These recent and fast-moving developments have left many content marketers unsure of how to proceed with ChatGPT and similar technologies. Some are moving full-steam ahead, understandably attempting to be first-to-market with new platforms capable of generating tons of content at scale. On the other side are content marketers that are firmly in the “human-generated content will always rank better” camp.
In my opinion, certain issues need to be resolved before content marketing teams can fully determine how to leverage AI into their workflows.
Will ChatGPT Watermark its Content?
OpenAI has indicated that it has plans to cryptographically watermark content created by ChatGPT. This would involve embedding a pattern into content created by the AI that would be imperceptible to human readers but would allow Google and other search engines to flag it as AI-created. This would assuage fears regarding issues like academic plagiarism and the mass creation of misinformation or propaganda.
Will Google Penalize AI-Generated Content?
It also remains to be seen whether Google will decide to penalize AI-generated content (or, on the other hand, reward human-created content). It first has to be determined whether Google can even recognize the content as AI-generated, which is an open question in the SEO world. Of course, if the first question posed is answered in the affirmative (AI content is watermarked), that won’t be an issue. In addition, many observers speculate that Google has ways to identify AI-generated content and is continuing to refine them to keep up with the technology.
Will State Bars Take Issue with AI-Generated Content?
Finally, it’s critical to note that the legal profession is extremely slow to adopt new technology. In fact, even the ability to electronically file pleadings with the court or use electronic evidence is a relatively new development. In light of this technological reticence, it’s reasonable to assume that some state bars may prohibit lawyers and law firms from using AI-generated content in their marketing materials or work product.
There are Still Ways to Use AI in Legal Content Marketing without Using it to Create Website Content.
With so many questions unanswered, I would hesitate to use AI to create long-form content like blog posts or practice area pages for a law firm’s website. That said, it can still be safely used for a variety of tasks, including the following:
- Blog topic ideation
- Keyword research
- Social media post generation
- Creating advertising copy
- Website sitemap creation
- Statistical research
- Creating emails
- Planning a social media marketing strategy
ChatGPT and the next generation of AI platforms that are undoubtedly around the corner present an opportunity for law firms to improve efficiencies and reach new clients. That said, they need to take care to ensure that how they use AI is compliant with best practices and advertising ethics. Law Firms continue to benefit from working with legal content marketing experts.
