AI Chat or ChatGPT is the hottest thing to hit the world wide web since it was released on November 30, 2022. Enter a sentence or a question and content will be magically produced. Give it a try if you haven’t already – it’s amazing.
Love it or loathe it, there is an opportunity here for overworked HR and internal communications people to keep their intranet fresh by creating content in seconds, not hours. But there are still hurdles to overcome.
Is Chat AI really a game-changer or will it be consigned to the growing trash heap of internet fads?
Benefits of ChatGPT for intranet content:
1. It’s fast & easy
SO fast. It will take more time to make your cup of tea than for your article about organisational learning to be written. Not happy with the result? Ask for a rewrite and it shall be done before your tea cools enough to drink. No wonder universities are concerned.
It can be helpful to “interview” the chat, asking a series of questions that can be compiled into an article.
This could alleviate one of the greatest impediments to new intranet launch timelines which is generally content development.
It also means that any fool can come up with an article about NZ HR regulations or how to minimise interview bias which is a double-edged sword. Are we out of a job?
2. It’s fun
Remember when we all asked Siri silly questions to see what she would say? Because ChatGPT is so fast and easy – and free – you can tell it to do all kinds of ridiculous things purely for your own entertainment.
“Reword this in the voice of Yoda”
“Conversation starters for a first date”
“Explain blockchain to a 10 year old.”
We could do this all day.
3. Who cares if Google doesn’t like it?
Some detractors have suggested that AI-generated chat will be rejected by Google as inauthentic and less helpful to users than genuine human-written content. And that your rankings will suffer as a result. But have you read some of the stuff humans come up with? We are not convinced that Google can tell what is AI-generated and even if they could, it doesn’t matter because this is intranet content.
Downside of ChatGPT for intranet content:
1. It’s generic and soulless
When writing articles about professional topics, Chat AI content can be the literary equivalent of a cheese sandwich. It’s flavourless and doesn’t require much effort to consume. Not helpful if you are trying to engage your intranet audience and prompt interaction. Additionally, if your organisation has a certain brand voice or you like to make your content witty and engaging, Chat AI content is unlikely to cut the mustard, to continue with the gustatory theme.
There is a case to be made that the internet will now be flooded by dull word stodge and we will all be worse off for it.
But why not bang out a quick 700 words instantly, then spend your time editing the content – adding quotes and examples – to make it more interesting?
2. No organisation-specific copy
As the content is generated using a broad range of web-based example data, it’s really best for generally available topics. Policies, procedures, industry analysis, internal updates – none of these things will be effectively addressed by a publicly-available content aggregator. ChatGPT is also unable to incorporate facts or events post-2021.
There is a warning when you log in not to share any sensitive data – remember this is Open AI.
3. No research = no learning
Writing an article can be an enjoyable, illuminating experience. You might Google a few things, read some related reports, speak to an expert and veer into interesting sidebars. You might find and share something that would be useful to a colleague or client. With instantly-created content, there is no learning and no serendipitous discovery. Like your GPS taking you straight to the hotel without any diversions into charming old streets or locals-only markets. Depending on your level of interest and the pressure you are under to pump out words, this may or may not be an issue.
Used sensibly, there is probably a place for AI generated content in keeping your intranet fresh by making content creation faster and easier. You still need to come up with relevant article ideas (although ChatGPT can help with this!) and write the organisation-specific content. Most organisations who are using ChatGPT successfully for intranet articles tend to create a quick first draft, then use their time to add links, quotes, statistics and give it a more unique voice. Give it a try and see what you think!
For more ideas on intranet content generation the old-fashioned way, check out our blog: Internal Communications Intranet Hacks: outsource your intranet content
So, was this article written by ChatGPT??? YOU BE THE JUDGE.
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