The War, Death, and Resurgence of Copywriting in the “AI Era”

AI is a-booming! And across every industry worldwide, we’re hearing more and more about the war crimes as the new “techno” world order takes over:

• SEO is dead!
• Website marketing is dead!
• Paid search is dead!
• Blogging is dead!

And lest we forget:

• Copywriting is dead, too!

Well, I say — it’s not.

On why copywriting is “dead” (but actually not!)

A study on generative AI’s impact on work shows that low-value writing jobs are being sent the chopping block.

But what are “low-value” writing jobs?

My take on this are jobs that:

• Have predictable formats and structures.
• Require minimal originality, research, insight, or expertise.
• Are easily generated and optimized by AI with little or no human help.
• Were already considered low-paying and high-volume before AI’s rise.

More specifically, this translates into: 

• SEO Blog Writing (Mass-Produced, Generic Content) — AI tools like ChatGPT and Jasper churn out keyword-optimized blog posts in seconds, making bulk, low-cost content writing far less valuable.
• Product Descriptions for E-commerce — AI can generate thousands of product descriptions at scale, reducing the need for human writers unless deep storytelling or a brand-specific voice is required.
• Generic Social Media Captions — Many brands now automate short-form social media posts, replacing freelancers who previously wrote engagement-driven captions for Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
• AI-Generated Ad Copy — Paid media campaigns are increasingly powered by AI-driven ad generators that optimize headlines, descriptions, and CTAs, reducing the need for human-written variations.
• Simple Website Copy (Landing Pages, FAQs, Service Descriptions) — AI is producing boilerplate web content faster and cheaper than freelancers who previously handled quick-turnaround, template-based writing.

While these low-value writing jobs are “dying,” Upwork’s study also suggests that high-value copywriting is thriving.

Wait, isn’t that graph showing us just a 1% increase? Is that statistically significant?

Regardless, copywriters who specialize in brand voice, storytelling, strategic messaging, and conversion-focused copy aren’t just surviving — they’re the ones commanding higher rates and stronger demand in our new, cut-throat AI-dominated world.

To go back to the war crimes and claims that “everything is dead, here’s the truth:

None of those things are dead or dying or going away any time soon.

But if we deny the fact that all these things–SEO, are evolving, we’d be no better than an ostrich with its head in the ground attempting to fend off a wild jackal’s appetite.

But if we deny the fact that all these things–SEO, website marketing, paid search, blogging, copywriting–aren’t evolving, we’ll be no better than an ostrich with its head in the ground attempting to fend off a wild jackal’s appetite.

The actual death of “low-value” copywriting

If you were a low-value copywriter, I feel sorry for you.

Because AI isn’t just replacing low-value writing jobs — it’s also exposing the cracks in businesses that rely too heavily on artificial intelligence. 

While AI is efficient, it lacks human insight, emotional intelligence, and brand intuition — things only skilled copywriters can provide.

In fact, businesses going all-in on AI writing are already facing big trouble.

Abysmal search drops from shady SEO

For years, SEO was a numbers game. The more content you pumped out and backlinks you purchased, the better your rankings.

But AI has turned that game into a feeding frenzy, and Google is sharpening its knives.

Programmatic SEO is being overused and abused. 

It’s fueling the rise of self-proclaimed SEO ‘experts’ that treat it like a content mill on steroids, spamming our internet with sh*tty, mass-produced AI slop.

I sincerely hope the NHS will issue a warning soon about this highly infectious, mentally destructive global pandemic.

But until then, search engines aren’t stupid — they’re cracking down on thin, low-effort, regurgitated content that provides no real value to the world.

So if that’s your approach to win with AISEO, you’re playing a zero-sum game, bud.

The Mass Extinction of TOFU Content

Once upon a time, writing “What is…” articles was an easy way to drive traffic and impress CEOs with inflated vanity metrics.

Not anymore.

Today, AI-powered search is making TOFU (Top of Funnel) content obsolete. 

And this is more a blessing than a curse, imho.

Tell me one person who enjoyed wading through an ad-infested, Forbes article that smashes you in the face with pop-ups, autoplay videos, and a garbage fire of distractions every 50 words or so?

All we really wanted was a simple answer to what is…

• the best way to boil an egg? (Answer: in water, duh!)
• the best way to fall asleep fast? (Answer: close your eyes!)
• cryptocurrency? (Answer: a scam, come on, folks!)
• the best way to propose? (Answer: on your knees, champ!)

Jokes aside, AI is 100% getting us to “good enough” answers faster than a blog. A blog that buried the info we’re looking for at the bottom of the page to monetize the f*ck out of us.

We no longer have to click through to a website and navigate a minefield of toxic ads for a simple fu*king answer. 

That’s one thing I’m glad AI is killing.

Drowning the internet with AI slop

AI is giving business owners a way to finally get more content about their business out into the world—especially for those who never had the time (or talent) to write.

That’s a quick win.

However, as much as I’d like to commend their efforts, they’re now churning out content like a California wildfire and it’s spreading fast while leaving behind nothing but a pile of smoldering ashes.

Look, I get it.

The AI train came in hot. You either hopped on or your business was about to get dropped. 

Even the AI gurus promised us faster content production, better engagement metrics, and skyrocketing profits.

But all it really did was flood the internet with lifeless, soulless copy that lacks personality, brand voice, and the ability to make real connections with actual human beings.

I can’t deny that AI is helpful. It’s allowing us to produce content faster than ever before.

But faster rarely means better.

Especially when you don’t follow the core principles of great copywriting: 

• Educate.
• Nurture. 
• Entice people to action.

Instead, I firmly believe publishing AI slop will butcher your business’s reputation and revenue potential.

As our mamas always tell us:

Mama’s wisdom in this case translates to: speed without strategy is a one-way ticket to Irrelevance Ville.

So, at the very least, learn how to use AI for copywriting like a pro!

(FYI, I used AI to help “right” this article. Could you tell?)

Join the resurgence for “human-first” copywriting

AI didn’t kill copywriting — it exposed the weak, lazy, and low-value writing that was already on life support.

For those willing to adapt, refine, and elevate their craft, this is not the end.

This is start of something far greater.

High-value copywriters — those who understand brand voice, human psychology, and persuasive storytelling — are going to be the ones that survive — and thrive — in this new AI world order.

Because businesses no longer need more content. They need better content.

The kind of content they should have been publishing all along to build authority, create sustainable search strategies, and connect with real human beings.

So now’s the time, my copy-brothers and copy-sisters, to:

• Fine-tune your process.
• Elevate your deliverables.
• Master the art of strategic, human-first, ROI-driven copy.

That’s how we win this war against generative AI.

And to the scummy, scammy AI-abusers who think they can one-up us, undercut us, and have us groveling at their feet…

YOU will be the ones who die!

So grab your trusty pen, blow the dust off daddy’s typewriter, or buy yourselves a new Akko keyboard…

We have words that need writing!