People are worried about AI coming for their jobs. Those who make their living slinging words seem to feel particularly vulnerable. It’s understandable. Just take ChatGPT out for a spin and you can see why some may worry.

This may rub some the wrong way, but if you think AI is going to take your job, you probably should take a hard look at what you do or who you do it for.

The problem with what you do

History is littered with examples of technological advancements eliminating jobs. Back in the early part of my career, desktop publishing was the threat. People who set type or created keylines felt like technology was coming for their jobs.

Those job titles eventually did fade away. The people who held them either pivoted or got out of the business altogether.

The point is that change is inevitable. And when it happens, you need to realize that you are not limited by your job title.

The problem with who you do it for

If you’re a writer and your employer feels like they can accomplish what you do with ChatGPT, is it really a place where you want to work? I mean, writers don’t just string words together. We bring insight and understanding about the business and those the business hopes to serve. We know how to connect with emotions. And turn a phrase in such a way that can motivate and inspire.

Can AI do that? Maybe one day. Who knows? But right now, great writers are invaluable. Even if it is simply knowing how to create the right prompt in order to get worthwhile results from the AI. Or taking the first draft of what AI created and crafting it into something exceptional.

What you should do

Stop thinking of yourself as just a writer. The really good writers I know are very good at strategy. After all, they tend to have great empathy and a knack of knowing how to connect with people. 

Figure out how to make yourself part of the strategy discussions that happen before someone decides that something needs to be written. This will do a couple of things. First, it will elevate your value as people see your abilities to help form the business direction. Second, it will make your writing even stronger. You won’t have to try and accommodate a mediocre strategy created by someone who has very little experience with how that strategy comes to life. Instead, you will find you have an insightful platform on which you can build a brilliant narrative.

AI weighs in

As a sidebar, I asked AI to write me a post on this subject. My prompt was, “Write a blog post about what people should do if they fear AI taking their marketing, advertising, or branding job.” What I got back was average at best. But I did find this line kind of funny:

“While AI can handle repetitive and data-intensive tasks, it still lacks the human touch when it comes to strategic thinking and creativity.”

This was basically the AI telling me what AI is simply not good at. Maybe it’s AI trying to lure me into a false sense of security. But I think not. The AI wrapped up the post with this bit of insight:

“One aspect where humans excel over AI is in establishing emotional connections with consumers. Marketing is about storytelling and connecting on a personal level. Leverage your understanding of human emotions, cultural nuances, and societal trends to create authentic and engaging campaigns. AI can assist in analyzing data to identify key trends and preferences, but it takes a human touch to craft compelling narratives and experiences that resonate with consumers.”

I have to agree. Humans are messy and unpredictable. Machines have a hard time with messy and unpredictable (at least today they do.) Let’s use that to our advantage.

Hope is greater than fear

Stop bellyaching that AI is going to take your job. If that’s all you do, it absolutely will happen. 

Look, change is scary. I get that. But change is also exciting. It can open doors to amazing things. We can view AI as something that is here to replace us. Or, we can look at it as something we can harness to enhance and empower our abilities.

Take a hard look at what your real value is. I guarantee it’s more than your grammar skills. Look for the things that are timeless. You have abilities that you have not stopped to consider or to voice.

AI will continue to advance. You can choose to view it as the thing that will end your career. Or you can choose to see it as a tool that you wield to do incredible things.