Content Marketing

The Rise of AI-Generated Content (and the Need for Human Oversight)

By ARM Administrator
February 20, 2025

Artificial intelligence which was once a concept of science fiction, has moved beyond experimentation to become an essential tool in content creation. AI is now being largely used in writing, media, and communication. From its early days as a tool for automating basic tasks, AI has evolved into one of the most valuable assets businesses now rely on. With its ability to generate content at unprecedented speeds and volumes, AI is transforming the way companies operate and create. According to a Microsoft survey, 90% of users report that AI saves them time, and 84% say it enhances their creativity. AI tools like Persado analyse audience data to craft high-performing ad copy, while SEO-focused platforms like MarketMuse and SurferSEO help optimise content to rank higher in search engines. Even video content creation has been impacted, with AI-powered platforms like Synthesia generating high-quality, automated video scripts. As AI capabilities continue to evolve, content creation is becoming more scalable, data-driven, and personalised. However, AI’s expansion also raises questions about originality, ethical considerations, and emotional depth in content. While it enhances efficiency, its limitations highlight the irreplaceable role of human judgment in maintaining authenticity and meaningful engagement.

AI in Content Creation: What’s the Appeal?

AI has transformed the way content is created, offering the ability to quickly produce large volumes of text. Leading publications like The New York Times and The Associated Press have integrated AI into their workflows to enhance productivity while maintaining editorial standards. At The New York Times, artificial intelligence computer programs read huge volumes of data to create abstracts of news stories, which are then checked by human editors for quality and correctness. Similarly, The Associated Press also uses AI to deal with mundane financial reporting, allowing journalists to concentrate on investigative reporting. However, AI has gained significant strides in content creation, areas such as originality, authenticity, and aligning with brand guidelines still pose challenges. While it excels in speed and scalability, it has yet to fully capture the depth of creativity and emotional insight that human writers have. Advancements in AI’s contextual understanding and emotional intelligence may improve these areas in the future, but for now, human oversight is essential to ensure content remains meaningful, on-brand, and impactful.

The Vital Role of Human Oversight in AI-Generated Content

Human oversight remains crucial so that AI-generated content resonates with audiences on a deeper, more meaningful level. For instance, ClickUp used SurferSEO, an AI-powered tool, to optimise its content marketing strategy. The AI-driven platform provided valuable insights, such as keyword suggestions and performance data, which helped ClickUp publish over 150 articles in just 12 months and boost their non-branded organic traffic by 85%. While AI significantly improved efficiency and results, it was the human touch that ensured the content stayed aligned with ClickUp’s brand voice and resonated authentically with its target audience. Although AI models can analyse vast data sets and generate content quickly, they often lack the cultural sensitivity, tone, and nuanced emotions that human writers bring. Human writers, with their deep understanding of these nuances, create content that truly resonates, making it relatable and emotionally engaging. They connect with readers' diverse values and preferences, ensuring maximum impact.

Ethical Concerns in AI-Generated Content

With the rise of AI in content creation, significant ethical concerns have emerged that require careful attention. AI models can unknowingly incorporate biases, misinformation, or incomplete data, resulting in content that may unintentionally perpetuate harmful stereotypes or offer a skewed portrayal of reality. The risk of AI amplifying these biases could jeopardise the fairness, integrity, and authenticity of the content. A good example of responsible AI use is Farfetch, a luxury fashion marketplace that integrates AI into its email marketing while maintaining brand integrity. Using Phrasee, an AI-powered content tool, they optimised subject lines and personalised emails, leading to a 7% increase in open rates for promotional emails and 31% for event-triggered messages. However, every AI-generated output was reviewed to ensure it aligned with Farfetch’s voice and messaging. This highlights the importance of human oversight in keeping AI-generated content accurate, ethical, and engaging. Such examples underscore the challenge of ensuring that AI-generated content meets ethical standards. Without proper oversight, AI can generate content that risks spreading harmful or misleading narratives. Human intervention mitigates these risks by ensuring content is free from bias, culturally sensitive, and reflective of diverse viewpoints. Additionally, maintaining the right balance between automation and ethical responsibility is key to ensuring AI-generated content remains respectful, impactful, and trustworthy.

Creativity Where Humans Add the Magic

At the core of human innovation lies creativity, which fuels progress in every field, from science to the arts. Imagination and intuition allow individuals to craft new ideas and solutions, while emotion brings depth to these creations, enabling people to connect on a personal level. These elements together enable humans to generate ideas that inspire, solve problems, and drive change. A human writer goes beyond simply presenting facts; they craft an emotional connection that feels authentic and personal to the audience. This human touch is what elevates content which is beyond AI's capabilities. While AI can generate content efficiently, it is human feedback, judgment, and creativity that refine and elevate the output. Human feedback and creativity refine AI's output, ensuring it meets audience needs, remains relevant and adheres to ethical standards. It is humans who breathe life into AI's creations, imbuing them with emotion, tone, and meaning.

Collaborative Content: Humans, AI, and the Importance of Transparency

The solution isn’t to choose between AI and human writers, but rather to combine their strengths. Companies that embrace human-AI collaboration set themselves up for lasting success. When human creativity, leadership, and emotional intelligence team up with AI’s computational power, speed, and scalability, the possibilities for innovation and operational breakthroughs are limitless. To make the most of this powerful partnership, companies need to rethink how they operate. This means redesigning workflows, actively involving employees in the AI journey and ensuring that AI strategies align with the company’s bigger picture. This collaborative approach naturally leads to the increasing importance of transparency. As AI-generated content becomes more prevalent, distinguishing between human- and machine-created work becomes crucial. That is where innovations such as watermarking come in. Watermarks allow readers to know the origin of the content, which fosters trust and prevents misinformation. It involves embedding a unique identifier either visible or hidden within digital content to facilitate verification and tracking. Visible watermarks, like logos or text overlays, are commonly used on images and documents, while invisible digital watermarks are embedded in a file’s metadata or pixel structure. These hidden markers remain undetectable to users but allow detection tools to confirm authenticity. AI developers, such as OpenAI and Google DeepMind, have implemented watermarking techniques for AI-generated text and images. Subtle modifications in word patterns or pixel arrangements ensure these methods differentiate between human-created and AI-generated content without compromising quality. It’s a simple but effective way to promote responsible AI use, which helps consumers identify AI-generated content and make informed choices.

Final Thoughts: Balancing Technology and Human Touch

AI is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable technological advancements of the 21st century. However, human oversight remains essential in ensuring that AI-generated content adheres to ethical standards, stays relevant, and truly resonates with audiences. While AI can help brainstorm ideas, identify key trends, and structure outlines, it is human input that brings the voice, tone, and emotional connection that a brand needs. Ultimately, the collaboration between AI and human creativity will define the future of content creation. As technology evolves, businesses that embrace this collaboration will create impactful, ethical, and authentic content that fosters genuine connections with their audiences.