Artificial Intelligence in Content Creation: Generating Writing and Graphic Design
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is the intelligence of machines and software, as opposed to the intelligence of biological life forms.
The exact nature of intelligence is difficult to define, but prerequisites might include reasoning, problem-solving, learning, planning, knowledge representation, and decision making.
Other sub-problems of intelligence that apply particularly to AI include natural language processing, machine perception, robotics, and affective computing.
Artificial intelligence has been around for a long time but has recently experienced a boom of ongoing rapid progress leading to huge innovations in the area.
Applications include web search engines with advanced functionality like Google or Bing, recommendation systems such as used by Netflix and Amazon, and generative or creative tools, e.g. ChatGPT and AI art generators.
A Brief History of Artificial Intelligence
Early examples of AI include game AI, programs that could solve math problems, and natural language processing applications.
Unfortunately, early AIs were limited by the computing power of the time. AI researchers also struggled with things like implementing commonsense knowledge and planning in their AIs.
AI experienced its first boom in the 1980s and ‘90s with the rise of expert systems. These systems answer questions about specific domains of knowledge using information and logical rules.
Progress in artificial intelligence was slow but constant over the decades. Computers began to beat champion chess players. Chat-bots became more common. The increasing popularity of the Internet saw the rise of web search and recommendation algorithms.
Modern Artificial Intelligence: The Big AI Boom
Since 2012, advances in artificial neural networks and deep learning techniques have created an explosion in the sophistication and use of artificial intelligence.
Modern innovations in artificial intelligence have allowed for the creation of large language models like ChatGPT, as well as text-to-image models such as DALL-E 2, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion.
Artificial intelligence can now create content that is almost indistinguishable from that created by human artists.
This provides an opportunity for human content creators to use artificial intelligence as a guide to forge their own creations. But it also creates ethical quandaries.
The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Content Creation
Artificial intelligence is a valuable tool but using it as a content creator can be an ethical minefield.
Copyright issues with AI-generated content can be complicated and vary by region. Legal systems have yet to catch up with the sophistication of modern generative AI.
Artificial intelligence can be used to generate deepfakes that can provide false or misleading information. It can be used to catfish OnlyFans with a fake avatar or put false words in the mouth of a trusted celebrity.
AI “hallucinations” or biased training data may lead to incorrect or damaging information. Always double-check any research coming from an artificial intelligence.
When you use artificial intelligence to solve a problem, you are outsourcing a job, like copywriting or graphic design, to a machine.
Another major problem with the use of AI for content creators is the issue of originality:
If everybody with a fashion blog or vlog asks ChatGPT to give them a list of ten topics for content in the winter season of 2024, then many people will be releasing blogs or vlogs on the same topic.
If these creators go a step further and have ChatGPT write their blog or script, then many of them will essentially be releasing the same or similar content.
The search algorithms favor fresh content. Human audiences crave human opinions.
You will not rank on Google, YouTube, or your favored social media platform if your content is a carbon copy of that released by dozens or hundreds of other creators.
How to Use Artificial Intelligence as a Content Creator
With those caveats out of the way, let’s discuss how to get the most out of artificial intelligence.
DO use generative AI for ideas, research, and even writing and script outlines. Use it to fill in gaps that you cannot fill yourself. But always rewrite everything in your own words.
DO NOT plagiarize. You are a content creator. Create your own writing and scripts with the personal value that only you can deliver.
MAYBE use AI for the generation of art assets but be sure to understand the law regarding usage and copyright of your AI generated images.
If you can afford it, pay an artist or photographer for multimedia. Or create it yourself. Your audience will appreciate the quality, uniqueness, and human touch.
Top 10 Artificial Intelligence Tools for Content Creators
1. ChatGPT
ChatGPT will take a natural language text prompt and generate an answer based on anything you ask it. It has specialized knowledge in many fields. It can write prose, poetry, code, accounting worksheets, music, and jokes. It is prone to AI “hallucinations” or wrong answers so make sure you double-check any information ChatGPT gives you before using it in your own work.
Click this link for ChatGPT.
2. Bing Chat
Bing Chat is another natural language chatbot that provides information based on text inputs. Bing Chat is integrated into Microsoft apps and services such as Microsoft Edge, Skype, and the mobile Bing app. Unlike ChatGPT, which does not currently have the ability to index the web for information, Bing Chat prefers information from the web over its training data.
Click this link to go to Bing Chat.
3. Grammarly
Grammarly uses artificial intelligence to suggest spelling and grammatical corrections, enhance clarity of text, and improve the user’s writing style and tone. It’s like having your own AI-powered proofreader and editor.
Click this link for the Grammarly website.
4. Canva
Canva is a graphic design platform with AI features such as Magic Resize, image generation, AI-powered photo editing, removal of background from images, and text generation. These tools can be used to generate images, videos, and other content for a wide variety of online platforms.
Click this link for the Canva website.
5. Adobe Sensei
Adobe Sensei is an artificial intelligence integrated across many of Adobe’s products and services. It can be used for creative assistance, task automation, and has functionality to recognize and manipulate images and audio.
Click this link for the Adobe website.
6. Dall-E
Owned by the same organization that made ChatGPT, DALL-E is an artificial intelligence that generates images based on text prompts. Users must buy credits in order to generate images, although users who signed up before April 6, 2023, get free credits to use every month. Users own and are granted commercial rights for images they generate with DALL-E.
Click this link for DALL-E.
7. Stable Diffusion
Stable Diffusion is another AI image generator that creates images based on text prompts. Unlike DALL-E, it is free for all to use, although they also have a Premium Plan that generates images faster and unlocks advanced features.
Click this link to open the Stable Diffusion website.
8. Craiyon
Craiyon is another text-to-image generator. Craiyon is free to use, but images generated on a free plan contain a watermark. There are paid plans that allow users to remove the watermark while also granting other features like faster image generation times.
Click this link for Craiyon.
9. Lumen5
Lumen5 is an artificial intelligence product that takes text-based inputs (e.g. blog posts) and transforms them into videos. Lumen5 boasts millions of images, videos, and music clips to incorporate into your content, as well as templates to help inspire creativity and ensure brand consistency.
Click this link for the Lumen5 website.
10. Crayon AI
Not to be confused with Craiyon, Crayon AI is a platform that provides intelligent feedback on industry trends and competitors, allowing creators to keep up to date on what is happening in their niche and adjust their output accordingly.
Click this link to go to the Crayon AI website.
Conclusion
The increasing power and capabilities of modern artificial intelligence can be harnessed by content creators for inspiration and content generation but should not be used to wholesale replace the human voice.
My top 10 artificial intelligence tools for content creation are:
- ChatGPT
- Bing Chat
- Grammarly
- Canva
- Adobe Sensei
- DALL-E
- Stable Diffusion
- Craiyon
- Lumen5
- Crayon AI
What are your favorite AI tools? Post them in the comments of this blog article.
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I wish you success in your content creation and exploration of the power of AI.