By Bonnie Clark

I recently attended the Forbes | SHOOK Top Women Advisors Summit, and like most conferences these days, the theme du jour was AI.

Speaker after speaker presented AI, not as an existential threat that is shaping so much societal discourse, but as an opportunity. They argue that ChatGPT, Claude, Co-Pilot and the other AI characters allow human advisors to be more human. By handling notetaking, synthesizing and other rote tasks, AI breaks through many of the barriers have held advisors back from what they do best: supporting their clients through turbulent life events such as deaths, divorces, career shifts, etc.    

Advisors aren’t alone in thinking that AI can help them inject new energy into their businesses. From financial services to the broader professional services landscape, healthcare, education and retail, most professionals see AI as a literal godsend—a tool that can help them do their jobs better and at scale.

But with AI, like so much else in life, a good thing can quickly turn into too much of a good thing. Where people run into trouble is thinking that AI can seamlessly replace human creativity and thought.

Customers, clients and audiences have no qualms with AI operating in the background, as an invisible assistant, but they vehemently object to Claude guiding them through the finer points of a contentious divorce, nor do they want to listen to ChatGPT offer business advice or author a creative work such as a film or song.

Earlier this year, movie goers took to social media to complain about AMC Theatres installing an AI-generated short film into its pre-show lineup. Less than 24 hours after the internet uproar, AMC took the short down (but not before blaming its advertising partner, Screenvision Media).

Over the past few years, Reddit users and media critics have skewered big brands such as Spotify and Coca-Cola for putting out “AI Slop” as part of their marketing and branding campaigns. 

Which takes us to the communications industry.

As a marketing professional, I see that AI can help me do my job better—from research and planning to providing support with administrative tasks. But I also believe that AI is a poor substitute for the human voice.

Good writing still matters, both aesthetically and from a purely business standpoint. Since the early days of SEO, Google has prioritized well-written content in its search engine rankings.

In the age of AI, high-quality writing continues to drive marketing campaigns. Meta (Facebook, Instagram), LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok and Pinterest are downgrading AI-generated content in their feeds. Google has also targeted this type of material, prioritizing genuine expertise and originality over mass-produced articles with little insight.

While AI can be useful in helping you to organize thoughts, it’s not a magic bullet. You can’t just type a prompt in the search bar and expect to walk away with brilliantly written work, like a meal in “The Jetsons.”

Some busy executives may dismiss the importance of craft. After all, we’re not looking to win a Pulitzer Prize. But how you put yourself out into the world matters. Do you want to simply rehash what’s already circulating online? Or do you want to meaningfully contribute to the conversation?

The hard truth is that good writing takes work, whether you do it yourself or collaborate with a ghostwriter. It takes time and discipline to capture someone’s voice and nuance. But that’s also where the magic happens.

How do you stand out against the mindless churn of social media feeds? By separating the signal from the noise.

Even after reading dozens of articles per day, I always take notice of an article with a unique turn of phrase or clever analogy, even if it’s about something as mundane as tax-loss harvesting or retirement planning.

In today’s AI-driven world, authenticity is the No. 1 currency, and you can’t outsource that to an inanimate object.