Your customers know you're using AI-generated content

Think you can get away with using AI-generated copy without anyone noticing? Here's why you're wrong.

Like any other technological advance, AI has brought with it numerous opportunities and numerous challenges.

In the education sector, for instance, teachers are torn between the validity of ChatGPT and other large language models as research tools and the difficulty of detecting AI-generated essays.

In digital marketing, many brands now see AI as a valuable tool in their armouries. And it is – for certain use cases. But as we've written elsewhere, we don't use it for marketing copy – and we never will.

There are plenty of reasons for this. In this article, we're going to focus on a key disincentive: the fact that many of your customers will spot it a mile off.

How can customers tell if content is AI-generated?

First up, we should clarify that not everyone can spot AI-generated content, as anyone reading the comments below an AI image on Facebook will know.

Research suggests that humans are inconsistent at identifying AI text. If you're an AI advocate, you could say this is a great reason to persevere. But from another perspective, the fact that plenty of people can spot it is a key reason to get a human to write your copy rather than a bot.

AI-generated copy serves a purpose. It gets content online quickly and effortlessly. But in doing so, it settles for content that's generic, repetitive and lifeless. It's like going to a fashion show and watching mannequins get pushed down the runway.

In other words, it's a short-term solution. But content creation, SEO and business growth strategies are long-term challenges that require long-term thinking.

Businesses defend their use of AI by saying it serves the customer. They insist it's not just about cutting their own costs – it's actually about giving them what they need.

Well, we're here to tell you that customers want, above all, to be treated like humans. And in some cases, AI knows how to do that. A chatbot, for example, can get you the answer or support you need without putting you on hold.

That's very different from AI-generated content such as web copy and marketing emails. People can tell if they're being taken for a ride – and they don't like it. They want to feel valued, not hoodwinked. In this key regard, humans have still got the upper hand over machines.

Why cutting corners is bad for business

If you rely on AI to generate your copy, you're telling the customer that you're happy to cut corners. Who cares if an article was written by a professional copywriter, ChatGPT or a stranger you met on the bus? It doesn't matter! The point is getting money off the customer. All the rest is a waste of money.

There are two problems with this attitude. First, it dramatically underestimates the intelligence of the customer. It assumes that people are there to be squeezed for their money rather than nurtured as could-be-loyal customers. It puts (to repurpose a political phrase) profit above people.

The second problem is it makes you wonder what other corners are being cut. Let's say you receive an email from a company that's clearly been written using AI. Perhaps the tone is off. Perhaps it's full of needless repetitions. Perhaps it's overflowing with emojis.

Either way, your first response is likely to be some variation on "Oh, come on". But as you think about it further, you're likely to wonder what else this company doesn't care about.

Would they approach the complaints procedure with the same contempt they've shown in this email? How about refunds or shipping? How about their environmental commitments?

AI-generated copy tells the customer that nothing matters but profit. And that's a bad message to send to customers who, after all, can quickly switch to one of your competitors.

What are the telltale signs that content has been AI-generated?

If you read something and smell an AI-generated rat, chances are it's because there's something off about it. But where does that off-ness come from? In most cases, it's a combination of things that create that uncanny valley feeling.

There's a thread on Reddit that shares many of these telltale signs – from sentence structures to specific word choices.

For us, the most important is this: AI-generated copy is almost always neutral and "safe".

AI doesn't take risks. It doesn't crack jokes unless you ask it to (and they're usually not that funny). It doesn't have style. It's trained on a whole lot of bad copywriting – so, naturally, the results are bunk.

This is why your customers can easily tell you're using AI-generated content. They can see the gaping hole where a personality should be. In short, they can sense they're being fobbed off – a surefire way to send them shopping elsewhere.

What is AI good for?

The danger in rejecting AI is that you come across as a stick-in-the-mud Luddite. In fact, we think AI has plenty of value to offer – just not when it comes to written content.

Even within the world of digital marketing, we can see its value. Chatbots, for instance, directly benefit customers by offering instant support.

But perhaps the most exciting use of AI is in medicine. Did you know, for instance, that the COVID-19 vaccine was developed using AI? As the World Health Organization says:

"The value of AI was recently demonstrated in the COVID-19 pandemic, whereby AI-based approaches were used to accelerate mRNA vaccine antigen design and conduct clinical trials, helping developers to go from a viral sequence to approved product in less than one year."

Now that's a use of AI we can get behind – and chances are it's only going to get better. But when it comes to copywriting? Your best bet is to stick with the professionals.

Are you looking for heroic search-engine-optimised content written by humans for humans? Get in touch with My Digital Hero today and snatch some of our superpowers for yourself.