AI versus ‘human’-generated writing: spot the imposter

  Webposted by Guest Author    May 28th, 2024    11:05 am

Guest Post by Stacey McCarthy

The Mission: To determine if AI has a place in the day-to-day copywriting efforts of HI, or Human Intelligence. In our case, that’s a marketing manager with 20+ years experience in ‘art using words’ 😉

For this test, I selected ChatGPT 3.5 to put through the paces. Trying to be fair (although I don’t know if my controls will stand up to a full academic review) I selected two assignments – one that was more free/open and creative-writing focused, and another that was stricter and requiring careful nuancing. Can you spot the imposter?

Assignment A: Write 125 words describing why reputation is important to a brand

Which is AI and which is HI?

Option A

A brand’s reputation is its lifeline in the competitive market landscape. It acts as a compass guiding consumer choices and influencing purchasing decisions. A sterling reputation fosters trust, loyalty, and credibility among consumers, instilling confidence in the brand’s products or services. Positive word-of-mouth generated by a strong reputation amplifies brand visibility and attracts new customers. Conversely, a tarnished reputation can be detrimental, leading to lost sales, damaged relationships, and diminished market share. Reputation extends beyond mere transactions; it encapsulates the brand’s values, ethics, and commitment to quality. In an interconnected world driven by social media and online reviews, maintaining a stellar reputation is paramount for long-term success and sustainability. It’s not just about what a brand sells, but also how it’s perceived by its audience.

Option B

By selecting your company, a customer is making a commitment: opening a relationship that could last for a day, week, a year or forever (if you’re lucky). By hitching their horse to your wagon, a customer is inviting your brand into their home, family, life – a select club indeed. That’s why reputation is so critical to a brand, and why it can’t be bought or programmed. It’s earned. Through a series of incremental efforts such as quality control processes, management of customer complaints, community and charitable support, authentic responses to reviews and more, a company builds their reputation. These efforts demand time, energy, resources and passion. But they are the very ones that earn your company a customer’s trust and a place in their heart.

Assignment B: Write a 7-to-10 word compelling, positive and friendly (not formal) tagline that promotes why someone should live in a rural community

Spoiler Alert: Several of my own coworkers (!) had trouble determining which samples were written by me and which were AI-generated, which would suggest that the tech can be integrated into select creative writing endeavours, but that ongoing reflection is needed to ensure it’s used carefully, ethically and honestly.