Your audience can smell fake content from a mile away. And today AI is making the problem worse.
Generic copy is flooding every feed and search result. It all sounds the same. It erodes trust. And it’s quietly racking up a carbon bill most brands never think about.
78% of people can’t tell real content from AI-generated material anymore.
The real cost of lazy AI content
AI isn’t the villain here. Lazy prompts are. When you don’t give AI clear direction, you get polished garbage – content that sounds fine but says nothing. You waste time editing it. Your servers burn energy regenerating it. And your brand voice gets lost in the mire.
Training a single large AI model can emit over 626,000 pounds of CO₂ – roughly five cars’ worth over their lifetimes. Using AI (not training it) is less intensive, but every vague prompt, every rewrite, every duplicate draft adds up.
When everything sounds the same, nothing breaks through. Your differentiation disappears. Your competitors start sounding exactly like you. Your audience stops caring.
62% say they’re less likely to engage with content if they know AI wrote it. That’s not a tech problem – it’s a brand problem.
Get it right first time
Sustainable content strategy isn’t tree-hugging posturing. It’s good business. Fewer pieces mean greater brand impact, lower costs and better ROI. The fastest way to reduce waste is to write better prompts.
Here’s how to brief AI so it actually delivers:
- Define your voice with examples, not adjectives: Don’t say ‘make it friendly’. Show AI what friendly sounds like in your brand. Give it real examples of past content that nailed your tone.
- Set tight parameters: Word counts. Structure. Audience profile. The more specific you are, the less fluff you’ll get back.
- Use templates that actually work: Give your AI tools pre-approved frameworks. Guide them toward outputs you can use, not generic drafts you’ll bin.
- Know when to step in: Not every task benefits from automation. Sometimes the human touch isn’t optional – it’s actually the point.
Better prompts mean less editing, fewer rewrites, and less wasted time. Lower cognitive and lower computational load.
Your editor is your last line of defence
AI can draft. But editors protect your brand. In the age of automation, editors aren’t just polishing grammar – they’re guarding what makes your content yours. Your editor makes sure it reflects your values, connects with your audience, and stays true to your brand voice.
Think of them as your quality filter and ethical compass – turning raw AI outputs into work that earns attention instead of adding to the pile. So, give your editors the power to:
- Refine AI drafts through a brand lens
- Flag generic or redundant outputs before they go live
- Build a content library so you’re not duplicating effort
- Keep every piece aligned with your broader goals.
The future isn’t more content. It’s better content.
We’re not advocating for less work. We’re advocating for smarter work. That means:
- Publishing fewer pieces that actually land
- Creating evergreen content you can repurpose
- Prioritising quality over constant novelty
- Making sure every asset serves both your brand purpose and your audience’s needs.
Build something better
Great content respects three things: your reader’s time, your brand’s identity, and the planet’s resources. The tools we use – AI included – should serve those values, not undermine them.
What’s actually working for you?
We want to hear from you. What AI practices are helping you create better – not more – content? Join our conversation on LinkedIn or get in touch directly. We’re always up for talking about what’s working in the real world.
