AI is the average of the internet. And if you’ve spent any time on the internet lately, the average ain’t great.  When we let AI do our thinking, messaging, and storytelling, we sound exactly like every other brand doing the same thing. And when you sound like every other brand, the only thing left to compete on is price. Related Article Block Placeholder Article ID: 318410 Canva acquires Sydney AI marketing tech startup MagicBrief David Adams The question on every founder and marketer’s mind is how to use AI effectively in order to maximise output, reduce overheads, and gain a commercial edge against competitors. The problem is every other brand is thinking and doing the same thing. And because everyone is turning to AI, the lowest hanging fruit for brands right now is using human insight and strategic thinking to develop a clear and distinct creative platform – and then, when appropriate, using AI to help roll that out on a small scale.  I am yet to read an AI-produced blog article or social caption that isn’t obviously AI-produced. The most engaging content is almost always created by people, and engagement is the goal of any content. When we can’t engage our audience and capture or hold their attention, how can we expect them to pay attention to the benefits of our product? How can we expect them to hand over their money? How can we expect it to have any commercial benefit in the long run? Smarter business news. Straight to your inbox. For startup founders, small businesses and leaders. Build sharper instincts and better strategy by learning from Australia’s smartest business minds. Sign up for free. * indicates required Email Address * By continuing, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy. Does this mean you shouldn’t use AI? No. It’s not a matter of whether you do or don’t use AI, it’s a matter of how, when, and why you use it.   As with anything in business, the tactics and tools we implement always come with some kind of cost or trade-off. Often, that trade-off is the money or time we pay humans or programs to do things to a high standard. In the case of AI, the trade-off is often quality and results. I hear a lot of people talking about how they automate their newsletters, blogs, social content, and even comments and replies to customers, but I seldom hear people talking about the results of said automation. Have open rates increased? Have click-through rates increased? Have revenue and repeat purchase rates increased? Related Article Block Placeholder Article ID: 335417 Bondi Sands says it has reworked self-tan packaging after viral TikTok complaint David Adams And beyond that, more importantly, how well can you really know your customer if you don’t spend any time engaging with them? Knowing your customer is the key to long-term success. Human insight is key. Every experience that makes you who you are, every weird, wonderful and strange thought that you have, and every dream, hope, desire, or secret that you hold is what makes you uniquely you. And being uniquely you qualifies you to do something that nobody else can: to have an opinion and voice that is ownable. Why on earth would you outsource the one thing that can help you stand out amongst a crowded group of competitors who are all vying for the same share of the customer’s wallet? I have spent my career searching for and identifying the white space for brands, and guiding them on how to stand out in the sea of sameness. I was really interested in AI capabilities to do what it is that I do, but the simple fact is the internet has completely overstated its ability to think strategically and creatively. Anyone who hasn’t been living under a rock can see the formulaic rhythm of AI-produced writing. It defaults to cliche after cliche and formats every post – no matter the person or brand – in almost the same way.  We talk about this multiple times a day in my agency Willow and Blake, and this isn’t a new concept; the fact that the sea of sameness exists means that I have a job.  Related Article Block Placeholder Article ID: 328829 How brand strategy separates iconic brands from forgettable ones Jessica Hatzis Decision makers in consumer brands are often risk-averse, which means they default to what feels safe and known, and often bring to fruition the very fate they were trying to avoid: an unsatisfying launch, poor sales, and declining revenue. It’s the risk takers, the people and brands that are willing to do something different, that ultimately succeed. And when AI is an average of what goes on the internet, well, logic tells us it’s going to produce something safe and boring that we’ve all seen before.  I believe very strongly in ruthless prioritisation, and I am experiencing firsthand the economic pressures of doing business right now; the last half-decade has felt incredibly tough for most founders and business operators. They are tired, frustrated and looking for ways to reduce the ever-growing cost of doing business. Automating admin work, bookkeeping, consolidating large amounts of information, and doing the first round of research and source seams in a project is a great way to use AI. Using it to replace you, is not. Stay in the know Never miss a story: sign up to SmartCompany’s free daily newsletter and find our best stories on LinkedIn.