The AI Content Dilemma
AI models such as ChatGPT or Gemini are programmed to be just "generic" They generate text based on the most common patterns from their training data, which includes a vast swath of the internet—scraped regardless of copyright. Then, they are fine-tuned using Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF), where humans in low-wage "digital sweatshops" rate the AI's output, steering it toward safe, uncontroversial responses.
This process leads to the "genericide" of AI content, making it obviously created by a bot.
Even with smart prompting, you might achieve a semblance of originality and slightly higher quality content. Which for uncreative marketing leaders, is enough—mediocre content won’t get you fired right away. In some cases, using AI is practical. Marketing teams need to churn out lots of basic content: landing pages, emails, and press releases. These aren’t masterpieces, and if AI frees up your content team to focus on creating genuinely unique pieces, the trade-off might be worth it.
However, relying too heavily on AI is risky. When you decide to use AI for all your ideas and drafts to boost efficiency, your content becomes bland. You might perceive those actions as "thought leadership," but you're really just recycling ideas. Even starting with an AI draft is risky because writing is thinking. The struggle to write helps you clarify your understanding of a subject. If you let AI handle the first draft, you anchor your thoughts to its output and lose the chance to develop an original voice.
Research shows that teams using AI for ideation see a drop in novelty and creativity. This matters because AI is changing the value equation for content. The cost of producing mediocre content is falling, but so is its value. As AI-generated content floods search and social media, the demand for high-quality, distinctly human content will rise. Such as IRL streams or UGC.
We need to think deeply about these issues because we're at a crossroads. Those of us who control or influence content strategies must decide the direction we take. AI could either destroy creativity, leading to an era of recycled content, or spark a creative renaissance. It’s up to us.
