Your Whitepaper is Irrelevant | Why Telling Authentic Stories Is Critical in a Post ChatGPT World
The Humanities Have Fallen
The world is now changed. Over this past fall and holiday season, I observed a rising wave. It was a wave that shocked me because I felt it was too soon. It was a wave that left me stunned because I never thought it would be possible. It was a wave of interest in applications that, whether you realize it or not, have changed humanity forever:
AI generated art that made my jaw drop and overwhelmed me with awe
AI generated photos that look like the real thing
AI generated writing that’s closer in execution to a high schooler than what we would consider “robotic”
I recall growing up, whenever AI would be discussed, it was collectively assumed that the first things to be overtaken would be mindless, repetitive tasks. But the area that would always remain untouched, because it is uniquely human, is our ability to create art.
It is to my complete surprise, and highly ironic then, that is is art and the written word, two pillars of what we call the “humanities”, that are the first to be completely automated by AI.
ChatGPT and its Inevitable Impact on Content Writing
Like Google before it, ChatGPT is a stupid name that, in a way, veils its significance. I’m not usually the first in line to try new technology, but this is different… vastly different.
Why? Because ChatGPT is a cheatcode to information-based thought leadership and content marketing. Obviously, information-based content marketing is already commoditized and at its saturation point. ChatGPT has just put the final nail in the coffin, and more so.
In recent decades, one of the main ways that brands and leaders have differentiated themselves is through their thought leadership. You would position yourself as an expert in a particular field by providing valuable insights and information. But now, with ChatGPT and other AI-driven content generation tools on the scene, this strategy now seems like a fool’s errand.
ChatGPT, a language-based model developed by OpenAI, hasn’t merely revolutionized the world of content writing, it’s automated it. If info-based content writing is a simple math problem, then ChatGPT is a calculator. With its ability to generate human-like text, ChatGPT can produce large volumes of information-based content in seconds.
This means that very soon, no one is going to care about your ebook. No one is going to need your secret framework. Your whitepaper is irrelevant. Why? Because no one will search Google to find them. They’ll simply ask ChatGPT to generate it.
For example, last week I wanted to see just how smart this ChatGPT was. I asked it to provide a story framework, and what came back was a complete gut-punch. It generated a 7-step framework that rivaled my own. The difference is it took me 10 years of crafting my clients stories to build my framework. ChatGPT did it in 10 seconds.
Allow yourself to imagine our very near future for a second. ChatGPT hasn’t just commoditized information-based thought leadership, it’s made it irrelevant. This is not something that will only replace content writing… it’s likely going to replace Google.
Against AI, What Makes You Relevant?
The challenge isn’t differentiating ourselves from our competition any more. In this post ChatGPT landscape, our challenge is differentiating ourselves from AI.
What makes us unique and valuable enough to be first in line ahead of ChatGPT?
I believe in this artificial, automated near future, the answer lies in personalization. To stand out, we must humanize our brands.
I don’t mean “personalization” in tailoring your content to your target audience. I mean getting personal, showing your humanity, and putting your authentic self on display. The only way to do this is by incorporating your own personal stories and experiences into your content.
Now, more than ever before, story is the new luxury.
It will be your stories that will connect with your audience on a deeper level. Whether they are your personal stories, brand stories, or customer stories, it’s stories that (at least for the moment) give us an edge over AI - that of genuine experience.
It’s your first-hand experiences that make you who you are. The same is with our brand. It’s how your clients experience your company, or your team, or your services that bond them to your brand.
Your stories are exactly what make you unique and relatable. They’re crafted through specific life experiences, how we struggle and unite through trials to succeed in the face of conflict, or how we fall and learn from failure.
In the face of AI, we must humanize our brands. We must show them as authentic and genuine. This means being bold, embracing transparency and honesty, and being tactfully vulnerable. It also means being selective about the stories you choose to share and making sure that they are relevant to your audience.
In order to get our audience to pick us over AI, they’ll need a very good reason. That reason is loyalty, a deep emotional bond, that can only be cultivated through the power of our authentic stories.
If you’d rather not risk becoming irrelevant and want to stay ahead of the wave, now’s the time to tell your story and connect with your audience. Let’s find your authentic story, and bring it to life in a meaningful way.