A new term has rapidly entered the lexicon over the last couple of years:
“AI Slop” refers to media, whether that’s written content, videos, or art and design, that’s been generated using artificial intelligence.
For companies that have come to rely on low-quality, derivative AI generated content, this is a word of warning that it could be bad for business.
The problem isn’t that AI tools don’t cut it. Far from it. As we’ve seen recently by AI innovators like Veda AI and any.guru they can be powerful and absolute game-changers when used intelligently.
The trouble is that AI output, in the hands of the novice, can often be derivative, lack nuance, originality, and emotional intelligence.
In other words, it’s just not doing human!
When it comes to generating copy, AI also makes mistakes. It can sometimes ‘hallucinate’ ,generating copy that sounds superficially accurate but is entirely fictional. So, if you’re providing valuable information for your clients, then this can be disastrous if it’s published unchecked.
While AI can quickly generate ideas and provide outlines, it doesn’t truly understand your brand, your customers, or the full context in which your business operates. It might be a great starting point, but it’s never the finished article.
This is where human copywriters come in. A skilled copywriter not only writes the words, but they’re also editing and thinking strategically about the final product. They take time to get to know your brand and the market in which you’re working. They ask questions and ensure that what’s ultimately produced meets your goals. This is why many copywriters are now being asked to fix AI-generated copy.
So how do you ensure that your content is authentic, persuasive, and connects with readers?
Artificial intelligence isn’t really thinking for itself. It’s been trained on huge quantities of existing content, which makes it brilliant at spotting patterns and assembling information.
That means it tends to serve up what’s already familiar. The same phrases, structures, and cliches all get repeated. The end result is copy that can look and read fine but tends to be forgettable.
If you’re a business looking to stand out from the crowd, then AI might not be your best ambassador. Sadly, if your content blends into the background and reads like everyone else, then you’re likely to end up invisible.
Even worse, if your AI generated copy is filled with inaccuracies, awkward phrasing, or poor messaging, you might actively damage your relationship with your customers.
While Google doesn’t specifically target all AI generated content, it does discriminate against repetitive, low-quality and spam-grade content. That means that if you’re posting generic AI content on your website, you’re less likely to be valued by the algorithm and more likely to be hidden in the search results.
In other words, you can ask all the relevant popular questions and hit all the high-volume SEO keywords, but if your content is merely derivative, it may not do you any good.
While AI can be a great tool for generating ideas and a first draft of your content, it’s not capable of producing the kind of quality work that your business needs to get noticed.
A skilled copywriter can act as an AI fixer, bringing a unique set of skills to the table that AI is not able to replicate:
AI can produce copy that sounds acceptable but doesn’t reflect your brand voice. This can be particularly jarring when you’re working across different channels, such as social posts, web pages, and emails.
AI isn’t necessarily attuned to cultural nuances and differences. AI copy often has a very ‘American’ voice, that doesn’t always resonate with UK and European audiences. That voice can also make it very easy to identify.
AI is often at its worst when it’s trying to appear human. Consumers are becoming increasingly adept at spotting AI copy and when that happens, they can quickly dismiss what they’re reading and move on. That vital human quality keeps people engaged and in an online world where AI content is growing, that’s an important distinction.
AI doesn’t really know about your business, the industry you’re in, your plans for the future, and the role that an individual piece of content will play in your overall marketing strategy. It churns out generic words that may fit your brief but add very little value to your overall strategy.
A skilled copywriter will understand the “why” behind the content, why it’s required, who it’s for, and what it’s designed to achieve.
Closely connected to that all-important human quality is emotional connection. Audiences love stories filled with empathy that relate to a shared experience, something that human writers inject into their copy. Even if you specifically request that AI tries to write with empathy, the results are often awkward and obvious. AI just doesn’t get it.
AI mines existing information then reassembles it. It’s not capable of genuine originality of the kind that comes from unique human experience, lateral thinking, and individuality. AI repackages the past, but it’s humans that create the new.
A human copywriter not only brings their writing skills, analytical abilities, and professional experience, they also bring their human experience to bear on their work.
We’re not Luddites at Auroras Copywriting! We can see that AI brings massive benefits but, as humans, we’re not redundant yet. If you want your copy to represent your brand in the best possible light and deliver results for your business, then you’re going to need more than AI generated slop.
Our team of experienced copywriters can fix that AI first draft or AI generated idea, turning it into unique, human, content that supports your overall business goals.
If you’ve tried the AI route for your copy and it hasn’t got you where you want to be, then we can help.
Do you want to give your content the essential human factor that makes it stand out from the slop?
Contact us to find out how it’s done:
Call: 07712 134893
Or email spencer@aurorascopywriting.com
