ChatGPT provides the clearest sign yet of how AI will commoditize the content ecosystem through replication.

Is artificial intelligence moving mainstream? OpenAI’s release of ChatGPT, a new AI chatbot, went viral last week, setting the internet abuzz for its rapid, human-like and fluent responses to almost any question. But why are people both anxious and excited? And what does it mean for marketers?  Let’s start with an example.  

I asked ChatGPT: “How does AI change content marketing?”  Here’s what it came back with in 10 seconds:

AI is changing content marketing in several ways. For example, AI can help improve the targeting of marketing content by analyzing large amounts of data to better understand the needs and preferences of individual customers. This can help businesses create more personalized and relevant content that resonates with their audience. AI can also be used to automate certain aspects of the content creation process, such as generating ideas for new content or even writing the content itself. This can save time and resources for businesses, allowing them to focus on more strategic tasks. Additionally, AI can be used to optimize the distribution of marketing content, by identifying the best channels and times to share it with potential customers. Overall, AI is helping to make content marketing more effective and efficient.

Not bad. Surprisingly fluent, in fact.  ChatGPT's fluency certainly adds to the text's credibility.

What are the origins of ChatGPT?

Built by OpenAI, the San Francisco AI company also responsible for tools like GPT-3 and DALL-E 2 (a breakthrough image generator that came out this year), ChatGPT works by applying a layer of Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF) — an algorithm reliant on human responses — to “create a new model that is presented in an intuitive chat interface with some degree of memory,” according to Ben Thompson at Stratechery.

In layperson’s terms, this means that ChatGPT is more human than prior search engines. For example, users who Google “what is the maximum dosage of vitamin D per day” simply received a ranked list of links. ChatGPT, on the other hand, formulated an in-depth dissertation, the Times of London reported.

Since its debut last week, many people have shared what the bot can do. New York magazine journalists told it to write what turned out to be a “pretty decent” story. Other users got it to write a solid academic essay on theories of nationalism, a history of the tragic but fictitious Ohio-Indiana War and some jokes.

What does AI moving into the mainstream mean for marketing?

How AI, like ChatGPT, will affect marketing

Here is Knotch’s perspective on how this kind of technology will change how content creators and digital marketers work.

First draft content: Marketers have long struggled with how to scale their content operation without hiring an army of creators to deliver engaging content that meets audience needs. ChatGPT can create content based on a set of prompts or keywords. This saves time and, at the very least, gets to a first draft that the writer can then add proprietary insights and the editorial voice the bots can’t replicate. In the memorable words of Bindu Reddy, CEO of Abacus.AI, ChatGPT “could potentially make for a great therapist”.

Customer service: ChatGPT can be integrated into a company's customer service chatbot, allowing it to provide instant answers to common customer inquiries. This reduces the workload on customer service agents and likely reduces the need for headcount.

SEO: ChatGPT can assist keyword research and generate meta descriptions, titles, and website articles focused on those keywords. SEO experts will be able to cover more strategic high ground because the routine work will be automated.  Two watch outs:  Your competitors will be able to replicate this work as well.  Google may recognize your content is auto generated and categorize it as spam, because it breaks their Webmaster guidelines.

Desk research: ChatGPT can generate categorical insights and thought starters, putting subject matter expertise in the hands of sales and marketing teams. It is not good with recent news or insights though, so there will be gaps.

Where are the gaps for AI in marketing?

Replication or distinctness:  Open-source AI going mainstream will raise the bar for everyone, including the industry in which you operate. Yes, there will be a first mover advantage, but that will be quickly emulated, and then replicated.  Recently, the Knotch team asked more than 50 marketing leaders the best way to create distinctness. The resounding answer? A consistent editorial voice. Said another way, it’s a distinct point of view that others cannot replicate. And ChatGPT is built on replication, not distinctness.

Input or output: Higher quality content is thoroughly vetted, sourced, and backed by an expert point of view. Its credibility comes from its objectivity and truthfulness. That’s not what ChatGPT offers. ChatGPT's credibility comes from its speedy fluency. Its results will need to be scrubbed — vetted, corrected, sourced, and justified. For the highest quality content and to ensure accuracy, ChatGPT may be an input, but it’s unlikely to be the final output. On its own, it is not fit for brand purpose.

Creation cost or total cost of content: For a brand, the cost to develop original content is a fraction of the total cost compared to the cost to run that content through approval processes (brand, legal, regulatory, compliance) — not to mention distribution and finding its audience. It’s the approval process that drains content of its integrity and distinctness. AI-driven processes that improve workflow may have a bigger impact.

Knotch’s recommendation

Sign up for ChatGPT, so you can experience the tool itself and understand how it might apply to your team or workflow.   Experience how ChatGPT creates replica content for your category and brand, and then war game how ChatGPT could deliver for your competitors.  Your path to distinctness should be identified by taking the path less traveled.  But don’t forget: Your closest competitor is already considering this, and creating an action plan.

About the Author

David Brown is Knotch's Head of Strategy, leading its strategic consulting practice. A former content marketing agency leader, and the current co-chairman of ANA's content marketing committee, he’s now focused on helping marketers put the building blocks in place to connect their content investments to business outcomes.

Learn more about Knotch Consulting