Carlow Today & Tomorrow | Blog

For those pursuing a bachelor’s degree in communications, artificial intelligence (AI) might not seem like a topic they should be concerned with. But it turns out that nothing could be farther from the truth. 

While artificial intelligence (AI) is not a new technology, it has become increasingly ubiquitous. One recent survey found that 37 percent of businesses are using at least some form of AI and some of the most dramatic predictions suggest that a large percentage of jobs, including knowledge-based jobs, could be automated and eliminated within the next decade.  

But what about writing jobs? Is this most human of tasks a candidate to be automated, as well?

AI-Writing Technology 

It is already happening. Many major news organizations are employing AI-powered “robot reporters” that draw on natural language generation technology to write news stories such as summaries of corporate earnings reports or accounts of sporting events. In some experiments, AI has been used to create everything from poems, to jokes, to recipes, to even entire novels. 

But while AI can be used to write, the technology probably is not going to replace human writing. At least not entirely. Machines cannot match the human ability to tell engaging stories. In fact, while AI content creation tools can generate copy, they do not have the ability to understand what, exactly, they are writing. As a result, much of this AI-generated writing is of poor quality and, at best, needs to be edited by—you guessed it—a human being. 

So, in the future, what will the relationship be between human writers and AI? The most likely scenario will be one in which humans and machines co-exist as content creators. AI will be relied on to produce straightforward, time-intensive and/or mundane content, while human writers will be freed up to focus on more “value-added” content; the writing that makes readers think, act or feel emotions. 

AI-fueled technology will also make human writers’ jobs easier. In fact, as with the rise of the robot reporter, it is already happening. When you use the Editor feature in Microsoft Word or employ autocomplete technology in email programs such as Outlook or Google Mail, it is AI that makes these features possible. 

Gain the invaluable skills you need for career success with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication from Carlow University in Pittsburgh.  Choose from multiple program-specific tracks, each of which will provide access to hands-on learning opportunities, such as developing your news writing and research skills or polishing your broadcasting skills. Classroom and real-world practice help you hone problem-solving, team-building and critical thinking skills, all highly sought after by employers.

Tags: how artificial intelligence is changing writing and communication