The rapid rise of AI-driven technology has transformed content creation, making it impossible to ignore. With AI being used to generate website copy, social media posts, blogs, and articles, should human writers be worried about their future?
Well…the answer is yes, to say otherwise would be disingenuous!
AI is fast, efficient (for the most part), and undeniably cheaper than hiring a professional writer. A well-crafted prompt can produce a “polished” blog, article, or social media post in seconds. Copy, paste, and your content is ready to go.
But does it truly represent you, your business, expertise, or brand voice? The answer is often no.
At first glance, AI-generated content may seem well-structured, but a closer look reveals its limitations. AI relies on pattern recognition, which results in repetitive phrasing—what I call “AI-isms.” Stock phrases like deep dive, carefully crafted, comprehensive, pivotal, captivating and, of course, delve appear frequently.
A recent Forbes article discusses this. And it’s not just single words, a new tool called AI Vocabulary scan, identified the most-used AI phrases based on over 3 million analyses of AI to human content. The current ranking of the top five most frequent AI words and phrases is:
- “objective study aimed” — 269x more frequent in AI
- “research needed to understand” — 235x more frequent in AI
- “despite facing” — 209x more frequent in AI
- “play significant role shaping” — 182x more frequent in AI
- “crucial role in shaping” — 155x more frequent in AI
There’s another great article here which is a must read for anyone who uses, or plans to use, AI to generate their content.
AI also makes mistakes!
Here is an example:
New York City created an AI chatbot to streamline the bureaucratic process for small businesses. The chatbot quickly faced criticism for providing legally inaccurate and sometimes dangerous advice. For example, it suggested that restaurants could serve cheese that had been nibbled by a rodent—so long as they “informed customers about the situation.”
There have been instances of AI generated harmful health advice; fabricated legal cases (as one attorney discovered in court) and false accusations.
In other words, AI makes things up. It predicts plausible-sounding text, which can lead to serious inaccuracies.
You have been warned.
Of course, human writers and creators get things wrong too, but on the whole, the writer you pay to create your content will not include things they cannot “fact check”. After all, unlike the AI bot, a human writer needs you to pay them. And would you pay a content creator who was making things up? Especially if the content could damage your reputation and your business.
Of course you wouldn’t!
I hear voices at the back saying, “well we don’t pay AI either”, and that’s true, but do you check the content your AI of choice provides?
If you don’t, shame on you.
If you do, how much of your time is that taking up, and what is the cost implication? If you take a couple of hours to fact check, maybe personalise, and ultimately upload a piece of content, what is that time worth? What is YOUR hourly rate within your business?
Factor in the cost of revisions, brand alignment, and potential reputational damage, and the financial advantage of AI-generated content isn’t always as clear-cut. Professional writers (myself included) can even handle publishing content for you—saving time and ensuring quality. Win-win.
Humans win out in the emotional intelligence arena too. Lived Experience Matters – AI hasn’t lived life; it doesn’t understand nuance, emotion, or true storytelling, it simply links words together that have been drawn from all over the web.
A human writer can bring their own experience into the mix, creating empathy with the reader, drawing them into the story, getting (and keeping) them interested in you and your brand/business.
AI is also often generic, meaning your brand voice will start to sound exactly like your competitors who also use AI to create content. Do you really want to exist in a world where every business, including your own, sound exactly the same? Whatever happened to “unique”?
Stepping back, some content creators claim that unique brand voices don’t exist. I disagree. Human uniqueness lies in our thoughts, perspectives, and lived experiences—something AI cannot replicate. That’s why there will always be a place for human-generated content. Because we flesh and blood writers can create content that celebrates the unique values and variety of brands, businesses and individuals.
Looking Ahead
I see no reason why we can’t learn to blend the positives of AI with the abilities of human writers by, recognising AI as a tool, not a threat.
AI is fantastic for generating writing prompts if you feel the dreaded writer’s block coming on. It works well for ideas, schedules and for research (though always verify sources before using!), and can suggest tweaks and additions you may not always think of.
But AI is no replacement for a real life human writer. Comparing the two is like comparing a recipe book to a master chef—one provides guidance, but the other creates something truly original.
Key Takeaways
- AI can assist, but it doesn’t replace creativity.
- Writers who embrace AI as a tool (e.g., for research, outlining, or idea generation) can work smarter.
- The best content will always be a blend of technology and human insight.
In the age of AI, we human writers still matter—because authenticity, originality, and real experience can’t be automated.