Oh, AI! – the technology tool that’s either going to save the world or be the end of creativity. It’s hard to find a website or newscast that doesn’t have at least one story about the awful, terrible things that AI does or the dark, jobless future for writers. For content creators, AI is like a vice we know we shouldn’t partake in, but it’s there, tempting us with its ease of use and output speed. But is it really worth it?

We think that AI is indeed a valuable tool, that when used correctly, can enhance business operations, competitive research, financial management, organizational planning, and yes, even content development. However, we strongly recommend not using it to draft copy that ends up being used in creative.

Here’s Why Not to Use Generative AI in Blogs and Articles

1. Brands Connect with Consumers via Human Attributes. Smart brands know that their equity is a direct result of a very human relationship with the customer. That equity includes sight, sound, smell, touch, feel, emotion – all very human capabilities. Generative AI is completely dependent on its prompt, a finite pool of information, the validity of that information and what’s been published in the public realm prior to the query. Quite oppositely, brands stand apart because of human creativity, introspection, adaptation and original thought.

2. Chat GPT Doesn’t Know Your Brand. Content creators work hard to build brands have a distinct voice. A brand evolves constantly and reacts to shifting market and societal dynamics. Generative AI pulls previously published words and phrases from the internet and puts them together based on the query and its model of recollection. It blindly creates copy without any of the very human considerations the brand team relies on.

3. AI-Generated Copy is, well, Dull. At first glance, instant copy looks so shiny and fancy. But is this how people really talk and write? Is this how we want our brand to communicate? Does the audience relate to this language? Chance are the answer to those questions is “No.”  Read enough AI-copy and patterns and word usages become more apparent.

4. Garbage In, Garbage Out. Generative AI’s output is only as good as the prompt the user gives it. Users often find that the output is a souped-up rewording of the prompt. If your blog or article has several distinct themes, then several different prompts will have to be completed. In the meantime, a human writer could have made a first draft or a solid outline in a voice only they can express.

5. Ghost in the Machine: Phantom Answers.  An all-too-often occurrence is output that contains data that is either not true or cannot be verified. Early generative AI models did not include source credits and we’re glad to see a renewed emphasis on sourcing key date points. Users should approach output skeptically, taking the time to completely click through a stated fact or figure to find its original source.  

6. Plagiarism Concerns. We’re all familiar with stories of plagiarism via AI. Generative AI models use the internet’s content to create answers. Someone, somewhere has toiled over an academic paper, for instance, and published it online. AI cares not. Models are built to copy data and return it to the query where it’s oh-so simple to cut-and-paste. Furthermore, we all Google for information. Because of that platform’s increasing reliance on AI, it’s imperative that content creators use an AI checker once they’ve written their piece to ensure its copy is original.

Originality Makes Brands Shine

Obviously, generative AI has serious limitations. It cannot achieve the nuance, subtlety, context or directness that human writers do. Think of it as one more tool in the writer’s toolbox – not a substitute for the genius of human expression. Great brands are an amalgamation of human input and interpretation, including business strategy, consumer feedback, financial analysis and the work of visual artists, graphic designers, copywriters, photographers, sound engineers, composers and even fashion designers. Blog and article writers are part of this amazing continuum. Their words should reflect its essence in a voice that’s unique to the brand.