We're living through a fascinating paradox. While AI tools like ChatGPT-4 and Meta's AI suggestions can pump out content faster than ever, people are actually craving more human connection, not less.
I recently sat down with Anthony Leung, a B2B video marketing expert based in London, UK, to discuss where content creation is heading. What we uncovered should make every business owner rethink their approach to AI in marketing.
Here's the uncomfortable truth: AI has made it incredibly easy for anyone to be mediocre at scale. As Anthony put it during our conversation, "AI has made it so easy for so many people to be mediocre so quickly."
The result? Your feed is flooded with generic content that sounds smart but feels hollow. Business owners are using AI to generate posts about topics they've never experienced, creating a dangerous disconnect between their online persona and reality.
Imagine showing up to a networking event and having someone ask about that "sumo wrestling post" you published last week, except you've never written about sumo wrestling. Your AI assistant scraped that from the news and published it under your name. That's the nightmare scenario we're heading toward if we don't course-correct.
Anthony shared something brilliant that changed how I think about content strategy. He calls it learning from Conan O'Brien's LinkedIn approach. When Conan took over The Tonight Show and later got fired, he spent months experimenting with LinkedIn in the most human way possible — posting about random experiences, making jokes, and treating the platform like a playground rather than a corporate announcement board.
The lesson? LinkedIn doesn't have to be the "void of joy" that it's become. When Anthony posts about finding pancakes in London that remind him of his favourite Toronto restaurant (RIP Marché), he gets more authentic engagement than any AI-generated "leadership insight" ever could.
In our research comparing AI-generated ad copy to human-written content across multiple industries, we found that human copywriters outperformed AI in cost-effectiveness in 9 out of 12 cases. But the real insight wasn't in the numbers — it was in understanding why.
Human writers bring something AI can't replicate: personal experience and emotional nuance. When I write about playing rugby at 44, it resonates with every business owner who's trying to stay physically active in their 40s. AI can't fake that lived experience.
As Anthony noted, "Those are things that AI would not know about me. Those are things I put into my content." Your burps, your stumbles, your random food obsessions — these "imperfections" are actually what people are looking for as signs of humanity.
Here's what most business owners miss: your customers don't want to log into Meta Business Manager. They don't want to analyze backlinks, manage negative keywords, or tinker with WordPress. They want someone they trust to handle it.
Most business owners are tired of the grind. When they're offered a "magical solution" that promises to automate everything while they sleep eight more hours, it's tempting. But here's the reality check: business is built on relationships, and relationships require showing up as yourself.
Would you send a clone version of yourself to a networking event? Of course not. So why would you send AI-generated content to represent your brand online?
I'm not anti-AI. I use it strategically. I've built a Claude project with my entire knowledge base: interview transcripts, writing samples, personality assessments, and my book. When I need to create content, I feed it my raw thoughts and experiences, and it helps me structure them into a coherent post.
The key difference? I'm inserting my own experiences and context. The AI knows my writing style and won't use words I'd never say (goodbye, "delve," "unlock," and "elevate"). But the core ideas, experiences, and insights are 100% mine.
This hybrid approach cuts my content creation time from two hours to 20 minutes while maintaining authenticity. That's the sweet spot — using AI as a writing assistant, not a replacement for your thinking.
Speaking of assistance, the virtual assistants who will thrive in this new landscape aren't the ones who simply know how to use AI tools. They're the ones who understand how to apply AI strategically while maintaining their client's authentic voice.
These resourceful VAs will become invaluable because they can bridge the gap between efficiency and authenticity. They'll use AI to handle the heavy lifting while ensuring every piece of content feels genuinely human.
Anthony made a profound point during our conversation: "Face-to-face is now a verification that you are a real person, that your thoughts are real, and that what you're going to produce on the internet has a shot of being real."
In a world where anyone can generate 50 posts with a few prompts, the people who show up in person, at conferences, at networking events, and in video calls are building a different kind of trust. They're proving they're real.
The future belongs to business owners who can strike the right balance. Use AI to enhance your efficiency, but never let it replace your humanity. Your audience can smell generic AI content from a mile away, and more importantly, they don't want it.
Instead of asking "How can I automate more of my content?" ask "How can I show up more authentically?" The answer might surprise you, and it definitely won't involve more automation.
The businesses that will thrive are those that use AI as a tool while doubling down on human connection. Because at the end of the day, people buy from people they know, like, and trust. And you can't automate trust.
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Co Founder of Merged Media & Co Owner of Chatello.ai
He is the co-founder of Merged Media, an award-winning digital marketing agency specializing in AI-powered strategies. A sought-after speaker and educator, Jason teaches "Leading Change in Digital Tourism" at George Brown College and has presented at major events like Affiliate World and AdWorld. From his unique journey as a Japanese rockstar to building a successful agency, Jason combines creativity and innovation to help businesses worldwide scale their growth and achieve transformative marketing results.