Why You still need Humans for AI content

I am not here to judge you if you use AI to develop your content.

Nor will I smugly proclaim that en and em dashes in your writing are a deadset giveaway. Actually, I quite like to use both on occasion.
I have even been known to type "In the fast-paced world of …" . Not now, though, of course.

I get that AI is cheaper (and faster) than a human, but if it screws up, it will have been a false economy, with the huge cost to rebuild your business reputation.

If you use AI, treat it as the enthusiastic (underpaid) office intern, who churns out copy cheaply but doesn't yet understand your business, priorities, or tone of voice. You would never let the intern send out business-sensitive correspondence unchecked, so why would you for AI?

Human editors can check AI outputs for dangerous content, inaccuracies, or biases, preventing potential reputational risks before they occur.

AI lacks inherent moral understanding, and these days, where one wrong step can see people and businesses "cancelled", a flesh and blood editor can ensure AI decisions align with real values and ethical principles.

Humans can apply common sense reasoning to resolve things when faced with unclear, contradictory, or incomplete information. They should be a fresh set of eyes in decisions that require moral reasoning and judgment or ethical considerations where there's no clear "right" answer.

Humans ensure clear responsibility and accountability for AI-originated content, which is critical for brand trust.

Some situations require subtle cultural, social, or domain-specific understanding that AI systems struggle to grasp, and some AI software only refers to information published before a specific date. It also only regurgitates existing, rather than creating fresh, content.

A joke in one context might be offensive in another and require human judgment.

I posted recently about the lawyer who used AI for case citations and royally screwed up when the court fact-checked and discovered AI had merrily invented fairytale cases to fit his argument. Don't be that person.

While AI offers speed and pattern recognition at scale, we (humans) can bring contextual understanding and emotional intelligence to your company's copy. Businesses can still churn out copy and content via AI more quickly than in the past, but the human editing stage will ensure it feels authentic and genuine, not robotic and formulaic.

In short, humans with their capacity for critical thought are not yet redundant in content creation.

I make absolutely no judgment if your business uses AI, but I would urge you to empower someone in your business to take on the role of "AI wrangler" or speak with a copywriter who understands AI about taking on that role for you.

Image - Robotic hand reaching out to human hand. Photo by cottonbro studio via Pexels

Contact me via DM or email at [email protected] to find out more.