As a business owner, it’s not hard to see how AI can help save time and money in multiple ways – and that includes for written content. 

And it can be easy to wonder why you need a professional writer to work on your marketing at all.

Freelance writers and editors have been embracing AI in their work, with studies showing that over 60% of businesses now use AI tools to come up with written content for all sorts of purposes.

Around 40% of writers also use AI to assist in content creation – and the benefits are proving helpful in terms of time-saving and as getting the ball rolling to come up with topic ideas.

But while open ChatGPT and other AI-based content generators are definitely here to stay, there’s still reason to hire a professional content creator for your content.

Here are some reasons AI content still needs professional editing and how freelance editors enhance its effectiveness in getting your message over to your audience.

1. AI Struggles with tone of voice, context and nuance

Some AI-generated content sounds robotic – because it is created by a robot! AI-generators aren’t able to tie in nuance, context or write in a sensitive way about certain topics  that need a different approach. AI writing tools rely on algorithms to piece together sentences, but they cannot grasp the full complexity of tone, voice, or cultural sensitivities. For example, in 2020, a well-known AI tool generated an article about a sensitive political issue, but the language used was overly formal and lacked empathy. A human editor stepped in to rephrase and reshape the content, ensuring that it resonated with the intended audience and didn’t come across as tone-deaf.

Freelance editors help fine-tune the subtlety of a message, something that AI simply can’t master. Editors ensure that content reads naturally, is in line with the brand’s tone of voice, and doesn’t alienate readers. Whether it’s blog posts, social media copy, or professional reports, a human touch is essential to avoid the pitfalls of robotic, formulaic language.

2. AI Often Misses Errors or Overuses Certain Phrases

AI tools may produce grammatically correct sentences, but they frequently miss more subtle mistakes, such as inconsistencies in tone or the repetitive use of certain phrases. AI-generated content might also suffer from awkward sentence structures or lack appropriate transitions between ideas.

For instance, a travel website used AI to draft destination guides, but many sections of the text repeated similar phrases, which made the articles feel redundant. A freelance editor was hired to go through the content, eliminate the repetition, and restructure the paragraphs for improved flow and readability. This editorial intervention made the articles more engaging and professional, improving their chances of ranking higher on search engines.

3. Editors can check the facts are right

Another area where freelance editors are invaluable is fact-checking. While AI can pull data from various sources, it’s not always able to verify the accuracy of the information it presents. For example, a finance blog that relied on AI-generated articles found that some statistics were outdated or misrepresented. A freelance editor can help to fact-check and revise the content, adding in a more up-to-date statistic and ensuring accuracy of information.

4. Freelance Editors Can Improve SEO and Readability

Although AI tools are often trained to write with SEO (search engine optimisation) in mind, they don’t always structure content in a way that’s both SEO-friendly and readable. Keywords can be overused, making the text feel unnatural and lacking in flow. Freelance editors not only improve the flow of the content but also optimise it for readability without sacrificing SEO.

5. Emotional element in story-telling

Probably one of the most key ingredients that a good writer or editor can bring – a bit of emotion!

Like most AI-generator tools, it will never be able to replace the emotional impact writers and editors can place into written content. A writer can add in their own experience and descriptive detail that gives their own unique take on a topic. This is key to engaging a reader, gaining their attention and their emotional investment into reading a piece of content.

In the world of AI content writing, freelance editors and writers remain essential in transforming raw, machine-generated text into polished, human-friendly content. By catching errors, improving flow, and ensuring factual accuracy, editors ensure that AI-generated content meets the high standards required by businesses today.