AI tools are improving at a rapid pace. As they evolve, the qualitative gap between algorithmic output and human creativity shrinks. The techno-utopians assure us that the gap will eventually close. Be skeptical of that promise.
Anyone using AI for content development needs to account for the gap. Some organizations have embraced what they perceive to be fully automated content creation—quite literally allowing the machine to take control of how their organization communicates.
Even with a well-trained, customized AI, the result is at best bland, at worst inaccurate to the point of damaging the brand and its relationship with its customers.
Responsible use of AI to generate marketing content requires human involvement. Traditional creative disciplines—design, writing, editing—are indispensable. But AI also requires a shift in how creative skills are applied, and in some cases requires an entirely new way of working.
If your organization plans to use AI in its content development process, here are seven skills your team will need:
1. A copyeditor’s eye.
Without an acute sensitivity to the precise meaning of words and the logical ordering of sentences and paragraphs, the flaws of AI-generated content can be easy to miss. You should assume that a significant number of people in your audience will catch the flaws—and judge your company accordingly.
Copyediting is an oft-neglected professional discipline. Few people have the necessary patience, let alone the proper training, to do it well. Take it from Mr. Wonderful, editors are a precious commodity in the AI era.
2. A big-picture perspective.
The corollary of close reading is the ability to see the start-to-finish flow of the piece. Verifying a draft’s logical flow, consistency, and relevance takes more than a quick glance. It requires careful review and revision of every transition and verification that the big ideas fit together in a coherent way.
3. Brand fluency.
Infusing your marketing content with brand-appropriate language is vital for turning generic ideas into something that resonates with your audience. Anyone working with AI needs the ability to seamlessly integrate specific brand mentions, such as dropping the right names into the right places, into the AI-generated content.
4. Efficient rewriting.
Recognizing a bad sentence is just the first step. You also need to fix the problem. Even skilled writers can hit a block when confronted with a rewrite.Turning back to the AI to fix every problem is slow and may introduce new issues. For best results, be prepared to do some edits by hand.
5. Disciplined prompting.
Skill with the AI itself is essential, of course. The user needs to understand how these tools process information and assemble responses, with practices like ChatGPT’s iterative refinement system. Quality outputs require quality inputs. Studying best practices is only the start. Experience is the most valuable teacher of what raw materials to feed the machine and how to establish productive parameters.
6. Strategic thinking.
AI can help us write about any subject, which may be the technology’s biggest trap. Because it’s so easy to generate a quick draft and fill up the word count, writers may be tempted to go with the AI’s initial ideas without taking time to pinpoint which ideas best fit the organization’s broader marketing strategy. SEO data, audience analytics, and an old fashioned understanding of what’s going on in the marketplace are all more important than ever.
7. Awareness of ethical pitfalls.
Working with AI introduces a number of ethical concerns that writers must account for in their work. Despite built-in protections, AI output can veer dangerously close to plagiarism. Using a plagiarism checker is an important part of the process. The writer also needs to take seriously the possibility that the AI has confidently asserted bad or misleading information. If you do not plan to disclose that content has been generated with the help of AI, you need to take the necessary steps to verify it is reliable.
Treasure the Human Element
Bridging the quality gap in AI-generated content requires more than just oversight—it demands expertise. The seven skills outlined here aren’t just safeguards; they’re essential tools for elevating AI output from adequate to exceptional.
As AI continues to reshape content creation, those who master these disciplines will set their brands apart, ensuring that technology serves creativity rather than replacing it. The key takeaway? AI is a powerful tool, but the sharpest edge comes from the humans wielding it.
At Red Mallard we are continuously working to refine the way we leverage the power of AI to deliver high quality, professional content to our clients. Is your organization getting the most from AI? Reach out to us to find out how your content marketing can become more efficient and more profitable.
