The rise of AI-generated content

The history of AI in content

Chatbots paved the way for the rise of AI-generated content. They introduced conversational AI and natural language processes, which set the stage for tools that could create content rather than just respond to questions. They also normalized machine-written language, demonstrating that AI-generated content could be functional and accurate.

Before GenAI took its place in content creation at Celo Health, a healthcare collaboration platform provider based in New Zealand, the company used AI-powered chatbots trained on company knowledge bases to answer frequently asked questions and direct users to relevant information, according to Remy Church, marketing manager. The company's chatbot helped users find blog posts, guides and product documentation, which reduced support tickets by 22%.

AI-based search engine optimization (SEO) tools also helped companies adapt to broader AI use, according to Chris Rodgers, founder and CEO at CSP Agency, an internet marketing service based in Colorado.

"SEO tools have had AI built into them for a very long time, and there have been a lot of different tools. They were not where ChatGPT is today, but the tools centered around SEO really opened it up," he said.

Challenges of AI-generated content

While the rise of AI-generated content isn't as dire as Skynet -- the Terminator franchise's main antagonist -- it still poses challenges. For example, consistency and copyright concerns may arise.

"Teaching [AI] tone is not the same as it understanding the brand. There's a significant difference in being able to communicate with tone and personality and understanding and expressing a brand," said Tim Berney, founder and CEO at VI Marketing and Branding, a marketing agency based in Oklahoma.

Using AI to generate content also raises ethical questions surrounding project fees. For example, if a team gets paid by the project and uses GenAI to do a lot of the work, the ethics behind that are murky, Berney said. Ethics should always be top of mind for business owners.

Additionally, from a legal standpoint, AI could infringe on copyrights, according to Vincent Allen, partner at law firm Carstens, Allen & Gourley LLP. This is because organizations train AI models on large data sets, which often include copyrighted works. So, AI's output could unintentionally replicate protected material, Allen said.

The U.S. Copyright Office has observed several lawsuits over AI-generated content. It has ruled that AI-generated work could not hold any copyright itself -- only work with a human's input can -- but the landscape is still developing.

How to adapt to AI content strategies

Despite drawbacks, many organizations have achieved positive results with GenAI. For example, Church's team used AI to draft blogs and SEO content outlines. This cut writing time in half and contributed to a 136% increase in website traffic and a 300% rise in search engine clicks in two months, she said.

The human brain has to be driving.

GenAI also performs ideation, according to Rodgers, so his team can tailor content to specific personas.

"As you expand out of your zone of subject matter expertise, at the surface level, AI is very good at doing that," Rodgers said. For example, if a content creator pulls together a top 10 list, the GenAI tool pulls from a vast collection of documents and information and provides basic research.

However, truly new ideas require human involvement to ensure content is accurate and unique, Rodgers said. That's why his team keeps a human in the process. CSP's writers use AI to generate ideas, and the agency uses AI to process large data sets and execute time-consuming SEO tasks.

"The human brain has to be driving," Rodgers said.

Church echoed the importance of human involvement, even as GenAI becomes more sophisticated.

"Use AI to enhance your team, not replace it. Build workflows that pair AI tools with human editors. Train the AI on your tone of voice and style guide. And implement clear editorial standards for when and how AI is used," Church said.

Christine Campbell is a freelance writer specializing in business and B2B technology.