Every day I read how AI is replacing content creators and content creators loathe AI because it uses so many em dashes.
But for me, in my marketing and content team of one. I have long embedded AI into my workflows to support me in content creation and to ramp up production without forfeiting any quality or sending my costs into orbit.
And for marketing teams with low budgets and in small to medium companies, there’s no getting away from it. You just have to embrace it.
Even today, despite my head on the redundancy chopping block with my boss wielding the AI axe. My love of AI continues. In fact, the first thing I did after my I got the news, was jump onto ChatGPT and ask it to help me get my shit together fast to land my next role.
But I don’t use ChatGPT and Claude just for speed. I use it for quality.
Yes, I said quality, again. And no, I have not been digitised and held captive by AI while I write this. Tron is still fiction. I am still human... as far as I know. And hope.
The thing that surprised me most when I started using AI isn't how quickly it writes. It's how it collaborates.
AI doesn't have an ego.
It doesn't get defensive.
It doesn't get tired or lose patience
It doesn't mind if I ask the same question fifteen different ways and then ask it again because I forgot where we landed.
It just keeps turning ideas over with me. And that's the bit I think creatives underestimate.
When a leader throws a topic or title at me, AI helps me dig for the unique story that will cut through the noise and help build authority.
It helps me to make sense of my thoughts. Because when I’m looking at data and insights my thinking is linear but when I’m creating it can get super squiggly.
AI is not only a sounding board for ideation, it’s a safe space to share even the crazy ideas that I would never say out loud—I want my content plan to be seen as bold, not bonkers.
And then it helps me to sanity check I’ve covered everything, because 5 hours or even 5 days into our conversation, it hasn’t forgotten a damn thing I said. Unlike me who has to religiously record everything, transcribe it, and play it back 10x over.
Which means we quickly get to an outline and a rough and ready first draft.
And that’s where the magic happens. The human instinct and editorial judgement that crafts thoughts into thought leadership. And even here AI can be a valuable sparring partner, an editor-in-chief:
“What do you think of this?”
“Maybe try this?”
"Not quite.”
"Too clever."
“Too salesy”
"We've already said that."
"That doesn’t sound like him/her/them."
There is no frustration. No sugar-coating our conversation. (although I never fail to say please and thank you) No need to defend my position. No attachment to being right.
Just another attempt. And another.
Until we reach something that feels trustworthy and true. My happy place of authoritative while authentic.
People assume AI's value is speed and cost cutting. For me, patience is its virtue. It’s where I go to think out loud, discover something that stands out, and refine it into something worth reading. That's very different from a machine doing my job.
And so, when creatives say AI cannot replace human judgement. I completely agree.
AI gives me the time and space to make better judgements.
It doesn’t spell the end of human creativity.
It simply changes where creativity begins.
Written by me, edited with ChatGPT