The Copywriter and the Mouse
First Things First: The Panic
Flashback to 2 years ago — there I am, a freelance copywriter at Arthur Elliott, dreaming of going full-time. We’re sitting in the auditorium listening to this week’s rendition of “Presentation Station” where every other Monday, we gather as a team and listen to presentations put together by our peers. This week happens to be Andy Pfeiffer’s turn…our boss. He gives his presentation on ChatGPT, the latest in AI wizardry. The CliffsNotes? Get on board or get left behind.
My heart dropped to my shoes.
I left Presentation Station in a downward spiral. All I could think about were my student loans for my possibly soon-to-be useless degree. But Andy kept saying, “It’s only as good as what you put into it.” So, I clung to that hope and decided to give this AI thing a shot.
The Slow Embrace
Fast forward — I’ve been a full-time copywriter for almost a year and a half. And I’m slowly (but surely) letting ChatGPT into my daily routine. Setting my ego aside was tough — IS tough. I mean, I was hired for my supernatural ability to string a killer sentence together…and now there’s a chatbot that might do it better? Ouch.
At first, I used ChatGPT for the low-hanging fruit: social media headlines and captions. I’d feed it examples to help it get the tone right. It was a bit like training a puppy — not perfect, but it was getting there.
Over time, I found myself trusting ChatGPT more and more. Sure, it didn’t always nail it, but it gave me new ideas and angles I hadn’t considered. I’d mash up its suggestions to create something with which I was happy. And so, it became a tool in my toolbox. One that I slowly broke in until it fit the shape of my hand perfectly and I knew that with it, I wouldn’t miss (yes that’s a hammer analogy).
Using AI didn’t make me less of a copywriter; it just made me a smarter one. It freed up my time for bigger, more strategic tasks, and gave me the space needed to really flex my creative muscles.
The New Normal
Am I still a little scared? You bet. AI is only getting smarter. But ignoring AI would be occupational ruin. I’ve learned that adapting and learning alongside the artificially intelligent tools programmed to do my job better than me — is the only way forward.
So — to anyone freaking out about AI, you’re not alone. But know that fear is a bigger career killer than any robot. My advice? Experiment with it and have fun (because it’s actually pretty cool). Let go of your ego and dive in because growth comes from stepping out of your comfort zone.
Take a breath, read a book, and remind yourself that AI isn’t here to steal your job; it’s here to make you better at it. With it, we can push boundaries. Yeah, maybe we’re not writing the next great American novel, but we’re definitely creating some kick-ass ads.
