I remember countless conversations with my friend Paula Camp, as she told me over and over again that content was king. I believed it then trying to keep the table stable. It was then, and still do to this day. But the latest developments in the world of AI (artificial intelligence) are about to rock the kingdom.
At the prompting of a co-worker, I signed up for Bard from Google (bard.google.com) and was almost immediately granted access to their AI writing tool. I'll be showing you the power of this free tool in a few moments.
The use of AI to write content is a bumpy path with lots of potholes in the road, and many questions that have yet to be answers regarding ethics, accuracy, the stigma of a computer writing content and the lack of human involvement in the content process. Google, as I signed up for their experiment, is quick to point out that this is an experiment and that errors will occur. That was the case with the copy I had it write and share below. But as technology learns, errors should be less, and the content written by humans vs. a computer will be less and less distinguishable. It already is.
I find the concept fascinating, and scary at the same time. There are no visions of a robot uprising dancing in my head, and I have yet to watch 2001 - A Space Odyssey. But at the same time, I value and believe that the judgement of a real person has qualities that a computer doesn't have -- at least yet!
For now, I'm putting on my hat as a former publisher for a newspaper and thinking about how content can be generated to help better inform people and provide a better value to the newspaper. Though the application of this type of technology is far reaching beyond a small town newspaper office.
A lot of newspaper companies might look to use this technology as a way to cut costs even further. There is a track record over the past 20 years that suggests that to be the case. But I see this as something that can help those that are still battling to fill the news-hole that they are given to fill for their daily / weekly products.
Taking a few details from a flier for a church fish fry could yield a nice brief, when otherwise that content might never make it in print or on the website. The opportunities are endless in what could be done to provide coverage to people and organizations that might never otherwise get the attention of a newsroom that is strapped for staffing, struggling to get the basic newspaper out the door.
I cannot imagine my personal blog posts ever being taken over by AI generated content. First off, writing this is a creative outlet for me that I thoroughly enjoy. I also feel that these blog posts / columns, no matter how big or small the audience, are a reflection of my character and just who I am. If I'm going to post something that might impact my character, then I'm going to write it. No offense Bard.
Newsrooms would need to take the same approach. Yes, everything printed in a newspaper makes up the credibility of that newspaper. But the stakes for that church fish fry are much lower than a story about the decision being made by city council. Reporters need to keep reporting, and use AI as a tool to help supplement content for the publication.
Now as promised a couple examples of the work of Bard. I asked the program to do two content pieces for me; a blog post on AI, and a recap of the Boston Red Sox game yesterday.
For the blog post, this is all I provided Bard: blog post on the power of AI generated content for marketing. Bard wrote:
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the world, and marketing is no exception. AI-generated content is becoming increasingly popular as a way to create engaging and informative content that can help businesses reach their target audiences.
There are many benefits to using AI-generated content for marketing. For one, it can help businesses save time and money. AI can be used to create content quickly and easily, without the need for human writers. This can be a huge advantage for businesses that are short on time or resources.
Additionally, AI-generated content can be highly personalized. AI can be used to create content that is tailored to the interests and needs of individual customers. This can help businesses build stronger relationships with their customers and increase sales.
Finally, AI-generated content can be used to improve SEO. AI can be used to create content that is optimized for search engines, which can help businesses rank higher in search results and attract more traffic to their websites.
Overall, AI-generated content is a powerful tool that can help businesses achieve their marketing goals. If you are not already using AI-generated content in your marketing, now is the time to start.
Here are some tips for using AI-generated content in your marketing:
Use AI to create high-quality content. AI can be used to create content that is both informative and engaging. Make sure that the content you create is well-written and error-free.
Use AI to personalize your content. AI can be used to create content that is tailored to the interests and needs of individual customers. This can help you build stronger relationships with your customers and increase sales.
Use AI to improve your SEO. AI can be used to create content that is optimized for search engines. This can help you rank higher in search results and attract more traffic to your website.
Use AI to track the results of your marketing campaigns. AI can be used to track the results of your marketing campaigns and measure the impact of your AI-generated content. This will help you optimize your campaigns and get the most out of your AI investment.
AI-generated content is a powerful tool that can help you achieve your marketing goals. If you are not already using AI-generated content in your marketing, now is the time to start.
For an update on the Red Sox road win vs. Detroit yesterday I had to provide a little more info. But still way less than effort than a full story. I provided: Boston Red Sox win 6-3 vs Detroit Tigers in major league baseball. Chris Sale was the winning pitcher for the Red Sox. Adam Duvall hit a 3 run home run in the sixth inning, breaking a 3-3 tie. It was the 2023 home opener for the Detroit Tigers. Held Thursday, April 6.
Before I share with you what Bard created for me - which is truly amazing. I do want to point out that there are errors in the story. Bard has reported the overall record for both team inaccurately, showing the need for human interaction and vetting. Bard also incorrectly reported that Matt Barnes pitched and earned the save in the game. Barnes is no longer with the team and Bard has wrong information. But the first half of the story is spot on - here is what Bard wrote:
The Boston Red Sox defeated the Detroit Tigers 6-3 on Thursday, April 6, 2023 in the Tigers' home opener. Chris Sale was the winning pitcher for the Red Sox, and Adam Duvall hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning to break a 3-3 tie.
The Tigers took an early lead in the game, scoring two runs in the first inning on a single by Jonathan Schoop and an RBI double by Miguel Cabrera. The Red Sox tied the game in the second inning on a solo home run by Rafael Devers.
The game remained tied until the sixth inning, when Duvall hit his three-run home run to give the Red Sox a 6-3 lead. Sale pitched six innings, allowing three runs on six hits with six strikeouts. He was relieved by Matt Barnes, who pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his first save of the season.
The Red Sox improved to 2-1 on the season, while the Tigers fell to 1-2.
It is a cautionary tale, using computers to write content. It has pitfalls as demonstrated, but it also has a lot of upside potential to help fill the need for content.
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