Machine learning is everywhere. It’s in our phones, our vehicles, and even in our homes. Some of its applications are obvious, like when you ask Siri to send a text message or play your favorite song.
Other applications are less apparent, like when Netflix recommends movies based on your viewing history or Google Maps estimates how long it will take you to drive to work depending on the current traffic conditions.
These examples may not seem particularly revolutionary, but they do point toward a future where machines can perform tasks previously left only to humans including writing.
Yes, you read that right: computer programs can now write articles (and not just clickbait-y listicles either).
And while this might seem like a problem exclusive only to freelancers who want to earn some extra cash by writing about their favorite topics online, the full implications of machine-written articles will soon reach every industry that involves written research and reporting in other words: all of them.
So let’s start by looking at what this trend is likely to mean for content creation as we know it and what it could mean for your career as a writer:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| AI is transforming the freelance writing industry, but it is unlikely to replace human writers entirely. |
| Freelance writers can stay competitive in the age of AI by focusing on their unique voice and writing style, developing their expertise in niche topics, and building strong relationships with clients. |
| AI can help freelance writers to streamline their workflow, reduce the time and effort needed to complete certain tasks, and improve the overall quality of their work. |
| However, there are also potential risks associated with using AI in freelance writing, including the potential for plagiarism or duplicate content, the loss of creativity and originality, and the risk of relying too heavily on technology at the expense of human connection and empathy. |
| To succeed in the changing landscape of freelance writing, it is important for writers to stay informed about the latest developments in AI and to be willing to adapt their approach to meet the needs of clients and readers. |
Machines Are Writing Their News
You may not have noticed, but computers are already writing news stories. They’re doing so in a way that’s different from how you or I would and it could change the face of journalism as we know it.
The concept is called “natural language generation,” or NLG, and it’s essentially a process where software can extrapolate insights from data very quickly.
In other words: if you ask a computer about your favorite sports team or stock ticker symbol, it will spit out an article that sounds like something a human writer would write about those things (though maybe not as good).
It works especially well with subjects like sports, finance, biotech, and more all topics that have lots of jargon involved and requires expertise to understand fully (for example: “what happened to stock XYZ?”).
Despite the rise of AI-generated content, freelance writers can still thrive in the industry by developing their unique voice and writing skills. As we’ve mentioned in our article on why freelance writers need not worry about being replaced by AI, machines cannot replicate the creativity and human touch that freelance writers bring to their work.
Computers Can Write About Complex Topics Like Sports, Finance, Biotech, And More
The ability to write about complex topics like sports, finance, biotech, and more has been a long-held dream of journalists and writers everywhere.
What better way to make your living than by telling people what they want to know but don’t have the time or expertise to find out themselves?
Well, we may be getting closer than ever before thanks to the rise of machine learning technology and its application in natural language generation (NLG).
NLG tools use algorithms that can take raw data whether it’s stock values or quarterly earnings reports and produce natural-sounding sentences based on the content. You can see how this technology might be useful in journalism:
Rather than having an editor research a topic before writing about it (and leaving other stories untold), NLG could automate this process so that stories are written based on real-world events as they occur.
It’s easy for us humans to forget that computers are good at doing lots of things we think only we can do well: Think about how quickly our devices translate text from one language into another; recognize images; play games like chess; even drive cars!
If you’ve ever had trouble understanding something complicated like sports statistics or financial news reporting you’ll know those areas aren’t exactly easy for anyone (let alone someone who is not an expert).
With machine learning models making sense of these complex topics by reading thousands upon thousands of articles published every day worldwide over many years’ time span, machines seem perfectly poised to take over writing duties from humans once again
They’re Already Being Used For Reporting Tasks
Computer-generated stories are already being used for reporting tasks like sports, finance, and biomedical reporting. The same is true for legal and business reporting across the board.
Computer-generated political analysis has been a thing since at least 1997 when Larry King asked an AI named “WorldNet” to predict who would win that year’s presidential election between Bill Clinton and Bob Dole and it’s still going strong today:
A recent article on Quartz revealed that an artificial intelligence system called Emma generates political articles using datasets from Twitter’s database of tweets about politics.
The obvious question is: Why would anyone use this technology? After all, humans have been writing news stories for centuries; there’s no reason why we would need any help now.
How Machine Learning Works
Machine learning is a subset of artificial intelligence (AI), which can be defined as “the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that require human-like intelligence.”
Machine learning allows computers to learn from data and make decisions without being explicitly programmed. It’s also a form of data analysis that allows computers to take in information, interpret it, and give an appropriate response based on what they’ve learned.
Machine learning algorithms are used for a variety of tasks like image recognition, speech recognition, language translation and even driving cars!
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It’s Called ‘natural Language Generation’ Or NLG
NLG is the process of turning data into written language. This means that instead of human writers and editors, computers can be used to create content for you. So, if a computer can write something for you on your website or blog and it’s good enough, why would you need freelancers anymore?
Well, I’m glad you asked!
First off – NLG isn’t quite ready for prime time yet (though I have seen some impressive demos). It’s still in its infancy stages and even if it was ready today there are still some problems with how this technology functions right now.
The biggest problem is that it doesn’t recognize context very well
Software Can Extrapolate Insights From Data
The software can read and understand data. That’s a given. But what about the context of that data? What about the implications of that data? What about the meaning of it?
What about its structure? Software is also capable of understanding all these things, which means that as machine learning becomes more sophisticated, it will become better at understanding how to use this information to create insights or even make predictions.
In other words, the software has an advantage over human writers in one area: It can extrapolate insights from data by reading through large amounts of available information (sometimes millions upon millions) instead of having to do any sort of research on its own.
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It Generates A Narrative From Those Insights
You have to understand the underlying data to appreciate how machine learning is changing freelance writing. Machine learning is a form of artificial intelligence that uses algorithms to make predictions or decisions.
The process of doing this involves training a computer using software, then feeding it large amounts of data that it can use to learn what’s important and figure out new ways to predict outcomes based on those insights.
While this may sound technical, the concept behind machine learning isn’t too difficult for most people to understand: computers are getting better at analyzing huge amounts of data faster than we ever thought possible.
So they’re able to learn things about us and our world that we never realized were there before.
The most useful part about having machines teach themselves how best-selling articles are structured or even write them entirely? Their ability to create content that’s readable by humans.
Most companies today still hire writers because they know readers like seeing human authorship on their websites or newsletters,
But companies are increasingly turning towards automated tools because they don’t want their customers thinking about what role humans play in creating these products; consumers just want something new every time they return.
The future of freelance writing with AI is bright and full of potential. As we’ve highlighted in our article on why the future of freelance writing is bright with AI, AI can help freelance writers to streamline their work and increase their productivity, while still preserving the human touch that makes their writing unique.
Computers Can Handle Certain Types Of Research Better Than Humans
Computers can handle certain types of research better than humans. They can search the internet, read data and analyze it, and write content at a faster rate than any copywriter or journalist has ever been able to do.
In recent years, there have been many advances in artificial intelligence (AI) that allow computers to accomplish tasks that only humans were able to do before. For example:
Google Translate uses AI technology to translate text between languages in real-time.
It’s far more accurate than its predecessor the Babel Fish from The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy because it learns from its mistakes as it goes along instead of simply translating word-for-word like the Babel Fish did (which was why so many of its translations were unintelligible).
Amazon uses AI technology for product recommendations based on books you’ve already purchased.
Their “people who bought this also bought this item” widget on product pages is an example of this kind of tool; it suggests books on similar topics after you’ve viewed one book on Amazon and clicked through into another one related to the same category.*
This Is The Future Of Freelance Writing
If you’re a freelance writer, you need to learn how to code.
The future of work is here. If you want to stay employed in this field and make good money at it you’ll have to start learning some computer science.
You should also learn how to write in a way that computers can understand, so they can do your job for you while making sure they never mess up or get bored with the same old process over and over again.
AI is changing the freelance writing industry in many ways, from automating repetitive tasks to generating content faster and more efficiently. Our article on how AI can help or hurt freelance writers explores the potential benefits and drawbacks of using AI in freelance writing, and how writers can adapt to this evolving landscape.
Machine Learning Is Destroying Freelance Writing
Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence. It’s an advanced form of statistical analysis, which means it uses big data and algorithms to improve itself.
If you’ve ever used Google Maps or Amazon’s recommendation engine or Netflix’s “taste-o-meter,” then you’ve experienced machine learning in action (albeit in a less sophisticated way).
Machine learning is the future of freelance writing because it can do things that humans can’t do, such as:
- Automate routine tasks like keyword research, SEO copywriting, and content curation
- Write high-quality articles quickly without any human intervention — even if English isn’t your native language!
- Improve upon itself as it learns more about what works best for your audience
Conclusion
For freelance writers, this is an exciting time to be alive. We are witnessing the rise of a new form of intelligence that will transform our industry and change the way we work forever.
It’s already happening: computers are learning how to write their own news stories based on data sets and advanced algorithms just like humans!
As these technologies advance, freelancers need not worry about losing their jobs instead they should embrace them with open arms; because if anything moves into the hands of automation first, it’ll probably be repetitive tasks such as reporting or data entry rather than creative writing.
Further Reading
If you want to dive deeper into the topic of AI and freelance writing, here are some additional resources to check out:
Will AI Destroy Your Freelance Writing Career?: In this thought-provoking Medium post, writer J. Matthew Bodnar explores the potential impact of AI on the freelance writing industry and offers some tips for writers looking to stay ahead of the curve.
Is AI Going to Kill Your Content Writing Business?: This article from Comms Breakdown takes a critical look at the rise of AI-generated content and its potential effects on freelance writers and content creators.
Will AI Destroy Your Freelance Writing Career?: This informative post from Unbox Career explores some of the pros and cons of using AI in freelance writing, and offers some tips for writers looking to adapt to the changing landscape.
FAQs
- What is AI-generated content? AI-generated content refers to written or visual content that is produced by artificial intelligence algorithms, rather than by human writers or creators.
- Will AI replace human writers? While AI has the potential to automate certain aspects of the writing process, such as generating basic news articles or product descriptions, it is unlikely to replace human writers entirely. Writing is a highly creative and nuanced process that requires empathy, critical thinking, and a human touch that machines cannot replicate.
- How can freelance writers stay competitive in the age of AI? Freelance writers can stay competitive by focusing on their unique voice and writing style, developing their expertise in niche topics, and building strong relationships with clients.
- What are the benefits of using AI in freelance writing? AI can help freelance writers to streamline their workflow, reduce the time and effort needed to complete certain tasks, and improve the overall quality of their work.
- What are the risks of using AI in freelance writing? Some potential risks of using AI in freelance writing include the potential for plagiarism or duplicate content, the loss of creativity and originality, and the risk of relying too heavily on technology at the expense of human connection and empathy.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.