ChatGPT is taking the world by storm. Since its release at the end of 2022, many industries are already using the chatbot for a variety of applications. ChatGPT has impressed many skeptics by its ability to produce responses that sound very human. Some even worry that this new AI will end up replacing a lot of writers. But many writers are embracing this new tool to help them streamline their writing process.
Should You Cite ChatGPT?
Universities are putting guidelines in place for students who want to use ChatGPT in their research papers and essays. But what about copywriters and content writers?
As far as who owns copyright to the work ChatGPT creates, OpenAI (the creators of ChatGPT) makes this simple. Their terms and conditions state:
“Subject to your compliance with these Terms, OpenAI hereby assigns to you all its right, title and interest in and to Output. This means you can use Content for any purpose, including commercial purposes such as sale or publication, if you comply with these Terms.” (OpenAI Terms of Use, Section 3.)
Interpretation: You can use anything ChatGPT produces for you, free of charge. And you don’t have to ask permission or give credit.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean you can copyright what it produces. Margaret Esquenet, an attorney at Finnegan, explained some of these nuances to Forbes.
“Absent human creative input, a work is not entitled to copyright protection,” Esquenet said. She went on to say that works created by ChatGPT may be considered public domain.
When to Cite ChatGPT
Outside of copyright issues, you might cite a source to give credibility or authority to information you’ve provided. This is the point at which it’s good to understand that ChatGPT is not an information database. It’s a large language model that predicts what text should come next in response to your prompts.
ChatGPT is very good at these text predictions. However, it makes errors. This results in major factual errors sometimes, so citing ChatGPT as an authority is not a good idea. And you should definitely fact-check anything it generates.
One reason you might disclose the use of ChatGPT in your content is to alert readers to possible errors. After all, if an AI can make errors, a human reviewer and fact-checker can too!
Will ChatGPT Replace Copywriters?
Many writers are worried that such an advanced language model will take over most writing jobs.
Jennifer Gregory, long-time content marketing writer, thinks that AI will cause a significant shift in the writing industry.
“I predict that AI will replace some (if not most) of the content that is currently created by content mills and low-paid writers,” Gregory says on her blog. “I don’t think that the projects that most high-earning writers work on, especially thought leadership, copywriting, and journalism-style content, are in danger.”
Gregory recommends that writers embrace AI and use it how they can as a tool in their writing process. And learn what AI cannot do and focus their business efforts on those things.
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