An interview with ChatGPT: The future of copywriting + AI
“How is AI going to impact copywriters?”
EVERYONE is asking this question lately.
So this week, I’d like to introduce a special guest: ChatGPT.
We had a little convo today about all the questions I’ve been getting about AI as a laid-off-and-now-self-employed copywriter.
And I thought you might want to hear answers straight from the source.
So without further ado, please enjoy the following interview with a robot.
(I apologize in advance for the long-winded answers, cliches, and random bold/italic choices. But for the sake of transparency, I copied + pasted *exactly* what ChatGPT answered. And it’s actually pretty interesting.)
While I was writing this, I kept hearing Bender from Futurama saying, “KILL ALL HUMANS.”
What ChatGPT says about the future of copywriting
Here are the biggest questions people are asking about AI, and what AI itself has to say about them:
Me: Answer the biggest question we’re all asking: Will AI make copywriters obsolete?
ChatGPT: “Short answer: no — but it will absolutely reshape what ‘copywriting’ means.
AI is already replacing low-level, formulaic, and repetitive writing tasks. Things like:
SEO filler blogs
Generic email sequences
Social media captions
Product descriptions
Basically, anything that follows a predictable pattern and can be filled in with data.
But AI still can’t replicate the deeper human side of copywriting:
Lived experience and storytelling — it can’t pull from its own memories or emotions.
Nuanced empathy — it understands what empathy sounds like, not what it feels like.
Taste, humor, and timing — AI mimics these, but doesn’t truly create them.
Strategy and positioning — it can draft words, but it doesn’t know which words should exist to move a business forward.
So while AI will replace “content producers,” it won’t replace strategic thinkers who understand brand voice, persuasion, and audience psychology.
AI can generate the words. Humans decide which words matter.”
Me: Ok, that sounds promising. But how should business owners use AI in their copywriting and strategy?
ChatGPT: “AI is a great assistant, but a terrible decision maker.
Here’s what that means:
AI can help brainstorm ideas, polish drafts, and accelerate production.
But it doesn’t understand the why behind your message — your brand history, customer nuance, or the emotional subtext behind your offer.
It can’t decide what story to tell — it just helps you tell it faster.
When business owners rely too heavily on AI, a few problems pop up:
Their content starts sounding like everyone else’s
Their messaging loses authenticity and originality
They stop truly connecting with their audience because everything feels 'AI-smooth' — no rough edges, no humanity, no spark.
The best approach is a hybrid one:
Use AI to get momentum and ideas flowing, but let a human copywriter guide the message, strategy, and emotional depth.
AI can help you write faster. A human makes sure it’s worth reading."
Me: Sweet. In the meantime, how can human copywriters like me adapt to stay afloat?
ChatGPT: “Copywriters have two big options:
#1: Go deeper
Move away from surface-level writing toward strategic thinking, positioning, and conversion psychology.
Learn how to create messaging frameworks, brand voice guides, and long-term content strategies — things that require original thinking.
#2: Go broader
Expand skills beyond writing: AI prompting, data interpretation, UX writing, SEO, and performance measurement.
Know how to use AI as a tool — to speed up research, ideation, and editing — without letting it take over creative control.
New key skills for copywriters in the AI era:
Prompt engineering (knowing how to get useful output from AI tools)
Critical thinking and editing (turning AI’s generic drafts into sharp, authentic copy)
Brand voice mastery (because AI defaults to ‘neutral corporate’)
Creative strategy and psychology (what actually makes people buy)
Storytelling and emotional resonance (AI can’t fake a lived experience)
The future copywriter isn’t just a writer — they’re a strategist, editor, and AI operator rolled into one."
Me: Ok, now humor me — what do you think the copywriting industry looks like in 5 years? 10 years?
ChatGPT:
“In 5 years:
Most businesses will use AI in their content process — for drafts, outlines, or ideation.
Entry-level writing jobs (blog mills, content farms, low-budget agencies) will shrink.
But high-level copywriters will be in higher demand — because they’ll know how to guide AI tools, create unique brand voices, and ensure originality.
Copywriters who understand data, analytics, and storytelling will thrive.”
In 10 years:
AI will be more advanced and possibly able to imitate specific human styles with frightening accuracy.
But the value of authenticity and human voice will skyrocket.
Brands will compete to sound more human, not less.
Writers who can infuse soul into digital content — through real stories, opinions, humor, and emotional connection — will be the most sought-after.
The copywriters who survive the AI revolution won’t be the ones who write like machines — they’ll be the ones who write like humans.”
Me: So with all that in mind... what’s the TL;DR? What can we put into action right now?
ChatGPT: “AI can write words. You can move people. That’s your edge — and the sooner you learn to use AI without losing your humanity, the further ahead you’ll be.”
6 takeaways (from me, the human)
These answers are interesting. But none of this is groundbreakingly new.
(If ChatGPT is saying it, after all, we know it’s been said before.)
At the same time, though, this insight is comforting.
If you’re a copywriter, you know that…
All this AI chaos is not going away
But you have plenty of ways to adapt and stay relevant
And if you play your cards right, you might end up being more in demand than ever
If you’re a business owner, you know that…
It’s totally ok to use AI in your marketing
BUT you have to be smart and strategic to make it work
And working with a copywriter is a safe way to take advantage of AI without becoming bland, boring, or insignificant
Basically: A lot has changed.
And it’ll keep changing.
And you have the choice to treat this change as something daunting — or brimming with potential.
This article was originally shared in my embarrassing, brutally-honest newsletter: Sloppy Copy.
If you want to get totally-transparent copywriting lessons like this every week, pop in your email to join the party. 👇
