Content creation has undergone a massive paradigm shift since the advent of ChatGPT in 2022. While the rise of use cases was a little slow initially, businesses quickly integrated artificial intelligence into their workflow after a few months.
Today, AI tools have become a staple for many industries, including search engine optimization and content marketing.
AI content generators can do in a few minutes what would typically take human writers hours to create. Plus, these machines are not prone to fatigue and human error, ensuring quality content even after continuous usage.
While AI-generated content seems like the perfect substitute for dedicated content creators, AI tools are far from perfect. In this resource, we’ll explore the pros and cons of AI-generated content and uncover the best practices for using AI effectively.
What is AI-generated content?
AI-generated content refers to any digital content created by generative AI tools using human prompts. These tools use machine learning to understand the context and concept of a person’s inputs, such as keywords, topics, and instructions, to generate the desired content accurately.
AI models and their respective generated content come in various forms.
For instance, ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Jasper AI all fall under the class of large language models (LLM). LLMs are trained on vast amounts of data and algorithms to produce text made with natural language processing or NLP-friendly text. They work best for copywriting and producing content optimized for SEO.
However, AI content production is not limited to generating text. Modern AI technology can also produce other content, allowing users to cover as many channels in digital marketing as possible, including social media. These forms of content include:
- Video content, like animations and avatars
- Audio content, like music or text-to-speech
- Visual content, like images and graphics
Here is a recently viral commercial of a hypothetical pizza business called “Pepperoni Hug Spot,” made using AI technology:
Pros of AI-generated content
Automated content creation boasts immense benefits for a business, and we’ll look at each of them below:
Cost-effective
Content creation services can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on the content’s quality and the marketing campaign. If you gather an in-house team, this may even balloon to a higher cost.
Using AI content generators lets you bypass the costs charged by content creators while also allowing you to be hands-on during the content creation process.
For example, instead of hiring human writers, you may simply instruct AI writing tools, like ChatGPT, to write high-quality content based on your prompts.
Here is an example of using ChatGPT to create content:
Consistency
The Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) model is a prominent framework for existing generative AI tools. Aside from being pre-trained, as the name suggests, the tool can still be trained or fine-tuned according to a user’s preferences.
At the starting point of content creation, you may program the tool to use a specific tone, style, and language guidelines. This ensures that all content produced aligns with your brand voice.
Setting clear guidelines lets you streamline and maneuver the content creation process according to your ideal consistency.
Wide-scale application
The amount of content you can produce using artificial intelligence is practically endless.
For example, AI tools can repurpose long-form articles into bite-sized social media posts or transform them into video content. It’s like having an entire content marketing team compressed into one place.
Helps overcome writer’s block
Manually writing content is time-consuming, because in addition to the actual writing, strategizing, researching, and proofreading also go into the process. Unlike machines, content writers are also predisposed to writer’s block and fatigue, resulting in slower turnaround time and a lack of creativity.
Generative AI tools do not share the same experience, which means they can continuously produce new content without compromising quality.
SEO optimization
AI writing tools are trained on massive amounts of online data and highly optimized web content, allowing them to create SEO-friendly content on command. They may also extract and integrate LSI or latent semantic indexing keywords according to your chosen topic, which helps optimize an article further in SERPs.
It doesn’t only work on long-form content like blogs or resources but may even apply to short-form copy like product descriptions.
Data-driven insights
Aside from producing AI-generated content, machine-learning tools may also analyze data and identify useful trends, patterns, and user behavior. These insights can then be used to take appropriate action.
For example, you may ask AI writing tools to analyze a high-ranking piece of content on Google and list the on-page factors influencing its SERP performance. Insights from this analysis may be implemented in your succeeding content creation processes.
24/7 availability
AI models are not predisposed to the same physical drawbacks that humans experience, like sleep. They can produce new content continuously without breaks or performance declines. Even if you decide to work beyond office hours, AI content marketing tools will be there to do your bidding.
Cons of AI-generated content
Integrating artificial intelligence into marketing tools is good, but this technology is far from perfect. Here are the pitfalls of AI-generated content:
Lack of originality and creativity
Large language models produce content based on the patterns and data they’ve been trained on. In other words, the resulting content may mirror common themes, phrases, and ideas found in its training data. This often leads to generic, formulaic, and repetitive content.
Theoretically, if two separate users wrote the same prompt, an AI tool will share similar insights, albeit with some minor differences in content delivery.
AI-generated content lacks the unique insights, creativity, and innovative ideas that human writers bring. As a result, it struggles to stand out or offer fresh perspectives, especially for readers seeking deeper insights on a subject.
Lack of voice
Generative models lack their own voice because they create content based on patterns and data rather than personal expressions or unique styles.
In other words, AI-generated content comes in “templates,” whereas human writers have distinct tones, perspectives, and personalities. This allows us to resonate better with readers and create a strong connection.
Google penalties
There’s a common misconception that Google punishes AI-generated content, but that speculation is heavily misguided. According to Google Search Central, the search engine rewards high-quality content however it is produced:
However, they had one requirement: it must be helpful content exhibiting the concept of E-E-A-T, which stands for expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Otherwise, the content will still have a poor search engine positioning, regardless of whether human writers or AI tools made it.
Since AI tools generate content based on preexisting data, the potential for plagiarism is high. Google may penalize websites that post duplicate content that adds zero value or no new information to users.
Ethical concerns
Generative AI tools potentially expose users to ethical concerns, especially for queries on recent events or sensitive topics, by producing content that inadvertently perpetuates biases, spreads misinformation, or violates copyright laws.
Many AI models are trained on data only until a specific period. For instance, ChatGPT has world knowledge up to April 2023, so the AI tool will only spew nonsense if you ask questions on events that happened beyond that date.
Moreover, AI writing tools may reinforce harmful stereotypes or infringe on intellectual property rights. Engaging in such practices may damage your brand reputation.
Dependence on data quality
Every drawback associated with AI tools and AI-generated content stems from their fundamental design: they are training data-dependent.
If the training data is outdated, biased, or incomplete, the AI will likely produce content reflecting those issues.
For instance, if an AI model is trained on data with obsolete information regarding SEO practices, the tool might recommend techniques that are no longer effective, such as spamming comment backlinks or keyword spamming.
This dependence on data quality means that the output is only as good as the input.
AI-generated content best practices
While the current state of AI technology is riddled with cons, that doesn’t mean we can’t use AI-generated content for our digital marketing efforts. The key is to be accountable and responsible about every piece of content we put out in public.
Here are some best practices to follow when using AI content generators:
Let human creativity guide the content creation process
Human oversight goes beyond spotting errors, fact-checking, and ensuring the content meets ethical standards. While powerful, artificial intelligence lacks the human touch—our built-in ability to understand nuances and emotional intelligence when writing content.
In the months I’ve been exposed to AI writing tools, I’ve developed a keen sight for spotting AI-generated content.
While grammatically immaculate and contains the essential information needed for the subject matter, AI content feels heavily out of touch and formulaic, lacking the originality and personality of a human writer.
I believe AI content creation works best when you already have an excellent writer on staff and the tool is merely used as a writing assistant to skyrocket their productivity. Humans balance out AI, mitigating their potentially harmful output.
By maintaining the lead in content creation, humans may insert unique insights, culturally relevant anecdotes, and unique brand voices, all of which AI alone might miss.
Concentrate automation on repetitive tasks
AI is highly effective for repetitive tasks because, unlike humans, machines can analyze large volumes of data in a snap without losing any accuracy and efficiency.
One practical example of using AI for automation is integrating AI technology into internal linking. Building internal links manually is time-consuming, but AI-powered internal linking tools can automatically find pertinent internal links throughout a website. This reduces the need for human resources and opens up more time for more productive activities, like content strategy.
While generative AI tools may still be helpful for creative tasks, human writers must take the helm and steer the project’s creative direction, not the other way around.
Set clear guidelines
AI content generators are pre-trained with dedicated training data, but that doesn’t mean they cannot be programmed. Before the content creation process even begins, users may provide strict and clear-cut guidelines to condition the AI tool’s responses.
For example, you may include a snippet of your writing to allow the tool to emulate your style. Conversely, you may show an example of an ad creative you wish to replicate with your personal branding (copy, colors, logo, etc.). Doing so manages the tool’s responses and restricts it from going beyond your guidelines.
One practical use is providing the writing tool with a set of numerical data that will serve as the benchmark, say, for a piece of case study content. This streamlines the process, making post-production activities like reviewing and editing less time-consuming.
Adhere to ethical standards
As content creators, we’re expected to uphold the utmost ethical standards, as our words may influence our followers’ thought processes and opinions.
When we inadvertently spread misinformation, our words may create a ripple effect that damages other people’s reputations or causes widespread confusion.
Similarly, when we produce content that reeks of plagiarism, we risk letting our followers think that’s okay and encouraging them to practice the same.
AI content generators expose us to these extremes. And that’s where fact-checking and bias detection come in.
At this point, AI-generated content still cannot stand alone without human agency. We must do our due diligence and review every piece of content we publish or suffer the consequences of not doing so.
Generate helpful content ideas
To AI’s credit, it does oil the engine when human writers suffer from writer’s block. With the correct prompts, the tools may reveal concepts or insights that would have otherwise been overlooked.
However, the beauty of AI models is that they can support marketers through other means, such as developing a content strategy tailored to your target audience.
For instance, when we’re stumped, we can have the tool analyze a group of content to find gaps and generate topics we can write about. Or when creative leads are pressed for time to create content briefs, they can simply set guidelines and let the machine do the heavy lifting.
Content production goes beyond the writing activity per se. Generative AI tools may already participate even if companies are still at the backburner of their marketing strategy.
The future of AI-generated content
Humans are still in the early stages of using artificial intelligence, and we have yet to discover more advancements in using AI for content creation. AI offers scalability unlike any other, as it can be applied to various technologies to serve every facet of marketing.
Because AI tools are convenient, they are bound to stay for the long haul in marketing. As for other industries, only time will tell of the fantastic (and even dreadful) applications of artificial intelligence.
Conclusion
While AI-generated content offers numerous benefits, such as cost-effectiveness and wide-scale applicability, it’s paramount that we use AI tools with caution.
The tools excel at automating repetitive tasks and providing data-driven insights after analyzing large chunks of data. However, due to the technology’s current limitations, many AI-made content may contain potentially harmful information and lack the human touch people bring.
Human oversight is necessary during the content creation to ensure that every piece of content is authentic, helpful to the target audience, and upholds ethical standards. Only then can we maximize the potential of AI-generated content.
If you need assistance developing your content strategy, Omniscient has human experts (yes, we had to emphasize that) who can gladly help. Give us a call, or visit our resource page to download some of our resources for free.
