CHEATGPT? THE REALITIES OF AUTOMATED AUTHORSHIP IN THE UK PR AND COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRIES

Abstract

Drawing on interview and survey data from content writers in the UK communications industries, this paper critically and empirically explores content writers' engagements with generative text AI in relation to creative authorship and expertise. The project will utilize a critical framework of algorithmic literacy to consider avenues for empowering so-far overlooked stakeholders of AI tool use in this creative industry sector. The paper presents findings from a survey of 1,074 PR and communications content writers and their managers/ employers and from 21 follow-up interviews with the same stakeholders. It will explore the realities of automated authorship and the opportunities and limitations that algorithmic literacy might bring in enhancing smaller stakeholder algorithmic empowerment and expertise. Findings suggest that a) generative text AI is increasingly being used by content writers in ways that challenge speculative forecasts of generative text use and that b) these tools are useful for saving time, idea generation and synthesising existing text, but cannot (yet) be used to replicate or generate authorially convincing tone of voice or brand identity. Such findings suggest that critical algorithmic literacy could be used to create dialogues in workplaces that foreground the problems related to automated authorship - especially in terms of promoting human expertise, challenging algorithmic power and reforming the boundaries of creative subjectivity.