AI will not take your job, but someone who knows how to use it will.

Back when I first heard this line (still a newcomer to the content writing world), my reaction was a wry smile. After all, ChatGPT was spitting out coherent, context-aware content much faster than I could ever hope to—putting writers like me in the red data book of jobs endangered by LLMs. To me, the job was as good as gone.

But today, as I complete a year of writing, past-me’s reaction seems a bit over the top. Sure, AI can write faster and sometimes even better, but it can never replace me—at least not in its current state. The reason is simple: I can hallucinate better.

See, fundamentally, an LLM and I operate similarly. It draws on all the training datasets provided to it, while I depend on my memories, past experiences, and insights to develop content. The difference between us distills down to who can better understand the connections made and create something new.

I win this one.

LLMs do not experience life, form opinions, or understand cultural cues—all necessary for true originality. While AI’s hallucination results in generating false or misleading information, mine allows me to bridge concepts and dream up unique narratives that can run circles around it. There’s a lot more that puts a human writer above an LLM, like contextual understanding, ethical judgment, and empathy, but these have been talked to death by now. You get the gist. An LLM is not going to take my job.

Now, let’s get to the second part of the quote. How do I stop John from IT from doing the same?

This one is trickier. There’s nothing really stopping John from taking my job except me. So, what do I do?

Learning how to use LLMs as an intelligent assistant is a good start. Despite my earlier proclamation of human superiority, there are things an LLM can do better than me. For instance, it can be asked to write multiple variations and tonalities for an idea I want to convey. I can then choose the one that best fits my narrative.

Can I do it myself? Definitely.

Is doing it myself a waste of time? Absolutely.

Spending time doing things AI can handle in a heartbeat instead of focusing on what it can’t is a waste of resources for everyone involved. I can use that time to come up with a better narrative, find cues that make the message more engaging, or do a hundred other things.

This is one reason I find those job listings where you’re “not supposed to touch AI with a 10-foot pole” baffling. Remember when Kodak laughed off digital cameras?

I want to leave my fellow writers with this message—learn how to use AI, make it your assistant, and take control of your careers.