating a trust-based estate plan. Unfortunately, AI fell woefully short on this task. For example, ChatGPT failed to include provisions for the incapacity of a trustor, beneficiary, and trustee and also “provided qualified terminable interest property language that could waste a decedent’s estate tax exemption amount.”
ChatGPT also failed to meet expectations on our “How to file a personal injury claim” query. While the interface provided a ten-step, basic guide to filing a claim, it left out lots of important information. For instance, the fifth step in the guide advised, “Identify the Responsible Party: Determine who may be liable for your injuries. This could be an individual, a business, or an entity.” However, it provided no additional information or context surrounding how to identify the responsible party. If a human were to write the same prompt, they would go into much more comprehensive detail on each step.
Again, this is why it’s imperative to have a human being fact-check (and potentially add to) all AI-generated articles.
The Risk of Boredom
Relying too heavily on AI can lead to homogenized content that lacks diversity of thought. On the flip side, humans can diversify their tone, style, and approach depending on the subject matter. On top of that, if you employ a team of writers or an agency, each piece will vary slightly depending on who writes it.
Pros of Human Writers
Now that we understand the pros and cons of AI-generated content, let’s take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of using human writers.
Hands-on Experience
Hiring a human writer means your content will benefit from being written by someone with hands-on experience. For instance, a skilled SEO writer knows from experience what works and what doesn’t when it comes to content. And if you’re in the legal industry, you can hire a legal writer with education and industry expertise that AI can’t yet compete with.
Remember how we mentioned the lack of comprehensive details and context in ChatGPT’s “How to file a personal injury claim” content? A person with hands-on experience in the personal injury field would be able to provide much more context in a manually written article on the same topic. If written by a human being, the aforementioned fifth step in the article might read: “Identify the Responsible Party: Determine who may be liable for your injuries. This could be an individual, a business, or an entity. One of the best ways to identify who’s at fault is to check the police report. You should also understand the laws in your state. For example, if you live in a state with no-fault insurance laws, you may be required to use your own personal injury protection (PIP) coverage to pay for medical expenses. But if you live in a state with at-fault laws, the at-fault driver’s insurance may be required to cover personal injury damages.”
Emotion and Empathy
Humans write from the heart. They share experiences and emotions and can make a reader laugh, cry, or ponder deep thoughts.
For example, ChatGPT’s personal injury claim introduction was cold and emotionless. But a human might write it with more empathy. Here’s a caring introduction written by a person: “Getting into a car accident can be scary, but knowing how to file a personal injury claim can help you avoid hassles and take steps toward covering your medical expenses. Keep reading to discover our step-by-step guide to getting your personal injury claim started. Along the way, we’ll discuss our pro tips for managing the entire process as seamlessly as possible.”
Contextual Understanding
Human writers inherently understand cultural subtleties, local idioms, and the intricate weave of human society.
Creativity and Originality
Every human has a unique perspective, which means every piece they write is tinged with their individuality.
Ethical Judgment and Solid Decision-Making
Humans can make moral and ethical considerations when writing, ensuring content aligns with broader societal values. They can also cite sources, make sure they don’t plagiarize other material, and follow any style guidelines you provide from a place of actually understanding them, not just following an algorithm.
Adaptability
While style guides and rules matter, skilled human writers can adapt their tone and style to different platforms, audiences, or purposes seamlessly.
Cons of Human Writers
Because human beings are fallible, hiring human writers also comes with a few cons.
Time Constraints
Unlike machines, humans need rest, breaks, and inspiration. This can slow down the content creation process. That said, a skilled, professional writer will work with their employer or client to meet deadlines.
Inconsistency
Even the best writers have their off days, which can lead to variations in quality. However, you can combat this by communicating expectations with your writers and working with them to make sure quality standards are met.
Higher Costs
Hiring seasoned writers or maintaining a content team can be more expensive than a one-time AI software investment. But your investment may be well worth it when you publish high-quality, top-ranking content that engages and informs your readers regularly.
Subjectivity
Personal biases or perspectives can seep into content, which may not always be desirable. Be sure to communicate any expectations of objectivity to your writers ahead of time.
Limited Data Processing
Humans can’t analyze vast amounts of data as quickly or as efficiently as AI, which can limit data-driven content strategies. This is where using AI together with a human touch may work to your advantage.
Does Juris Digital Use Generative AI for Content Creation?
Juris Digital is committed to providing the best legal content writing services possible. Our writers and editors are experts in the legal field, and in any other area(s) they cover. Because of the complexity of the subject matter we write about, combined with our dedication to quality, Juris Digital content will always be researched, written, and reviewed by humans.
However, that same commitment to quality means we are continually adopting new tools and technology into our repertoire. From project management software to keyword research platforms, the right tools help us create better content more quickly and efficiently. As AI continues to evolve, we will be testing it out to determine how it can best help us serve our clients. That said, we will only ever be using AI in tandem with the human touch. Our writers and editors will always be the last line of defense when it comes to verifying information or approving content for publication.
Human vs. AI Content Creation: Final Thoughts
As you can see, getting the most out of AI doesn’t typically involve replacing your whole marketing team with ChatGPT. Instead, the most effective approach is often to provide your human writers with generative AI tools that can boost efficiency and accuracy. By using AI in the right way, you can enable your team to create hundreds of articles in the time it used to take them to create ten.
In the grand scheme of things, neither AI nor human writers are “better” across the board. They’re just different. It’s like comparing apples and, well, robots. Both have their strengths and weaknesses, their magic moments, and their flaws. However, they complement each other beautifully. As we move forward, the ideal scenario might just be a harmonious blend of both, where AI aids human creativity and human intuition guides AI’s vast capabilities. After all, in this dance of words, there’s room for every dancer on the floor.
