Marketing Insights
AI writing assistants would've destroyed my early writing career - and I would've deserved it
Let’s start with this: Let AI write content. Yeah, I said it. Cue the gasps and the sound of furious typing from human copywriters everywhere. Is this controversial? Depends on who you ask. But here’s my take: AI-generated content is here, and honestly, it’s not just a fad. It’s bringing some much-needed structure and efficiency to the content creation world. If anything, it’s going to force the best creators to sharpen their game, not replace them. And that's where the fun really starts.
Let’s go back to 2008: I’m 18, still in high school, and somehow managed to land a column with NAG - New Age Gaming, a tech magazine with 10,000+ national distribution across South Africa. Was I qualified? Absolutely not. I had enthusiasm, sure, but no real writing chops to speak of. The fact that they handed me a regular Opinion Column and review duties was—how should I put this—optimistic on their part. If I’m being brutally honest, I was a pretty mid writer when it came to the technicalities.
Okay, maybe “mid” is harsh. I was humorous and opinionated, but I certainly wasn’t doing any real research. My pieces were mostly opinion-driven, hot takes before “hot takes” were even a thing (is what my teenage self would have said). Looking back, if I’d been writing in today’s digital landscape, I would’ve been roasted alive on Twitter within five minutes of publication. But here’s the thing: I kept at it. Each month I pumped out 500-700 word articles, barely scraping by with a few cents per word, learning as I went. And thankfully, there was a sub-editor cleaning up my messes, making me look far more polished than I actually was.
That experience taught me something valuable: consistency matters. Writing regularly forces you to think, refine, and (hopefully) improve. But did anyone really care that I, Derrick Cramer, was behind those articles? Not in the slightest. Back then, people were just consuming content without much concern for the person behind it, I was a faceless writer than maybe you could’ve met at a local gaming event.
Then came the rise of the internet, where everything changed. Suddenly, authorship became a bigger deal. You weren’t just writing content, you were building a personal brand. The floodgates opened, and with platforms like YouTube, podcasts, and social media, everyone and their grandma could jump in and start sharing their takes. Worse, since so much of your personal information was out there the repercussions for poor content were more tangible.
In the pre-internet days, content was mostly the realm of professionals—journalists, columnists, people with some level of filter. But with the rise of democratized content, that all went out the window. Suddenly, everyone was a content creator. Some of it was good, a lot of it wasn’t. But the point was: the gates were open.
Before AI, there was already a workaround for those too busy (or too uninspired) to write: ghostwriters. Especially in B2B marketing, CEOs and thought leaders would hire someone to craft their content for them. It was common practice. And now, AI is essentially taking ghostwriting to the next level, stepping in where time and creativity are lacking.
Let’s face it, AI isn’t making things worse. It’s leveling the playing field. You still need original ideas and a distinctive voice if you want to stand out, but AI can help you get the structure and polish you need to compete. The real differentiator going forward won’t be who has the best grammar checker but who has the best ideas. AI can mimic style, sure, but it can’t generate an original thought or capture the unique nuance of a strong, personal voice.
Here’s where it gets interesting. While AI can streamline the process, it can’t replace the what behind the content. Original ideas, substance, and depth still rule the day. I remember reviewing a TomTom x Top Gear GPS that featured Jeremy Clarkson’s voice, and for kicks, I wrote the review in a parody of his style. Fun? Absolutely. But what mattered most was that the review was accurate and insightful. That’s what readers cared about, not whether my jokes landed (they did).
Content that thrives today has to be more than just words on a page. It has to be digestible, relevant, and—here’s the kicker—valuable. We’re seeing a surge in all kinds of formats, from long-form podcasts to bite-sized TikToks. AI can help pump out content in every imaginable style, but at the end of the day, the stuff that sticks is the content that offers more than just filler. It needs to be unique, thoughtful, and offer genuine insights.
As we move into this AI-driven world, here’s the rub: AI is a tool. It’s not the story. Sure, it can make your job faster and easier, but it won’t define your success. A founder relying solely on AI to churn out content will hit a wall the minute they’re asked, “What’s next?” Efficiency only takes you so far. Investors, clients, and audiences all want to know: what’s the real value you’re offering? How are you going to scale beyond algorithms and templates?
The irony is, while AI may get you through the early stages—helping you produce more content faster—it’s the long-term fundamentals like relationships, authority, and trust that will differentiate you when it matters most. AI might raise the baseline quality of content, but originality will raise you above that baseline.
AI is simply the latest tool in the content creator’s toolbox, and if you’re smart, you’ll learn how to use it effectively. But—and this is important—you need to stay in control of the narrative. AI can help you with structure and speed, but your content still needs that human touch, that insight, that spark that only comes from actual thought.
If you’re going to use AI, don’t just lean on it. Test it, tweak it, and most importantly, make sure you’re pushing your own creativity at the same time. The key to thriving in this AI-driven world is to combine the efficiency AI offers with the originality and substance only you can bring to the table. Content needs to be more than just well-written. It needs to be insightful, engaging, and ultimately, valuable.
So yeah, let AI help. But for the love of all things creative, don’t let it take over.
