My Future Prediction of AI Content Saturation

Welcome to 2025.

Around this time of year, usually a lot of blogs that float popularity in the Google realm and Linkedin include Meta Titles that say, "Top Predictions of ABC" or "X Stuff Likely To Happen in 2025."

I only have one prediction for 2025.

It is my belief that generative AI and content marketing will experience its cryptocurrency moment.

Back in 2017, everyone was minting tokens, launching ICOs, and promising the moon - until reality came knocking, and the crypto bubble popped.

Gartner called it the Hype Cycle, where new technology goes through a period of over-enthusiasm and inflated expectations, followed by a period of disillusionment.

Just ask the idiots who bought coins from the Hawk Tuah girl.

Content marketing in my opinion is heading down a similar path.

That moment will be an event I'm calling, "AI Content Saturation."

Generative AI has sparked a chain reaction in content marketing, flooding the internet with blogs, bylines and articles at a volume I've never seen before in my fifteen year career.

But the more AI floods the market with generic content following repetitive structures and semantics, the more it becomes obvious - as it all starts to read the same.

Audiences won't just catch on; they'll bounce off.

If companies and individuals lean too hard on generative AI for content marketing, they risk alienating their audience and forgetting the most important thing when it comes to content - quality.

My worry is that audiences are slowly becoming disengaged and disillusioned because, frankly, they are smarter than we give them credit for.

If we don’t address this now, the very tools that are being celebrated for their efficiency will be the ones that bury us.

What is AI Content Saturation?

AI Content Saturation is the point where audiences can spot AI-generated content from a mile away.

It’s like seeing a knock-off designer bag: it might look legit at first glance, but lift the faux-leather to see "Louis Fuitton" and you know something is seriously wrong.

In basic psychology, it's known as cognitive dissonance - when people realise something they previously believed to be real is actually fake.

The discomfort of holding conflicting beliefs can lead to various responses, including disbelief, rejection, or reevaluation of previous beliefs.

In content marketing, symptoms can lead to:

• Declining click-through rates and average engagement time metrics.
• Eye-roll reactions from readers who’ve seen this regurgitated nonsense before.
• A creeping sense of “Wait, is this brand even trying anymore?”

When every piece of content feels like it was squeezed out of the same algorithm, audiences will disengage.

Worse, they stop trusting you.

And in the Attention Economy, trust is the only currency that matters.

How the did we get here?

Generative AI is like a microwave.

It’s great for quick results, but I wouldn’t want my Christmas dinner cooked entirely in one.

Companies are leaning too hard on automation, sacrificing output for convenience.

AI isn’t creative; it’s derivative.

It’s trained on what already exists, which means it’s inherently recycling ideas.

If your content doesn’t bring something new to the table, why should anyone care?

The pressure to churn out endless streams of content has turned marketers into factory workers, and AI is the assembly line.

But more isn’t better; it’s just more.

AI optimises for algorithms, not humans.

And while that might for example boost your SEO for now, it’s a short-term win with long-term consequences.

A bloke I know who works the agency-side once told me: "Google is smart, and your audience is smarter."

What can you do to change the tide?

Before you panic, know this: the future isn’t all doom and gloom.

The key (as I've written many times before) is balance.

Or as Prof. Ethan Mollick puts it, see AI as a creative partner.

Here’s how to keep your content authentic and your audience engaged:

1. Use AI as your creative partner, not your manager. Let it handle the mundane tasks (summarising data, generating content briefs) while humans add the creativity, nuance, and personality.
2. Authentic storytelling is your secret weapon. AI can’t replicate lived experiences or unique perspectives. Lean into what makes your brand’s voice human.
3. Regularly review your content library. Weed out anything that feels generic or uninspired. Update, refresh, and, when necessary, delete.
4. AI can’t provide deep insights or original opinions. Position your brand as an authority by showcasing human expertise.
5. Stop obsessing over keywords and algorithms. Write for your audience, not a search engine. The rankings will follow.

Final thoughts

We’re at a crossroads.

AI can either be the greatest enabler of creativity or the fastest way to obliterate trust and authenticity.

The question isn’t whether we can generate more content.

The question will become whether anyone will care when we do.

It is my belief that AI Content Saturation will become a serious factor for content marketing in the near future.

But I also recognise that like my earlier reference to cryptocurrency, generative AI and content marketing may enter the Plateau of Productivity, where the technology matures and people start realising the tangible benefits and value with proper use and application.

It’s up to us - content leads, content managers, copywriters, SEO content writers, technical writers, content strategists, social media managers, email marketing specialists, editors, and proofreaders - to make the right choice.

I understand the perspective of leaders who see the $$$ savings of using generative AI to produce content en masse, instead of hiring a professional copywriter.

That's why it's up to those who work in content marketing to take a stand - and use data to show that humans cannot be beat by the machine.

Do you work in content marketing and do you feel the same? Leave a comment because I'm curious to hear your thoughts.