According to a study, the UK’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) market has now surpassed £16.8 billion and is projected to reach £801.6 billion by 2035. As a result, the UK is a champion in AI adoption, ranking third in the 2023 global AI readiness Index, and holding the top position in Western Europe.
AI has already revolutionised many sectors. One of the areas it has had a profound impact on is content generation, especially in the public sector. Despite its many advantages, AI also poses challenges that must be addressed.
In this article, we will delve into the 7 key benefits AI brings to content generation and four things to be mindful of when using it. We will also briefly discuss how organisations can prepare themselves for an AI-powered future.
Contents:
- What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
- What are the Main Benefits of AI in Content Creation?
- What Are Some Things to be Mindful of When Using AI in Content Creation?
- How Can Organisations Prepare For an AI-Powered Future?
What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
AI is a technological advancement where computers and machines replicate human cognitive functions and problem-solving abilities. These include perception, reasoning, learning and even creative thinking. AI can process vast amounts of data with unprecedented speed and accuracy, often surpassing human capabilities.
The Main Benefits of Generative AI in Content Creation
Generative AI offers many potential benefits for public services, especially in content production. Let’s explore 7 key benefits:
1. Enhanced Efficiency and Productivity
Content creation often consumes significant time and resources. AI writing tools, however, can efficiently produce a vast range of content such as reports, social media posts, product descriptions or newsletters.
Rather than spending their energy and lengthy amounts of time of creating content, public sector professionals can focus on higher-value tasks such as consultation and implementation, that require their human expertise and creativity. For instance, the US Department of Defense has developed Acqbot, an AI capable of writing contracts, to speed up procurement processes.
Related: Six Practical Uses For AI in Learning and Development
2. Tailored Communication
Effective public communication in the public sector is essential to help develop and implement policies and services. Understanding the diverse needs and preferences of citizens is essential for these communication efforts to be targeted and impactful.
AI plays a pivotal role in that communication by analysing data such as demographic information and user behaviour to personalise content for different target audiences.
For instance, an integration of advanced chatbots on government websites provide responses to public inquiries and providing a rapid and reliable assistance. Several UK councils have already adopted digital AI assistants on their websites, which were able to answer more than 8 out 10 questions correctly on their first try.
3. Real Time Insights and Analytics for Content
AI algorithms can completely transform the process of content research by analysing vast amounts of real time data to craft content generation strategies. For example, AI can identify emergencies issues, public concerns, and topic of interest so that the public sector can adapt their content strategies to align with current events and audience interests. This ensures that their communication remains relevant and engaging.
Read about Big Data Analytics in the Public Sector, uses and challenges.
4. SEO Friendly
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) refers to the enhancement of one’s website’s visibility and ranking on search engines.
AI algorithms can help save you valuable time by undertaking the extensive keyword research for you. They find optimal keywords to improve your SEO by scanning thousands of pages and analysing information. By incorporating the suggested keywords, content can rank higher in search engine results.
Public sector companies should optimise their search engine ranking, especially if they offer beneficial information for citizens on topics such as tax benefits, healthcare benefits, official documentation, or social subsidies. This information can impact citizens depending on how well it ranks in search engines.
5. Helps with Writer’s Block
All content marketers and writers will be overly familiar with the demotivated lull that is known as writer's block, especially when writing about unfamiliar topics in blog posts or social media.
They can leverage AI writing assistant to generate an outline, key ideas, or points to include. Thus, by providing content creators with a clear outline or ideas to develop, the content creation process is facilitated.
Explore why setting goals is important and how you to set your on.
6. Improved Accessibility
AI removes the barriers that people with disabilities face, improving the accessibility and inclusivity of online content. Using natural language processing algorithms, AI can transform text-based content into a spoken version.
This can facilitate the learning processes of many in school and university students who are blind, low vision, deaf, hard of hearing access students and who have concentration problems. They can now access educational content that was previously inaccessible to them.
7. Cost Effectiveness
Automating numerous content creation processes saves time and resources. By minimising the possibility of error to almost zero, AI reduces the need more additional corrections and revisions, which results in low operational costs. This allows public sector organisations to distribute their resources more efficiently.
Things to be Mindful of When Using Generative AI in Content Creation
Although AI is highly beneficial for content creation, some issues might arise from its use. Here are 4 key challenges:
1. Quality and Integrity Issues
To generate content, AI draws information from existing sources and websites, pieces all the information together and rewords it. As a result, the content might be highly similar to already existing content. This means it can potentially get flagged by search engines for being too similar.
For instance, Google has a strict policy forbidding “stitching and combining content”. Therefore, it is essential for individuals to verify AI-generated content before publishing it to comply with search engines’ regulations.
2. Potential Penalties
Despite AI’s ability to improve SEO, concerns persist regarding potential penalties for content creators who use AI for that purpose. For instance, Google revealed that it prioritises content “written by people, for people”. Moreover, it would penalise content designed solely to perform good in search engines.
3. Lack of Creativity
Another challenge lies in the lack of creativity of AI-generated content. Since AI relies on existing content to generate text or images, it is uncapable of creating an original story or generating original ideas. Creativity is a key component of high quality content. So without it, readers might struggle to create an emotional connection which could lead to low reader engagement.
4. Human Reviewing and Editing still needed
Despite AI’s capabilities, the content it generates might contain errors or inconsistencies which suggests that AI-generated content needs to be reviewed by humans. Therefore, human editors still play an essential role in the content creation process.
How Can Organisations Prepare for an AI-Powered Future?
1. Build an AI Strategy
AI development means that it has become imperative for businesses to develop a clear AI strategy that aligns with their values and objectives. To build this strategy, it is necessary to have a deep understanding of AI, how to apply it and a clear idea on how to implement it. A good starting point is identifying the areas in your company that will benefit from AI implementation and consult with experts in the industry.
2. Enhance Workforce Skills and Competencies
As companies gradually incorporate AI in their businesses, it becomes imperative for them to invest in improving the skills of their workforce. As mentioned above, it is essential for employees to have a good understanding of AI and its applications before using it. These are new skills that most employees do not possess yet, but which will be required to effectively work alongside AI technologies to improve the company’s productivity and efficiency.
Learn about how to develop a training program for your employees in the public sector.
3. Embrace Innovation and Experimentation
Besides investing in improving their workforce’s skills, it is crucial for businesses to embrace a culture of innovation and experimentation. Even though this approach might carry certain risks and potential failures, companies that prioritise experimentation will not only be ahead of others when AI is more prevalent, they will also attract top talent. Therefore, leaders should encourage their employees to be more critical and look for opportunities to innovate.
Related: How To Promote a Culture of Public Sector Innovation.
4. Consider Data Ethics
The widespread adoption of AI also raises ethical questions. As AI algorithms learn from the data they receive, there is a possibility that that data might unwillingly contain biases or be discriminatory. Therefore, it is essential for AI technologies to be designed and operated in a way to minimise any discrimination or harm. Additionally, consulting with ethical experts can help ensure transparency and accountability are maintained.
Related: What is Data Ethics?
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