When artificial intelligence became the biggest buzzword in tech, companies hoped it would help them slash headcount and save money. Instead, companies that rushed to replace staff with AI are now rehiring humans to fix its mistakes – and spending a fortune in the process.
The Challenges Associated with AI
Consider the case of Sarah Skidd. In May, a content agency contacted Sarah Skidd because they found themselves in a difficult situation. The website copy they had ordered from a generative AI tool for a hospitality client did not meet their expectations — and they required a rewrite immediately.
“The copy was typical of what you find in AI-generated content – it was very basic; it lacked engagement,” Skidd remarked. “It was intended to captivate and sell, but instead, it was quite bland.”
Skidd, a product marketing manager based in Arizona who specializes in writing for technology and start-up firms, dedicated 20 hours to completely rewrite the content. At her standard rate of $100 per hour, the agency ultimately incurred a cost of $2,000.
The emergence of artificial intelligence
She’s not the only one. Numerous writers she is acquainted with are now being employed not to generate new content, but to correct the mistakes left by AI-generated text.
In recent years, AI tools such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini have gained traction in the business community, regarded as methods to enhance workflows and reduce expenses. A recent survey conducted by the UK’s Federation of Small Businesses revealed that 35% of small enterprises intend to increase their use of AI within the next two years.
However, Skidd’s experiences, along with those of others in similar situations, indicate that there may still be a considerable distance to cover before AI can reach human-level standards.
In one case, a client asked ChatGPT how to update their event page – something Warner says would have taken just 15 minutes manually. But instead, the AI-generated code caused their website to crash, costing the business three days of downtime and about £360 in recovery costs.
