Human-Crafted Content: Vital in AI Collaborative Era

On my 2024 trends takeaway, I mentioned generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools and how they can enhance marketing. I decided to explore here how AI contributes to content creation. Remember, generative AI can be a powerful tool for content creation as long as humans remain part of the process.

A recent study by MIT researchers indicated that people preferred generative AI content, but only when they did not know how it was created by AI. Funnily enough, when people were informed that AI was involved in content creation, people preferred content created by humans. Like many marketing professionals, I frequently use ChatGPT, Copilot, and Google Gemini for content creation. Let me try to debunk common perceptions of AI-created content, share some valuable guides to maximize your utilization of generative AI and review how to make the most of content creation without losing your personal touch.

AI-created content : Myth and realities about content creation

First, we need to dispel common myths about artificial intelligence in content creation. Common perceptions are based on myths that influence the relationship we have with these tools. We believe that they can replace human creativity, that they are autonomous and objective, and that it is impossible to tell the difference between AI-created content and human content. In reality, AI is only a technological solution and not a replacement for humans. The outcomes depend on how we use it. Humans have a major part to play in its utilization.?

Don’t get me wrong, gen AI can generate content efficiently! But there are limitations to be considered in its capacity to replace human creativity. It often lacks the nuanced understanding and creativity inherent to human thought processes. If we examine its limitations in greater detail, certain crucial points emerge:

1. Limited capacity to understand context: they can surely analyze data and generate context based on predefined rules or models, but they struggle to grasp the broader context surrounding a given topic, leading to inaccuracies and misunderstandings.
2. Lack of emotional nuances: AI can also struggle to capture the depth and subtlety of human emotions. This can alter the authenticity and relatability of AI-generated content.
3. Absence of cultural awareness and sensitivity: Cultural nuances, idiomatic expressions, and social norms vary across the globe, whereas human creators bring their background to the table. This limitation can lead to unintended biases or inappropriate content generation.
4. Limited capacity to produce truly original and innovative work: As humans, we can make unexpected connections, and push the boundaries of conventional thinking. This can be challenging for AI in that its content relies on existing patterns and examples and may frequently lack the novelty and creativity of human-crafted content.

We can undeniably see the significant advancements made in content generation by AI. However, it still has some limitations that we should be aware of. We can use AI but still keep the originality and creativity of people's work by recognizing its limitations.

The use of prompts frameworks

There are some excellent tips and tricks to guide AI creativity. I find that prompts frameworks are a stupendous means to guide AI content creation. They help provide initial input to build coherent and solid content. For obvious reasons, I will only focus here on text-based prompts as a way to maximize content creation for marketing professionals.

AI models often receive text-based instructions to help them create content. These prompts typically consist of written instructions, keywords, or partial sentences that serve as starting points for the AI to generate content. For example, a text-based prompt for a short story might be “Write a horror story about a kid who loves ice cream.”

These text-based prompts provide structure and direction. They help the AI models to focus on specific points you may need for your content creation.? However, the specificity and complexity of text-based prompts can alter the ultimate result. It is good to know that with more detailed prompts, we yield better results. There is a massive diversity of frameworks out there. I highly recommend checking out the 50 AI Prompt Examples for Marketers to Use in 2023.

The value of human-crafted content

There are essential contribution factors we can use to create valuable content with the help of generative AI. I do think that we can provide readers and audiences with adapted and relevant content. I have a few ideas I want to share here on how we can improve AI-created content with a human touch:

1. Use personal experience:

• Using our life experiences to inspire our content helps our readers connect with our message on a deeper level
• Our experiences, challenges, and triumphs are what allow our audience to relate to our content

2. Tap into emotions:

• Exploring emotions in storytelling can be a powerful tool for engaging audiences and eliciting empathetic responses

3. Consider cultural context:

• When creating content for diverse audiences, be mindful of cultural nuances and idiomatic expressions
• Incorporating culturally relevant themes, references, and symbols enhances the authenticity and relatability of content, fostering a deeper connection with the audience

4. Favor authenticity over perfection:

• Embrace imperfections and vulnerabilities in your content to add depth and humanity
• Avoid overly scripted messaging. Authenticity builds trust and credibility with our readers.

Drawing from your experiences and emotions while acknowledging cultural nuances are considerations when crafting content for your audience. Gen AI can certainly help structure our content, but the invaluable help of content creators is paramount to truly engaging with readers and fostering long-lasting connections.

Get imaginative, push boundaries, and strive for genuineness when developing content for your audience. Our emotions and flaws are what set us apart. It's essential to cherish these when crafting content. We're only at the dawn of collaborating with AI. While artificial intelligence has its place, it can't replicate human ingenuity. That's my perspective. I'm an advocate of leveraging AI for content creation, yet my personal touch is always present in my writing.