Why ChatGPT Isn’t Doomsday for Copyeditors
As of the early afternoon I’m sitting to write this, ChatGPT is at capacity and I’m unable to access it. Admittedly, I haven’t paid much attention to this much-hyped technology; I had, perhaps naively, convinced myself it would be one of those things that was heavily discussed on LinkedIn, but wouldn’t really permeate the outside world. However, its influence is becoming harder to deny, and as I continued to hear about it (mostly from my husband, who is utterly fascinated), I started to feel a small sense of discomfort. As someone who just pivoted their 15+ year career from communications and marketing to copyediting…would this already be the end for me?
I’ve been reassured that it’s not for two reasons:
Never underestimate the power of the human eye. When I worked for Edelman Public Relations in Chicago, one of my main roles was social media listening and reporting, where we created reports for clients about what their customers were saying online. We had many tools at our disposal to aggregate this data, and several claimed to be able to produce client-ready reports (something that many tools still offer today). How alluring, to be able to click a button and have everything ready to go instead of conducting hours of manual research and compiling reports. When looking at these automated reports, however, they lacked the nuance that comes only from a human reading, interpreting, and summarizing social media posts from customers. As I read content from ChatGPT, this becomes clear once again. At times, it’s stiff and robotic and lacks a compelling tone. Sometimes, it is very repetitive. Tools are incredibly valuable for creating efficiencies and even producing great work – but at the end of the day, they are just that—tools. For now, at least, they still require the perspective only a human can provide, whether you are a professional copyeditor or just using the tool in your day-to-day life.
Writing (and therefore, editing) will always be part of the human experience. It’s difficult for me to imagine the next great novel or marketing campaign coming from ChatGPT. To evoke emotion, to persuade, to relate, to inspire—this is the power of words, and this power is amplified when the passion, brilliance, or cleverness of the author shines through. Can a computer do this (yet)? In my opinion, really getting through to people requires that you, as the author, are also able to feel deeply, and this is what audiences can sense, whether they are watching a particularly great commercial, reading an amazing book, or perusing a blog post that ultimately convinces them to purchase something. And with great writing comes the need for great copyeditors.
ChatGPT has an important purpose and place, and I’m convinced it will live alongside the writers and copyeditors going about their work. It may change the landscape, as disruptive tools do, but at the end of the day, it’s yet another powerful tool in the toolbox.
Are you a copywriter, editor, or anyone else with an opinion on this? I’d love to hear it!
And, if you need a copyeditor to proofread your latest ChatGPT masterpiece (or any other piece of content), please reach out. I’d love to work with you.