Can a Computer Replace a Writer? 🤖

Can a computer replace a writer?

FUCK YES. Of course they can!

At some point every task gets absorbed by a machine, then the human has a new opportunity to do other stuff.

In fact, what do you think you're reading this on right now? Am I actually communicating this article to you?

Nope.

You're reading it on a machine → Which fetched it through a trillion dollar machine infrastructure → Which got it from my machine server → Which I uploaded from my laptop machine.

This entire interaction you and I are having right now is happening because of machines!

...and us humans have the balls to think a machine could never replace us. We are all using machines right this second!

Well here's the good part:

Humans currently control machines.
Humans who adapt, thrive.
Humans who don't adapt, die.

"If you don't make technology your bitch, you will become it's bitch." -Bill Clinton

(Just kidding he didn't say that, I just made that up....but you get the point)! 😛

Let's take a look down memory lane at what the "writing" world used to be.

If you were a writer back in the early 1900's your tools of choice would be FAR different than if you were a writer today.

Paper. Typewriters. Pens. Folders. Filing Cabinet Systems. Adding Machines.

These were all the futuristic mechanical machines that used to rule the landscape not too long ago:

Paper fastener machine.

Envelopes and folders would be a big part of your life.

Pens used to be big business

Vest pocket adding machine.

Remington typewriters.

Filing cabinets would fill offices.

Old school crayons for checking.

Knowing how to use a typewriter was a high tech skill.

Being able to type accurately was also highly valued.

Ledgers were still a thing.

Typewriters were like the computers of the day.

Has anyone made a carbon copy in the last 25 years?

Now of course we look back on this stuff like it was so silly....but back in the day knowing how to operate and utilize these machines was high tech stuff, and could get you a job in an office around the country!

Imagine if someone who was used to operating a typewriter never gave into learning a computer.

They'd be out of a job.

Same kind of thing as accountants, secretaries, doctors, librarians, lawyers.....

The one's that don't adapt to new techniques eventually wither away.  

Your "Circle of Opportunity" is larger with more technology!

Back in the 1920's if you were a hotshot at using a typewriter, you might get a job simply duplicating documents with your typewriter. Your options for searching and getting a job would also be limited to your immediate surroundings.

The amount of income you make would be limited by your productivity, which is basically the task of a human Xerox machine.

For example if you were some suspender-wearing-pipe-smoking-1920's-typewriting hotshot, you could still only provide work to people in your immediate surroundings.  So this would be your entire "Circle of Opportunity" back then:

Such a tiny Circle of Opportunity 😕

There's ZERO chance you could work for a company from across the world, as the communication technology just wasn't there.

However as modern day person with computers, internet, software etc....your Circle of Opportunity is essentially WORLDWIDE if you have basic computer and internet!

Thanks to technology you can provide services to people anywhere in the world.

Now I can sit on my ass in Puerto Rico, feet kicked up, laptop out, and crank out a 3 page AppSumo email in 90 minutes that will go out to 500,000+ readers across the world and might generate $50,000 of revenue by tomorrow morning:

Thanks to technology there's been an extreme enlargement of my own "Circle of Opportunity." 

However......you can only participate in this new Circle of Opportunity if you keep up pace with basic technology of the time.

This 1920's tech bro was on the cutting edge then, but has had to adapt to stay competitive.

I think something to keep in mind is that automation usually happens on a reasonably slow pace, so you can see where things are going and adapt.

We didn't go from monks hand-copying sheets of paper to the iPhone overnight. It happened incrementally. There were millions of small improvements to technology that slloowwwllyy started improving a persons ability to distribute information:

Starting from a monk hand-copying text to another sheet of paper, we have come to this world of computers and phones and internet.....but it happened gradually with incremental improvements at each step (and thus time to adapt to each small change).

While the pace of innovation is happening faster than ever before, it's been kept up with by the pace of being able to LEARN ON YOUR OWN.

While you're sitting on the toilet today playing on your phone, you can also watch every Standford course on YouTube for free. So being able to keep up with changes is easier than ever.  

.....but back to our questions of "can a computer AI replace a writer?"

Well let's see an example of a fully-generated article based off a few words:  

This article was generated by a computer:

• Basic product descriptions.
• Social media replies.
• Customer support replies.
• Ad headlines.

In fact all these things already exist.

But this technology will get better and better over time, and as someone who pays attention to the writing industry, this will clearly be a useful tool that will allow me (or you) to provide more services for more people.

Increased Productive Output = Increased Income and Productivity.

Sincerely,
Neville "Totally Not a Robot" Medhora

P.S. See my full swipe file here....it's delivered to you by a machine.

P.P.S. Watch videos I pre-recorded and then allow you to watch through a machine.

P.P.P.S. If you're reading this, you're currently interacting with a machine.

P.P.P.P.S. Become a triple threat by learning more skills that control a machine. P.P.P.P.P.S. What do you think??