Are you reading AI content?

AI writing tools are increasingly being used to produce high-quality content quickly and easily. 

While these tools can have many benefits for businesses and individuals, they also raise big questions about the authenticity, originality, and quality of online content.

In this blog, we'll dive into the world of AI-generated content, including the methods and tools for detecting it. 

We'll also discuss the ethical considerations of using AI writing tools. And we'll finish by asking the question that every tech-savvy business leader is considering: should we be using AI to write our content?

AI writing tools

The release of ChatGPT grabbed all the headlines and captured the imagination of people all over the world. But it's just one of the many chatbots and language models producing content that mimics how humans write.

In fact, there are dozens of tools and apps that can write like people, including Writesonic, HuggingFace, Copy.ai, and WordAI.

But in terms of quality, usability, and scale, two tools stand head and shoulders above the rest. They are:

ChatGPT: Created by OpenAI, it uses the GPT-3 language model to generate human-like text based on a given prompt. ChatGPT is arguably the most advanced AI writing tool currently available. It can produce entire blogs, articles, and even short stories based on a single prompt. And it's fast. ChatGPT creates 500-word blogs in under 30 seconds.

Jasper:  An AI-powered writing tool that helps users create high-quality content, like blogs and SEO articles, in minutes instead of hours. Jasper has the ability to learn and then adapt to individual writing styles over time, meaning it can produce more personalised content with a human-like tone and voice. 

How do AI writing tools work?

AI writing tools use advanced algorithms to analyse large amounts of existing text and identify patterns and structures within it. These algorithms are typically based on machine learning, which improve (or 'learn') as they're exposed to more data.

Some AI writing tools, like ChatGPT, use neural language modelling. This involves training a neural network to predict the probability of each word in a given sentence or sequence of text. It enables the tool to generate content based on a prompt or input.

How many people are using AI writing tools?

Around 12% of companies use AI to produce some of their content, according to a report by SEMrush. 

 And that figure is likely to get much higher in the near future.

According to a report by MarketsandMarkets, the global AI content creation market will be worth $1.3 billion in 2026. 

Some experts believe that the vast majority of future online content will be AI created. A report by Interpol estimates that as much as "90% of online content may be synthetically generated or manipulated by 2026."

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How do you know if you're reading AI content?

Spotting artificially created text can be challenging. But it's far from impossible. 

Edward Tian, a 22-year-old computer science student at Princeton, designed an app to detect whether his fellow students are using ChatGPT to write their essays. Tian, who is minoring in journalism, says his app can "quickly and efficiently" decipher whether text is human or ChatGPT generated.

But you don't always need an app to determine if what you are reading was written by a human or a robot. For example:

Look at the structure

One way to identify AI written content is by looking at the structure of the content. AI-generated content often lacks depth and complexity, using overly simplified language that is easy for algorithms to understand. Human-written content usually contains more sophisticated information with a greater degree of nuance, as well as a variety of sentence types.

Pay attention to style

AI writing tools have a distinct style. Look for unusual or repetitive language. An overly formal or 'stiff' tone is another sign that the content is AI-generated.  

Look for personality

AI-generated content tends to lack a personal touch. If the content feels overly generic and lacks emotion or personality, then it is likely that it was written by an algorithm rather than a human.

Check for errors

AI-generated content is usually free of grammatical errors and typos. But because it's still learning, it can make noticeable mistakes or errors you wouldn't expect from an experienced copywriter or content writer. They could include missing or misplaced commas, unusual capitalisation, or inconsistent use of verb tenses.

 Unusual word choices

AI writing tools tend to use overly simplified language and repetitive language. Keep an eye out for words or phrases that are out of place or that a human writer is unlikely to use in a particular context. Words like 'furthermore,' 'moreover,' or 'additionally' used throughout a piece of content are common indicators of AI-generated text.

AI detection tools, extensions, and plug-ins.

Here's an overview of the tools and plug-ins you can use to detect AI content:

Online tools

The OpenAI GPT-3 detector can identify content generated by GPT-3. 

Browser extensions

The AI Writer Detector extension for Google Chrome does exactly what it sounds like. The GPT-3 Detector extension can also identify text that was probably written by a content bot.

Software solutions

The OpenAI Detector by Hugging Face identifies content generated by GPT-2 and GPT-3.

Then there's Originality AI, a software tool designed to help writers and content creators ensure work is original, free from plagiarism, and written by 'real' people. Originality AI scans text and gives it an AI detection score of 0 to 100. A score closer to a hundred means there's a higher chance that the content was written (or at least typed out) by human hands.

The implications of AI writing

The AI genie is out of the bottle, and it's not going back inside.

So what does this mean for the future of content creation and consumption? 

Firstly, these tools could decrease the demand for human writers and editors, leading to job losses.

There's also the possibility that AI writing tools could create biased, offensive, factually incorrect, or inappropriate content. 

In a recent interview, tech investor Mark Cuban warned that online misinformation "will only get worse" as artificial intelligence platforms evolve and spread.

"Once these things take on a life on their own...it will be difficult for us to define why and how the machine makes the decision it makes, and who controls the machine."

Then there's the very real risk of dumbing down. The widespread use of AI writing tools may decrease the quality and authenticity of the content produced. At the moment - and possibly forever - content generated by AI lacks the nuance and depth that comes from human experience and creativity. This explains why it's often formulaic or generic.

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Should you use AI content creation in your business? 

This is the big question! AI content tools will dramatically speed up your content creation, driving efficiency by reducing costs and giving you more time and resources to focus on other tasks. 

But delegating all your content to the AI comes at a cost. You will be sacrificing a certain amount of quality and, more importantly, authenticity. 

After all, only a human can truly understand what another human is thinking, feeling, or wants - and that's a central part of crafting original and meaningful messages that connect with your audiences.

The general consensus from the experts is that businesses should use AI to augment rather than replace their current content creation processes.

"AI-generated content can be a powerful tool for businesses and individuals, but it's important to ensure that the content being produced is high-quality, original, and authentic," writes Ivan Boychuk, Marketing Specialist at Promodo. "The best content is still produced by humans, but AI can help to support that process and make it more efficient."

Final thoughts

AI-generated content has the potential to save businesses time and money, but it's crucial to keep your main focus on value, authenticity, and quality. In other words, companies should carefully consider the impact of AI-generated content on their brand and reputation and always use these tools in a way that is ethical and responsible.

Let AXD help

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We are a B2B copywriting and content marketing agency based in Manchester. Our technologists, business leaders, and copywriters have experience in various technology industries — from early-stage startups to scale-ups and Fortune 500 companies. Whether you're a startup or a global brand, our international experts will give your content the edge, enabling you to open conversations, build relationships, & drive customer loyalty.

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