AI isn’t a content strategy: A cautionary tale from the field

Everyone's under pressure to create more content, faster. And yes, AI can help with that. But when brands start using AI tools to write entire thought leadership pieces, it shows (and not in a good way). Here's what that looked like in real life.

During my time at a previous employer, I created and managed a regional blog. The idea was simple: increase visibility and authority in our niche by publishing content that actually reflected local context, not just recycled material from corporate headquarters in the United States.

In an effort to support this, stakeholders on certain teams had made content contributions part of several colleagues' KPIs. So, early on, when one person took the initiative and volunteered to contribute, I was genuinely excited. He was smart, experienced, and had deep product knowledge: exactly the kind of person whose voice should be featured.

We had an intro call, and while his English wasn't perfect, that wasn't unusual—and honestly, that's the whole point of my job: helping people sound like native speakers. I offered the same support I'd given others, but to my surprise, he declined. He said he'd rather write it himself, in his own time, and send me drafts to review.

Within a week, he sent over eight blog drafts. I was impressed by the speed and made time to slot them into the pipeline and review them, however that excitement faded quickly.

When thought leadership stops being thoughtful

The blogs were grammatically correct, which surprised me given his spoken English during our call. But they were also painfully generic. As any content marketer can tell, something was off. Every piece had the same flat tone, the same recycled buzzwords, and the same vague value claims. A few even tried to include customer stories, but it was obvious they'd been lifted from publicly available PR-approved sources.

Worst of all? They all started with the same uninspired header: "Introduction", and each blog opened with a variation of the classic, "In today's ever-changing landscape..."

Disappointed, I asked him directly if he had used ChatGPT. First, he denied it. Then he pivoted: "Even if I did, you can't tell. And what's the difference if it still gets the point across?"

AI can write. But should you let it?

When everyone's repackaging the same generic points from the same recycled sources, you end up with a sea of diluted voices riffing off other diluted voices. It's not just booooooring. It's a brand risk. If your content sounds like it could have been written by anyone, it doesn't stand for anything. Especially in B2B, where authority and trust matter, letting AI lead your thought leadership is a fast way to lose both.

The value of content isn't just in putting words on a page and hitting publish every week. It's in sharing real perspectives, drawing from actual experience, and delivering something people want to read. That's what makes content a strategy, not just a checkbox to be ticked.

Use AI like a spice rack (Not a chef)

For what it's worth, I use AI too. Often. Without shame. I've asked it how to track business expenses in my first year of freelancing. I've asked it if I should remodel my bathroom. Sometimes, I use it to rephrase an email when I'm too annoyed to be polite to my building's maintenance team.

It's great for editing, idea-starters, or finding the right words when you're stuck. But it doesn't replace an accountant. Or an interior designer. And it definitely doesn't replace a content marketer.

AI can support content. But it shouldn't be your content marketer. The experts at your company have knowledge; they were hired for a reason. Your readers (and your brand!) deserve more than scraped, surface-level regurgitations.

So sure, use AI. Get unstuck. Polish a draft. Brainstorm when you're too tired. But if you're calling it "thought leadership", remember that the thinking still has to come from you!