AI-generated Content: Why Humans Are Still Needed To Get It Right - I
Developing quality content still requires a human. AI makes the passes but it is humans who eventually score the points.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital content, the promise of artificial intelligence (AI) has often overshadowed its current limitations. Many businesses, keen to streamline operations and reduce costs, have embraced generative AI (gen-AI) tools for content creation. Yet, as the initial fervor subsides, a critical reality is emerging: AI copy frequently misses the mark, necessitating the irreplaceable insight and skill of human content creators.
As this report points out, some companies that initially replaced human labor with AI to cut costs are now rehiring skilled humans to correct AI-generated errors, often at a higher cost.
Almost 30 months after gen-AI first appeared on the scene, I delve into this crucial dynamic, offering a candid look at where AI falls short and how human expertise remains the cornerstone of truly impactful content. Through this newsletter, I aim to equip both content creators with strategies to thrive and businesses with the knowledge to make astute content investments.
But first, let’s look at a case study that personifies many such companies that took to AI for their content, and it didn’t turn out as anticipated:
Case Study: The 'Efficiency Trap' at Apx Solns
For many organizations, the allure of rapidly scalable, low-cost content generated by AI has been compelling. Apx Solns*, a prominent Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider specializing in project management solutions, embarked on such an initiative in early 2024. Its objective was ambitious: to significantly increase blog volume, generate technical documentation, and rapidly draft marketing copy using generative AI, thereby reducing reliance on its in-house content team and external freelancers.
(*name changed to hide identity)
The Initial Mandate: Apx Solns sought to expand its content footprint by 300% within six months, believing AI could achieve this with a projected 40% reduction in content production costs. Key performance indicators (KPIs) focused primarily on content volume and initial cost savings.
The Unforeseen Challenges: Within three months, Apx began to observe critical issues. While content volume surged, qualitative metrics indicated a significant decline in efficacy:
Generic & Disconnected Voice: Blog posts lacked the distinct brand voice and strategic depth Apx was known for. Engagement rates (average time on page) for AI-generated articles dropped by an average of 25% compared to human-written pieces.
Factual Inaccuracies & Nuance Deficit: Technical documentation, crucial for a SaaS product, often contained subtle inaccuracies or overlooked critical operational nuances. This led to a 15% increase in customer support queries related to product usage, impacting customer satisfaction scores.
Limited Persuasion & SEO Stagnation: Marketing copy, while grammatically correct, failed to elicit strong emotional responses or differentiate Apx's offerings effectively. SEO performance stagnated as AI-generated content, often lacking unique insights or deep topical authority, struggled to rank for competitive keywords.
Escalating Hidden Costs: The "savings" from AI were rapidly offset by the substantial time and resources required for human editors to correct errors, inject brand voice, and perform factual verification. In many instances, the revision process was more time-consuming than original content creation, leading to an estimated 30% increase in post-production content costs.
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The Strategic Re-evaluation. A Mid-stream Change
Recognizing these compounding issues, Apx Solns initiated a comprehensive content audit. The findings were conclusive: while AI offered speed, it lacked the strategic foresight, industry-specific knowledge, nuanced understanding of user pain points, and the creative spark essential for truly effective B2B SaaS content.
The Human Renaissance: Apx pivoted its strategy, re-investing significantly in its human content team and engaging specialized freelance talent. Instead of full replacement, AI was re-positioned as a powerful assistive tool for research, brainstorming, and initial drafting. Human content architects now focused on:
Strategic Content Planning: Defining content pillars, audience personas, and key messages.
Brand Voice & Narrative: Ensuring every piece of content resonated with Apex's unique brand identity and told a compelling story.
Technical Accuracy & Depth: Leveraging human experts for precise, verified technical documentation and thought leadership.
Emotional & Persuasive Copywriting: Crafting marketing content that truly connected with and converted prospects.
Here’s What Happened Next
The recalibration yielded significant positive results within five months:
Engagement Rebound: Average time on page for human-crafted content increased by 20%.
Improved Lead Quality: Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) originating from content-driven channels saw a 10% increase in conversion rates to Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs), indicating a stronger alignment with customer needs.
Enhanced Brand Perception: Customer satisfaction surveys noted an improvement in the "clarity and helpfulness" of content by 18%.
Optimized Resource Allocation: While initial output volume slightly decreased, the quality and impact of content significantly improved, leading to a more efficient use of overall marketing resources and a stronger ROI.
Key Takeaways for Your Business/Team
One point that was driven in by this experiment was this - AI is a tool, not a creator. Businesses or content clients need to understand this basic fact; they need to understand AI's current limitations. The machine only excels at data processing and generating raw text, but struggles with nuance, strategic intent, and genuine creativity.
If you want content, the human touch is priceless. Invest in skilled content creators who can infuse brand voice, ensure factual accuracy, provide strategic direction, and connect with your audience on an emotional level.
What’s more, initial "cost savings" from AI can quickly evaporate due to the need for extensive human intervention to correct errors and elevate quality. Prioritize quality and strategic impact over mere volume.
Synergy is Key: The most effective approach integrates AI as an assistant to human experts, freeing them to focus on high-value, strategic content initiatives.
This case study from Apx Soln serves as a powerful reminder that while AI revolutionizes many aspects of our work, the unique capabilities of human content creators remain indispensable for truly impactful, brand-aligned, and high-performing content.
We'll delve deeper into strategies for content creators to highlight their "human edge" in this newsletter’s next edition.
What are your thoughts on Apx Soln’s journey? Share your experiences with AI in content creation!
