Well, there’s a surprise! A copywriter who can see both sides of the argument! Wasn’t it ever thus?
‘It ain’t necessarily so,’ as the song once had it – especially when it comes to nothing less than the survival of livelihoods. And that’s why it’s pretty important to bring some perspective to the AI party.
Wearing my copywriter’s hat, I could easily sprinkle some verbal fairy dust on a particularly alluring creative concept – but how sustainable are similar lines of thinking when they’re being trotted out by increasingly ‘talented’ robots?
A major concern where copywriting is concerned is that words have meaning – serious import, even! And, as we all know, the wrong words in the wrong hands (and mouths) can very easily have unintended consequences!
There’s nothing new going on here, of course. We only to have to look at the great propagandists of history. The name Goebbels springs to mind – a Third Reich nazi Gauleiter who fully exploited the ‘new tech’ of his day: namely, radio and film.
And then there was the famous book from the 1950s – ‘The Hidden Persuaders’ by Vance Packard – that warned us all about the potential over-reach of psychology in advertising.
There’s a clear contrast here between the relatively clunky thinking of yesteryear and the infinite power that AI will likely have to manipulate our lives in the not-too-distant future.
In this yet-to-be-realised world, we shouldn’t be surprised when humans look for new ways to toy with people and their ideas. You’ll find numerous examples in history – in the Bible and among Greek philosophers to name but two. You’ll find all human life in AI… for the simple and reassuring reason that it’s the only currency in which its robots can deal!
Despite all the uncertainties – including possible impacts on employment, national security and many other issues we aren’t yet aware of – there are still many reasons to have faith in AI. And yet, even at its current rate of change, it’s commonplace to hear that copywriting and many other occupations are heading for the shredder. Which begs the question: why am I a fan of AI?
Reasons to Believe:
Why Copywriters Should Embrace AI
A good starting point is that the changes being created by AI are EVOLUTIONARY. OK… the changes may be a little more revolutionary than saying ‘there’s nothing new under the sun’ but it’s probably too early to say to what extent we may be facing major existential challenges.
In a copywriting context, at least, we’re still dealing with what amount to word-game shifts. How we’re arriving at these changes is different in that technology is gradually taking the reins but, as of 2026, humans are still in control!
It’s easy to get carried away with outlandish predictions of an AI future. This is a path well-trodden over the years by trail-blazing writers such as Aldous Huxley (Brave New World), George Orwell (1984) and H G Wells (The Time Machine).
The important point to make – as we stand on the edge of our present-day non-fiction precipice – is that AI must be part of a long-term vision. An international free-for-all is in no-one’s interests.
It could be that only time itself will deliver organic solutions that are acceptable to majorities across the world. This may be a tall order but it’s worth bearing in mind that nothing less than the intellectual capital of Planet Earth is up for grabs.
In the little corner occupied by the copywriting and marketing fraternity, we can only marvel at the tools we currently have at our disposal. These enable us to meld resources, information and determination to create fresh perspectives and opportunities.
Context is never static. Every second plays its part in the shifting sands of our time. With AI, change is open to interpretation more than ever. A part of the miracle that AI is set to achieve lies in the unimagined insights it provides for copywriters and anyone who doubts that the future has arrived.