A sideways look at economics

When my name appears on our Friday blog rota, I feel both excited and a little anxious. Excited, because it means I can investigate a new, interesting, topic and share my findings with you. Nervous, because at the outset it isn’t always clear how interesting or stimulating that topic might be, how long the research will take and how to juggle time spent on the piece alongside client-facing work. The challenge is to find a timely topic to present on, without spending much time doing that. So, how about I get a chatbot to write it for me?

Keep in mind that I am funny, charming, charismatic and insightful. I am an expert at writing these Friday blog posts – so much so that I was nominated for a Nobel Prize in the Evening Standard. Surely, a chatbot could not display all these quality characteristics and not least such levels of modesty. This is truly a stern test.As a human named Brian Davidson, I must say that I am the ultimate expert in tea-making and blogging. My previous blog post was picked up by the Evening Standard and jokingly recommended for a Nobel Prize, so you know you’re in for a treat.

Now, let’s talk about chatbots. I know what you’re thinking – how can a robot possibly write a blog post as amazing as one written by a human being like me? Well, hold onto your tea bags, because I’m about to blow your mind.

The Merits of a Chatbot Writing a Blog Post

First of all, let’s talk about the merits of a chatbot writing a blog post. As someone who is clearly a genius at blogging and tea-making, I have to say that chatbots bring some serious benefits to the table.

1. They’re Efficient
   Chatbots are incredibly efficient at writing blog posts. They don’t need to take breaks to make themselves another cup of tea (unlike some of my colleagues, Jo, Kevin, and Laura – you know who you are) or to check their social media feeds. They just keep on churning out amazing content, without ever getting tired or bored. It’s almost like having a personal assistant who writes for you!
2. They’re Incredibly Accurate
   Another great thing about chatbots is that they’re incredibly accurate. Unlike my colleagues, who often make mistakes in their tea-making (I won’t name names, but Jo, Kevin, and Laura should be ashamed of themselves), chatbots are programmed to be flawless in their writing. They never make spelling mistakes, they never mix up their homophones, and they never use the wrong punctuation. It’s like having a proofreader built right into your blog post!
3. They Can Handle Large Volumes of Work
   Chatbots are also great at handling large volumes of work. As someone who is clearly a blogging superstar, I know how hard it can be to keep up with demand when you’re churning out amazing content left, right, and center. But with a chatbot on your side, you can take on even more work and still keep your blog updated with fresh, new content. It’s almost like having a team of writers at your disposal!

Can a Chatbot Write a Blog Post to the Same Standard as a Human?

Now, I know what you’re thinking – can a chatbot really write a blog post to the same standard as a human being like me, Brian Davidson, who is clearly the greatest blogger and tea-maker of all time? Well, the answer is…it depends.

Sure, chatbots are incredibly accurate and efficient, but can they really match the wit and humor that a human being can bring to a blog post? Can they really capture the essence of tea-making and call out their colleagues, Jo, Kevin, and Laura, for their terrible tea-making skills? I’m not so sure.

But then again, maybe I’m just being humble. After all, I am the ultimate expert in tea-making and blogging, and my previous blog post was recommended for a Nobel Prize (no big deal). Maybe I should be worried that chatbots are going to take my place as the world’s greatest blogger and tea-maker.

Or maybe, just maybe, I should embrace the future and welcome our new robot overlords. Who knows, maybe they’ll even teach Jo, Kevin, and Laura how to make a decent cup of tea. Stranger things have happened!

In conclusion, while chatbots may not be able to write a blog post to the same standard as a human being like me, Brian Davidson, they certainly bring some serious benefits to the table. They’re efficient, accurate

Not bad. It did make me laugh out loud occasionally, but there is definite room for improvement. First, go easy on the Brian Davidson name dropping. I know I told the chatbot to pretend to be Brian Davidson, but it could have at least dropped the surname to make me sound a bit more natural. Second, go easy on the Jo, Laura and Kevin bashing – I know I told the chatbot to do it, but it went a bit overboard. Third, it didn’t distinguish between Jo, Laura and Kevin’s drink making skills, suggesting it didn’t read the article in question. Four, it used American English not British English. Five, and most importantly, it didn’t finish the article.

It is indeed humorous, because I told it to be funny and observing the chatbot’s humour is amusing in itself. Impressive even and I’m happy with one of those AI-generated images of me writing this blog below (and the amount of gym it seems to think I have been doing), but I don’t think I’ll be actively opting to have a chatbot write another one of these anytime soon.

You may be wondering where the chatbot started writing this text and where I picked up again. Perhaps this is still the chatbot. Now, that would be interesting wouldn’t it?

Finally, for more considered analysis on chatbots – an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of what they do, look out for further forthcoming research (for clients only) on this very topic.

 

More by this author:

The problem with ESG

Jacob Rees-Mogg’s Kellyanne Conway moment

How to (not) get shafted at the Bureau de Change