Blog: AI Content Creation: A Double-Edged Sword

Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionised many industries, and content creation is no exception. With the advent of powerful AI tools, generating high-quality content has become more accessible than ever. However, while AI offers significant benefits, it's essential to understand its limitations and use it judiciously.

Acres of coverage are dedicated to AI, the wonders it will perform, and the disasters that will befall mankind at the hands of errant AI. However, do editors and journalists want AI-generated content for their media channels?

In a recent article on MarketingProfs.com, Kelsey Raymond took a long, hard look at this subject. The following quotes from editors are taken from her article (Publications Don’t Want Your AI-Generated Content).

“Gini Dietrich, founder of Spin Sucks, admitted that AI-generated content can sometimes be fairly good but said it is usually "missing personality, context, and storytelling—the creative part of writing."

Noobpreneur.com owner Ivan Widjaya noted that articles written by AI show a "lack of flair and originality." Widjaya went on to add, "Creative writing is possible using AI tools, but some content creators either just don't want to learn about effective prompting for results that are at least 90% close to their/readers' expectations, or they just want to create content fast and move on to the next projects."

And according to Richard Larsson, SVP of digital content at Advertising Week, "AI-generated content lacks humor, personality, and color—basically everything that makes for a compelling read. So far, AI-generated content is very disappointing given the hype around it."

Pretty unequivocal.

Using unadulterated AI content places your brand, its personality, and its ability to entertain, amuse, shock and engage in the hands of machine learning that is, at best, barely adequate. If that is your ambition for your organisation, then that choice is yours. As professional communicators, it is not something we would advocate for, but we wanted to look fairly at the advantages and disadvantages of AI in a fair manner; here is something to consider:

The Pros of Using AI for Content Creation

Increased Efficiency:

• • Speed: AI can generate content rapidly, significantly reducing the time it takes to create blog posts, news releases, and other marketing materials.
  • Automation: Routine tasks like generating product descriptions or social media posts can be automated, freeing time for more strategic work.

Improved Quality:

• • Consistency: AI can help maintain a consistent brand voice and tone across all content.
  • Grammar and Style: AI tools can identify and correct grammatical errors, ensuring that content is polished and professional.

Enhanced Creativity:

• • Brainstorming: AI can help generate creative ideas and spark inspiration for content topics.
  • Unique Perspectives: AI can provide fresh perspectives and insights, helping to create more engaging and informative content.

Cost-Effective:

• • Reduced Costs: AI tools can reduce the need to hire additional writers or content creators, making content production more cost-effective.

Lack of Human Touch:

• • Emotional Intelligence: AI struggles to understand and convey emotions, which can be crucial for building audience connections.
  • Nuance and Context: AI may only sometimes grasp language and cultural context nuances, leading to potential misunderstandings.

Dependence on Data Quality:

• • Garbage in, Garbage Out: AI models rely on the quality of the data they are trained on. The generated content will also be flawed if the data is biased or inaccurate.

Ethical Considerations:

• • Plagiarism: AI-generated content can sometimes be too similar to existing content, raising ethical concerns about plagiarism.
  • Misinformation: AI can generate misleading or false information if not properly trained and monitored.

Striking the Right Balance

While AI can be a powerful tool for content creation, it's important to use it responsibly. Here are some tips for maximising the benefits of AI while minimising its drawbacks:

• • Human Oversight: Always have a human editor review and edit AI-generated content to ensure quality and accuracy.
  • Focus on Your Unique Voice: Use AI to generate ideas and draft content, but always add your personal touch to make it unique.
  • Train Your AI: Provide your AI tools with high-quality data to improve the quality of the generated content.
  • Use AI for Routine Tasks: Automate repetitive tasks like summarising articles or generating product descriptions.
  • Prioritise Human Connection: While AI can generate content, human connection is crucial for building relationships with your audience.
  • By understanding AI's strengths and limitations, you can harness its power to create high-quality, engaging content that resonates with your audience.