It seems like whenever new technology becomes available, society embraces it before considering potential repercussions.
I’m old enough to remember the 90s, when companies installed new phone systems and laid off all their receptionists (hardly a huge savings since they weren’t very high paying jobs). After a couple of years of button-pushing frustration, companies that value customer service re-hired receptionists to answer phone calls and greet guests (and employees) at the door.
When the cell phone came along, it meant that your employees, your spouse, or your kids could be readily available every minute of the day. It also meant that school children could text each other, and later have the internet and social media, at their fingertips, every day, all day. Since then, research has repeatedly demonstrated how damaging phones are (particularly in school) for a child’s education and psychological well-being. Sadly, we are slow to solve this problem in the US. It isn’t complicated, we know the problem, cause, and solution…we just lack the will to make it happen. (Luckily, 58% of countries worldwide have made it happen – most within the last 3 years.)
The latest technology we can’t live without is AI. I’m not against AI, I just don’t think it’s the answer to everything…
From a marketing perspective, AI is great in many ways, but not when it’s used to write content. Don’t get me wrong, we love to use AI to help brainstorm ideas, flesh out an idea, or even to create an outline. The problem is that exclusively using AI can quickly degrade the quality of your content. There’s a great article in the Harvard Business Review entitled “Don’t Let AI Slop Muck Up Your Company’s Processes”. I think the title says it all but take the time to read it. Very interesting!
The other issue with AI content is that it conflicts with both good SEO practices AND good GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), which defines what the latest AI models are finding and promoting. This is because much AI generated content lacks:
- Experience
- Expertise
- Authoritativeness
- Trustworthiness
These 4 are critical when it comes to SEO and GEO (or AIO, AI Optimization). Since AI generated content draws primarily from existing content, it lacks SEO rich information which is quality, relevance, and trustworthiness. There are also several logistical issues with AI content creation such as formatting and keyword placement that affect the way in which your site is found.
AI has come a long way, but it still has further to go. It may eventually get there – but until it does, be sure you’re not putting all your eggs in one basket. If you would like to learn more about proper AI implementation for your marketing needs, contact us. We’d be happy to discuss it.