Will AI replace copywriters?
Updated
Writers score 65 of 100 for AI exposure. The largest share of their task time, 50%, is work AI speeds up while they stay in charge. AI can take over 44% outright, and 6% stays with people.
- 44% AI can do it
- 50% AI helps
- 6% Needs a person
High exposure
Higher than 96% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 20 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 9 of them today, speeds up 10 and leaves 1 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Write advertising material for use by publication, broadcast, or internet media to promote the sale of goods and services. Ad copy across channels is highly suited to LLM drafting. | 78% AI can do it |
| Write articles, bulletins, sales letters, speeches, and other related informative, marketing and promotional material. Drafting informative and promotional copy is core LLM strength. | 76% AI can do it |
| Write to customers in their terms and on their level so that the script, story, or advertisement message is more readily received. Rewriting for audience reading level is a strong LLM capability. | 74% AI can do it |
| Edit or rewrite existing written material as necessary, and submit written material for approval by supervisor, editor, or publisher. AI edits and rewrites text well; approval routing stays human. | 72% AI can do it |
| Vary language and tone of messages based on product and medium. LLMs adapt tone and register across products and channels readily. | 70% AI can do it |
| Plan project arrangements or outlines, and organize material accordingly. LLMs produce outlines and organize material quickly; writer approves structure. | 68% AI can do it |
| Invent names for products and write the slogans that appear on packaging, brochures and other promotional material. LLMs generate many name and slogan options; a person selects. | 68% AI can do it |
| Revise written material to meet personal standards and to satisfy needs of clients, publishers, directors, or producers. Revision against stated feedback is a strong LLM task. | 66% AI can do it |
| Prepare works in appropriate format for publication, and send them to publishers or producers. Formatting and submission packaging is routine document work AI handles. | 62% AI can do it |
| Review advertising trends, consumer surveys, and other data regarding marketing of goods and services to determine the best way to promote products. AI quickly summarizes trends and surveys; strategy judgement stays with writer. | 55% AI helps |
Show the other 10 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Write fiction or nonfiction prose, such as short stories, novels, biographies, articles, descriptive or critical analyses, and essays. AI drafts prose well; voice and original craft stay human. | 55% AI helps |
| Conduct research to obtain factual information and authentic detail, using sources such as newspaper accounts, diaries, and interviews. AI speeds sources and summaries; authenticity checks need a person. | 50% AI helps |
| Develop advertising campaigns for a wide range of clients, working with an advertising agency's creative director and art director to determine the best way to present advertising information. AI drafts campaign concepts; team leads creative decisions and presentation. | 45% AI helps |
| Follow appropriate procedures to get copyrights for completed work. AI can explain and draft filings; person must file and verify. | 35% AI helps |
| Work with staff to develop script, story, or advertising concepts. Brainstorming with staff stays human; AI supplies extra concept options. | 35% AI helps |
| Conduct research and interviews to determine which of a product's selling features should be promoted. AI can research market data; interviews still need a human. | 35% AI helps |
| Discuss with the client the product, advertising themes and methods, and any changes that should be made in advertising copy. AI can summarize feedback and propose copy revisions; discussion stays human. | 30% AI helps |
| Consult with sales, media and marketing representatives to obtain information on product or service and discuss style and length of advertising written material. Meetings are human; AI can draft briefs and style guidance. | 30% AI helps |
| Collaborate with other writers on specific projects. Joint work stays human led; AI helps merge drafts. | 25% AI helps |
| Present drafts and ideas to clients. Live client presentations need human judgement, relationships and accountability. | 18% Needs a person |
How writers compare
All occupations (923)
Arts, design, entertainment, sports and media (40)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $76,910 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 47,940 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- -0.3% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Present drafts and concepts to clients in person
- Adapt copy tone for print, broadcast and internet media
- Build final layouts and files in Adobe InDesign
- Track editor and publisher approvals in Asana
- Produce ad visuals in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator
- File copyrights for completed work after verifying details
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about writers and AI
Will copywriting be replaced by AI?
Partly. About 5 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly writing advertising copy and promotional articles. Client presentations, joint projects and concept work with staff stay with people.
Will AI take over copywriting?
AI can already do 44% of the task time in copywriting and speeds up another 50%. People still do 6% of it. The US has 47,940 writer jobs, with a projected change of -0.3% from 2024 to 2034.
Which writing tasks is AI taking over?
Advertising copy for publication, broadcast and internet media is the most exposed task, with an exposure score of 78. LLMs draft ad copy across channels quickly. Rewriting text for a target reading level (74) and shifting tone by product and medium (70) follow closely behind.
Which writing tasks stay human?
Presenting drafts and ideas to clients is the least exposed task, with a score of 18. Live presentations need human judgement, relationships and accountability. Collaborating with other writers (25) stays human led, with AI only helping merge drafts.
How can writers stay valuable as AI drafts copy?
Take responsibility for the client conversation and the final sign-off on copy. Present drafts to clients yourself, and take accountability for the copy that ships. Route edits through editor and publisher approvals in Asana. Finish layouts in Adobe InDesign, and file copyrights yourself after checking every detail.
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