Why Replacing Human-Led Content with AI-Generated Content is Risky Business
AI is a touchy subject right now, even for the likes of Vayner Media’s prolific founder Gary V.
We can't deny that it is one of (if not THE) most transformative innovations of our time. It has the ability to save mankind time, money, and headaches. As a research and conceptualization tool for marketers and creatives, it’s a game changer. One day, it could very well mean end-game for a number of occupations in and outside of our industry.
But, let's be clear about something...
AI is meant to take the average from billions of data points as a way of ensuring accuracy and best practices. So, if you're using it to develop your creative, it’s going to yield exactly that: perfectly average, safe "creative". This defeats the very purpose of creative which is to generate emotional connection and resonance with your audience. Worse yet, because it wasn’t created with conviction, there’s no commitment or integrity behind it.
Over time, all of that perfectly average creative will make up the sum of its parts: your brand. It may ‘check the box’ in the same way that hiring a designer on Fiverr or sourcing stock imagery provides a ‘good enough’ result. However, for brands looking to differentiate, connect with customers (who, lest we not forget, are humans) and cultivate lasting brand loyalty, it will do little to move the needle and could cost you customers. As more people outsource the ideation and creation of their brand to robots, it’s not creating a better overall product - it’s saturating the internet with more generic trash.
Customers can already use AI to decipher whether or not a piece of content is original or AI-generated too. There’s no hiding from it.
That email newsletter that you don’t want to write because you suspect very few people are reading it? It’s not going to magically improve by having ChatGPT write it for you. Because AI just doesn’t understand the human experience the way we do.
To quote Jay Livingston, CMO of Shake Shack:
"It's never gonna have what we have. The key to successfully navigating a world with AI [is] humanity, context, and nuance.”
As more businesses rely on AI for content, we are likely to see a tipping point where customers long for original, human-led creative using AI as a tool rather than the creative generator. Instead of creating mediocre content (and thus mediocre brands) in bulk, put more time and effort into your best material for your audience. If a platform, channel, or media doesn’t inspire you, delegate it or sunset it. Outsource tasks to AI that won’t negatively impact your customer’s impression of your brand - research, automation, testing, brainstorming, etc . Hire the support you need to gain clarity and conviction in your brand strategy - what truly moves you/your team and is the reason your company exists (beyond the revenue) - so you can focus on quality over quantity.
And, for the love of all that is holy, don’t contribute to the bulk of sh*tty AI-generated content that’s growing faster than the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
