When ChatGPT burst onto the scene at the back end of 2022, there were plenty of doom-laden predictions in the world of copywriting. Why would anyone hire a copywriter - so the thinking went - when you can just get ChatGPT to spit out pitch perfect copy in a couple of seconds?
But things didn’t quite turn out like that. Whilst ChatGPT has undoubtedly had a big effect on the world of copywriting, it perhaps hasn’t turned the industry on its head like many thought it would.
So how exactly has copywriting changed in the post-ChatGPT era, and what will happen over the next few years? It’s time to get that crystal ball out again.
ChatGPT is making life easier for some copywriters…
One of the reasons why ChatGPT hasn’t been quite as influential as we thought it would be is because, well, nobody quite knows what to do with it.
The issue certainly isn’t anything to do with awareness. More than half of people in the US and UK know about the tool - but just 18% in the US and 9% in the UK use it regularly (once a week or more).
But those numbers are a little bigger for copywriters. According to the ProCopywriters Survey 2024, 60% currently use generative AI tools in their work. And when asked whether AI-produced copy featured in their final work for clients, 51% said that it did. Yep - the majority of copywriters are using at least some AI-generated copy in their final work. That seems like a lot.
So how exactly are copywriters around the world using genAI tools in their work?
Freelance copywriter Gregg Sugimura has recently started testing out Gemini - Google’s answer to ChatGPT. He sees it as a good starting point for new copywriting projects, though the copy it generates probably isn’t going to make it into the final version.
“I would use it as a good jumping off point for ideas or direction, but still rip it to shreds and rewrite it like a human,” he says. “It's good for bouncing rewrites off of. I'll write: ‘Review this _____’ and get some ideas as to how I can improve it.”
Generative AI can also be a useful tool for non-native speakers to express their thoughts with a little more clarity. According to Julie Rhiles, a freelance copywriter from Ukraine living in the USA, ChatGPT’s ability to reword phrases is one of its biggest pluses.
“As a non-native English speaker, I sometimes feel like a great thought is on the tip of my tongue but I can't quite capture it in words,” she explains. “That's when I ask AI to suggest X ways to say Y, and the right wording is usually there, or I get inspired by the suggestions and am finally able to put the words together myself.”
Julie says the tool has also been handy for creating audience personas and identifying common challenges faced by those theoretical personas. Galin Lybuchev is another copywriter who uses ChatGPT not for the actual writing part, but for drafting content and brainstorming ideas.
“It has significantly improved my productivity,” he says. “It helps with initial drafts, allowing me to focus more on refining and perfecting my work.”
Overall, the ProCopywriters Survey suggests the majority of copywriters are using genAI for research and ideation purposes rather than actually using it to write.
Maybe that shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. But maybe we’re also looking at this from the wrong perspective. Because copywriters who can actually write are probably just going to do the writing themselves.
The people most likely to be using genAI to write copy are the people who aren’t so good at writing. That includes some copywriters, but mostly applies to the clients themselves. And if clients are using genAI to produce copy instead of a copywriter, logic dictates that there will be less demand for copywriters. But is that actually the case?
…but there’s no doubt that it has negatively affected the industry
Whilst it’s difficult to get many concrete stats about the economic impact of ChatGPT on the copywriting industry, one academic study found that demand for freelance writers fell by 30% between July 2021 and July 2023. The report analysed data from an online freelancing platform.
Besides the limited data, there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that client demand and market rates are both down.
Galin has noticed clients ‘opting for cheaper AI-generated content’ over that of a pro copywriter. “It has affected my workload and rates. Additionally, I’ve had to spend more time editing AI-generated work to ensure quality,” he says.
Roan Go reckons the ease of churning out AI-generated content has led to a downturn in price.
“Some clients have started paying less for writing services, expecting quick turnarounds facilitated by AI. This has sometimes undervalued the nuanced work that only a human writer can provide.”
Other copywriters have even lost clients to AI - including Shari Lynn. She says that even if AI-produced content isn’t as high-quality or effective as human copywriting, clients are ploughing on with it regardless.
“Some have come back, but others have stubbornly continued down the AI path, even though it's not getting them the same results I did - and they readily admit that to me.”
What does it all mean?
The consensus is that ChatGPT will only get better over time. But two years on from the launch of ChatGPT, can we really say the quality of its copy has noticeably improved? I would say no. Not only that, but there’s even a train of thought that it could actually get worse. So if it has plateaued for now, what does that mean for copywriting?
For one, it means that only the best copywriters are going to survive. The top 10-20%. The ones who can write content that’s noticeably better than AI. But also those who bring things to the table that AI can’t: a human-human relationship, guidance, flexibility, and genuinely unique work that makes businesses stand out. And yes, they might also break into that top bracket by using AI in the same way that the copywriters we spoke to are doing - whether that's generating new ideas, rewording repetitive phrases or improving content they've already written.
Same goes for businesses. You’re only going to stand out from the crowd if your copy is in the top 10-20%. Churning out AI-produced copy won’t turn any heads or win you more business, especially because that’s what most of your competitors are doing.
ChatGPT hasn’t replaced human copywriters yet, and I don’t think it will anytime soon. As long as copywriters can continue to bring value where genAI can’t, they shouldn't quite be overthrown by our AI overlords just yet.
But it’s probably best to ask this question again in two years.
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