The ChatGPT Pendulum: Why AI Writing Still Needs a Human Hand

When ChatGPT first burst onto the scene, it divided the professional world faster than you can say “prompt engineering”.

On one side stood the purists: seasoned writers, marketers and business owners who scoffed at the idea that a machine could do what a human copywriter does. “It’s a gimmick,” they cried,  “a glorified autocomplete.” For many, us included, it was a threat to their livelihood. For others, it was a matter of principle: writing, after all, is an art.

On the other side? The early adopters. They jumped in headfirst, thrilled at the prospect of shaving hours off their to-do list or finally finding a way to get words on a page without the agony of writer’s block. For some, it solved a costly problem - no more paying freelancers for blog posts or emails when AI could churn it out in seconds.

And so, the pendulum swung.

Some who initially resisted, like us, came around, or are now slowly coming around, whether begrudgingly or with cautious optimism. Meanwhile, some early adopters have hit the limits of what AI can do and are now realising that just because it’s fast doesn’t mean it’s flawless.

And that’s where we are today, somewhere in the middle. AI tools like ChatGPT are now a staple in many businesses, but the conversation is shifting again.

The New Concern: Subtle Slip-Ups That Slip Through

We’ve grown used to double-checking AI-generated facts. We know it can “hallucinate” stats or misquote sources, so we’ve trained ourselves to fact-check.

But recently, something more insidious has crept in: language-level errors.

We’re seeing grammar mistakes that no professional writer would let pass. Awkward phrasing. Misuse of idioms. A paragraph slipped in that is complete gibberish. Even worse, (well if there could be), summaries that miss the key point or, more dangerously, change the meaning entirely.

That’s not just an oops, that’s a brand liability.

In high-trust industries, finance, health, law, and even thought leadership, subtle inaccuracies can cost you credibility. Or clients.

So Where Does That Leave Us?

AI is not going away. Nor should it. It’s a powerful tool, especially for idea generation, outlining and repurposing content. But it’s not a replacement for human thinking, nuance and editorial judgement.

It’s no longer enough to “run it through ChatGPT”. The savvy businesses are now running it through something else too: a human brain.

A professional copywriter. An editor. A trained pair of eyes that knows what to keep, what to question and what to rewrite entirely.

Because your message matters. And your audience can tell the difference.

The Bottom Line

At Proof Perfect, we’re not anti-AI. In fact, we use it strategically every day. But we also know where the line is. And we make it our job to step in before your message misses the mark.

So whether you’re an AI early adopter, a cautious convert, or still clinging tightly to your red pen, we’re here to ensure your words still do their job: build trust, drive action and reflect your brand’s true voice.

Let AI get you started.
Let us help you finish strong.

And yes, we used AI to write this blog, giving it the prompts as guidelines for what we wanted to say. We let it churn out a draft, and we edited from there because, just like in “real” writing, the first draft should never be the final draft.