AI content tools have rapidly progressed from a thing of curiosity to a must-have tool. Whether you’re a marketer trying to meet deadlines or a technology leader trying to increase content production capacity, AI writing assistants are ready to help. And they’re leveraging some amazing technology.
But what is that magic happening behind the curtain? As we now go behind the curtain of AI writing, we will summarize the key technologies that AI writers use to create content. But we will keep the details simple and avoid the jargon. This is your backstage pass to understand how tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, and others take your ideas and turn them into words in seconds.
Natural Language Processing: The AI’s Language Brain
If AI tools were people, NLP would be their reading comprehension and listening skills. NLP gives computers the ability to interpret, and even respond to human language. Like when Siri responds to a question and when Google predicts your next search.
When you provide a prompt to an AI writer – like, “Write a fun intro for our summer shoe sale,” – NLP is the first to process your information. It analyzes language structure and intention, and what your natural language translates to in a way that the AI can use.
You’ve already experienced NLP in your day-to-day life. It’s what powers:
- Voice assistants, like Alexa
- Autocorrect and smart replies
- Chatbots that manage to fix your shipping error at 2 a.m.
In the case of AI content tools, NLP establishes the base level of comprehension before the system can respond or create. This puts the system in a better position to output meaningful, human-like content.
Machine Learning & Deep Learning: Teaching AI to “Write” Like Us
This is where it gets smart. Machine Learning is how generative AI software learns: rather than being told what to do step by step, it looks to millions (sometimes billions) of examples. It finds patterns, makes predictions, and over time gets really good at language imitation.
Deep Learning is just the next generation of ML. This is where it can make use of neural networks (like a brain) and learn more complex things including nuance or sarcasm. It is the reason why today’s AI can draft emails, tweets, blog posts, and even poems that sound more like a person wrote them.
Think of ML as teaching a child with flash cards. Deep Learning is teaching a child through books and conversations until they begin writing novels.
So if an AI tool drafts a witty title, or a heartfelt thank-you email, it is leveraging the expertise it gains from examining mountains of human written content.
Transformers & Large Language Models: The Powerhouses Behind It All
Transformers changed the AI landscape forever. Made by researchers at Google, these models leveled-up the game as they introduced the idea of attention. Previously, AI looked at one word at a time. Transformers enabled AI to understand how words relate to each other in a whole sentence (or paragraph) and do this simultaneously.
The introduction of transformers opened the door to LLMs like OpenAI’s GPT-4. These models are trained on large chunks of the internet (think, Wikipedia, news articles, blogs, etc). So they have “read” longer than you ever could.
But they don’t just memorize. LLMs have learned how the language flows. They can correctly:
- Preemptively predict what comes out
- Transition between a casual tone and a formal tone
- Tailor their writing to different audiences
That is why the same model can draft a press release, brainstorm headlines, or even script a podcast. One model, many functions.
Natural Language Generation: When AI Gets to Write
This is where the magic starts to manifest. NLG is the technology that actually writes the words you see on the screen. If NLP is the understanding of what you want, NLG is the AI giving you a response in beautiful prose.
Let’s take a look at how a typical NLG process works:
- You give it a prompt. It could be “Write me a product description for a smartwatch that is waterproof.”
- The AI understands what you provided. It uses NLP to gather what you are trying to get it to do.
- It decides on what to say. Based on everything it has learned, it will create an outline with major points- the features you want included, the tone you want to take and the benefits to highlight.
- It starts to write. Sentence by sentence and word by word the model is building sentences that sound natural and appropriate to your brand.
- An optional trim. Some tools offer rewriting and editing based on your request for tone, length or reading level.
And voila! You have clear, engaging content that is ready to use for your blog, ad or email – often in just a few seconds!
Bonus Features: Text-to-Speech and SEO Tools
Many AI content tools come with powerful extras to help your words go further.
Text-to-Speech: Give Your Words a Voice
Need to turn a blog post into an audio snippet or podcast script? TTS converts AI-written content into spoken word. Modern TTS voices are surprisingly human, complete with tone and pacing.
This is ideal for:
- Audio articles
- Video narration
- Accessibility features
You type. The AI talks.
SEO Optimization: Write for Humans and Search Engines
Good content is only useful if people find it. That’s where SEO tools come in. Many AI writers now include features that:
- Suggest relevant keywords
- Analyze readability
- Optimize headlines and meta descriptions
You can generate content and improve its visibility on Google in one go.
So… What Do You Get When You Use an AI Writer?
Let’s imagine you are doing a summer promo for your ecommerce brand. You open up an AI writing tool and type:
“Write a cheerful intro for our big summer shoe sale.”
Here’s what happens:
- The NLP interprets your request: sale, shoes, cheerful voice.
- The language model engages and draws on all it has learned to write something entertaining and persuasive.
- The NLG takes that content and writes: “Ready to hit the ground running? Our hottest summer deals have landed – find your perfect pair and step into sunshine in style!”
- The SEO tools (if activated) check that your keywords are sound.
TTS (if you want) gives that same message a voice for your video ad. And just like that, you have gone from concept to finished paragraph in under a minute.
Why It Matters for You
AI content generation is not about replacing human beings – it is about creating time for you to focus on strategy, creativity and human connection. Use these tools to:
- Kickstart content creation process when you can’t seem to get ideas flowing
- Output at scale without bringing in more human resources
- Ensure consistency in your brand across platforms
- Experiment with a variety of formats – text, audio, even video scripts
Keep in mind – you are still on the steering wheel. The AI provides the rough draft. You take it and work magic.
In a Nutshell
There is a lot of tech behind every AI writing tool – NLP, ML, deep learning, transformers, NLG – all working together to take raw prompts and turn them into smart, creative content.
As a marketer working under a tight timeline, or a CTO digesting what applications and integrations of AI will come next, understanding the technology behind these tools will only help you steward the process better. It will help you improve your ability to write prompts, understand the cooler outputs, and be aware of when to trust the AI and when to apply the human touch.
Welcome to the future of content creation. It is fast, flexible, and provides more than just code – representation of your ideas.