SEPTEMBER 12, 2023 / BY BARBARA WELTMAN
Today, anyone (including me) can figure out how to use ChatGPT (Open AI) to create content. It can produce blogs, marketing materials, video scripts, and more. This generative AI tool is free and can be helpful. But there are some serious issues to note. Here’s my take on how I’ve been using it and what you should consider if you use it for your business.
The good
Enter the question or subject you want covered and in a matter of moments you get a full article, or at least points to include in an article or whatever content you’re trying to create. I’ve found this helpful to:
Organize my thoughts on a subject. The material generated by ChatGPT flows in an understandable manner. I’ve found this to be useful in how to approach a topic.
Not overlook some aspects of a subject. Because ChatGPT does research for you, it may find areas of a topic you never considered. It induces you to look further.
If you ask ChatGPT “what are the benefits of using it to generate content,” you get a numbered list of 17 factors:
Efficiency
Versatility
24/7 availability
Scalability
Consistency
Multilingual support
Reduced human error
Enhanced creativity
Data-driven insights
Accessibility
Language assistance
Learning and training
Consistent brand voice
Reduced workload
Cost-efficiency
Rapid prototyping
Privacy and confidentiality
The bad
My advice: don’t use the AI-written material as presented. It can create problems for your business because:
There may be inaccuracies. A New York attorney used ChatGPT to create a legal brief that was filled with fake judicial opinions and legal citations. Will those who are duped into using false information be subject to ridicule, losses, penalties, or other sanctions?
You risk copyright infringement. Authors’ works are being used by AI without permission. A class action lawsuit filed in federal court alleges that ChatGPT uses material from books and other texts that were “copied by OpenAI without consent, without credit, and without compensation.” It may be quite a while before there’s any decision on the case, but it raises the question: Do authors have any protections against unauthorized use by AI?
It may not have your “voice.” The text created by AI is straightforward. It may not reflect how you like to say things. It certainly doesn’t include your insights, experiences, and opinions.
If you ask ChatGPT “what are the drawbacks to using it to generate content,” you get a numbered list of 16 factors:
Quality and accuracy
Lack of content understanding
Bias and fairness
Ethical concerns
Human oversight requirements
Lack of creativity
Inability to think critically
Limited long-term memory
Data privacy
Overreliance on AI
Training data limitations
Cost
Complexity
Loss of human touch
Legal issues
Limited multi-model abilities
Final thought
ChatGPT is a tool, not a substitute for your writing efforts. As with any tool, it can save you time, help you be more efficient, and enable your business to grow. But just because a jackhammer can demolish cement, you wouldn’t let go of this tool and expect it to do the job on its own. If you use ChatGPT, don’t let go.