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White Paper World 18: March 9, 2023

  • Fresh: Can ChatGPT write a white paper? See for yourself!
  • This just in: AI for Content Marketing Blueprint
  • Free event: AI for Writers Summit March 30
  • Our February Book Winner: See the best joke from ChatGPT

Fresh: Can ChatGPT write a white paper?

cover-v2-9-reasons-why-ChatGPT-can-t-write-your-next-white-paper
The naysayers said no. ChatGPT said no the first few times I asked.

But I kept pushing—until one day it said yes.

Ten drafts and 150+ prompts later, here’s a full-length white paper written entirely by ChatGPT, with an intro, main body, conclusions, and endnotes.

I added a five-page Afterword on the process and my thoughts about the results.

 

See for yourself: Can ChatGPT write a white paper?

 


This just in: AI for Content Marketing Blueprint

AI for Content Marketing BlueprintThe Marketing AI Institute is the brainchild of Paul Roetzer, former agency copywriter turned author and entrepreneur who saw AI coming long before most marketers.

His company has already done two annual surveys on how marketers feel about AI.

And they recently published a great primer on AI in content marketing.

Among the highlights:

  • Why AI is a must for content marketers
  • Top content marketing use cases by industry
  • Some case studies of companies using AI for content
  • Overview of 14 top AI tools for content marketing

If you’re a B2B content writer or marketing manager curious about AI, this 23-page report is an excellent place to start.

 


AI for Writers Summit 2023 logo

Free event: AI for Writers Summit March 30

Happening March 30 from noon to 4 PM Eastern, this free virtual event is “designed for writers, editors, and content team leaders facing accelerating change driven by AI writing technologies.”

That sounds like us, right? I know I’ll be watching.

And you likely know one of the speakers: the always fun and insightful Ann Handley.

The presenters will discuss where AI writing stands today, the most likely places to use it, and how it will likely affect our career prospects.

I agree 150% with the organizer’s perspective: AI won’t replace writers—but writers who use AI will replace writers who don’t.

To find out more and register for this free event, visit https://www.marketingaiinstitute.com/events/ai-for-writers-summit

 


Our February Book Winner

My challenge for February: Get ChatGPT to write a joke that made you laugh.

Half a dozen readers had the courage to send me one, all the way from classic groaners to page-long stories.

I read each joke to my handpicked panel of comedy experts: my kids.

Matthew Jowett

Writer Matthew Jowett

And we all agreed on our favorite: so good it made my 12-year-old choke on her soup!

Our February book winner is Matthew Jowett, a British writer based in France.

Matthew’s website for Matt’s Copy Shop does everything right:

• It offers samples, testimonials, and a contact form
• It’s simple and easy to navigate
• It gives a good sense of his capabilities

Nice job, Matthew!

 

Matthew picked Marketing Warfare from my list of recommended titles, a true classic. Read on to hear his joke… and see the AI artwork I cooked up.

 


artwork for astronaut joke created by DALL-E

Truly scary artwork created by yours truly using DALL-E for the first time ever

Galactic ambitions: the best joke from ChatGPT

Matthew’s prompt to ChatGPT: Tell me a joke about a white paper writer, an astronaut, and an alien that does not involve a bar or a bartender, that is not written in the style of a robot, and which is really funny.

ChatGPT: A white paper writer, an astronaut, and an alien are stranded on a desert planet, with no means of communication to call for help. They look around for supplies and resources to survive until they are rescued.

The white paper writer says, “We need a plan to conserve our resources and ration our supplies. I suggest we create a detailed schedule for each day.”

The astronaut responds, “That’s a good idea, but we also need to find a way to signal for help. We can use reflective materials to create a visible distress signal.”

The alien, who had been quietly observing the conversation, finally chimes in, “I have an idea. In my culture, we communicate through dance. Perhaps we can create a dance that will attract the attention of any passing ships.”

The white paper writer and the astronaut look at each other, slightly skeptical. But they decide to humor the alien and ask, “Okay, show us the dance then!”

The alien begins to dance, with fluid and graceful movements that mesmerize the white paper writer and the astronaut. After a few moments, they join in, trying to mimic the alien’s movements.

As they dance, they notice something in the distance. It’s a rescue ship!

They had been spotted because of the reflective materials they had used to create the distress signal.

As they board the ship, the astronaut turns to the alien and says, “You know what, that dance might have just saved our lives!”

And the alien replies with a grin, “I knew my funky moves would come in handy one day!”

Wa-wa-waaaaaaa

 


robot telling jokes

The point is: AI is really bad at humor

I personally think AI is a long way from telling a simple one-liner like this:

What did the fish say when she swam into a wall?

Dam!

Despite all the furor over AI, humans need to remember what only we can do. Things like:

  • Come up with truly original ideas
  • Understand a target audience
  • Interview experts
  • Separate fact from fiction
  • Tell stories
  • Crack jokes

Some writers have told me they aren’t sold on AI. I think that’s fine.

But if you want to resist the new technology, you must double down on the things only humans can do.

I predict that within a year or two, nearly all commodity writing around the world—bulk tweets, clickbait headlines, and me-too content—will be cranked out by AI for a fraction of a penny per word.

There won’t be any work left for anyone who can’t write better than ChatGPT and other AIs.

That’s why I’m urging all writers who want to stay in business to start learning about AI. And then sharpen up your writing skills and inject humanity into your copy.

 


That’s all for this time

Thanks for reading another newsletter packed with AI content.

If you missed anything, you can see all the previous issues here:
www.thatwhitepaperguy.com/newsletters/

And to see every new issue, make sure to subscribe here:
www.thatwhitepaperguy.com/subscribe/

Gordon Graham
That White Paper Guy

About Gordon Graham

Worked on 325 white papers for clients from Silicon Valley to Switzerland, on everything from choosing enterprise software to designing virtual worlds for kids, for clients from tiny startups to 3M, Google, and Verizon. Wrote White Papers for Dummies which earned 60+ 5-star ratings on Amazon. Won 16 awards from the Society for Technical Communication. Named AWAI 2019 Copywriter of the Year.

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