Will Using AI to Write Your Content Damage Your Brand?

First of all, not everything that is well written is created by AI. And in the same way, not everything that lacks personality is created by AI.

It may come as a shock to many, but writers have always used dashes, short sentences, and lists of three points. (See what I did there?)

The main argument for using AI is that it’s cheaper — but is it?

Cheaper in expenses?

We often make the mistake of looking at the cost of a task as an invoice paid, rather than factoring in our own time.

Yes — both free and subscription AI services will almost certainly be cheaper than hiring a content writer in terms of monetary outlay. But what about your time?

Cheaper in time?

My daughter asked me to help her create a shortlist of universities against very specific criteria. I used AI. I was clear with my instructions. It gave me wrong information on some very basic points — mislabelling universities as Russell Group, omitting others, and inconsistently excluding and then re-introducing subjects. It produced a map with Cambridge sitting somewhere near the Welsh border.

I then doubted everything. I ended up cross-referencing multiple AI tools, Google, and — thank goodness — my own knowledge. It would have been quicker to have done it the old-fashioned way.

That was a Saturday afternoon and a personal task. Had it been a work brief, the cost would have far exceeded what I’d have paid an expert.

The time you spend using AI has a cost. Factor that in, and AI stops looking like the bargain it promised to be very quickly.

Quality of AI output

It is lower. Without a doubt.

Generic. Robotic. Bland.

And frequently, inaccurate.

Unless those happen to be your brand values, going full AI risks damaging your client relationships, diluting your brand, and reducing engagement.

How and when to use AI

Used well, AI has its place:

• Brainstorming — need a fresh angle or a quick A vs B debate? AI can be genuinely useful here.
• Proofreading against specific criteria — AEO, engagement scores, tone of voice briefs.
• Summarising an information dump into something workable.
• Developing a rough draft into a well-structured piece.
• In partnership with a content writer — best of both worlds.

Work with me

If you have a limited budget, start with AI and then pass it to me. I act as the human authenticator — checking your tone of voice, alignment with your brand, and suitability for both the platform and your target audience. For many clients, this is a more cost-effective way to get content that actually sounds like them.

A word of warning

It can also end up costing more. If you’ve invested significant time and effort into producing something that simply isn’t working, there is often little I can do but start again. As my grandmother used to say, you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear — and sometimes a blank page is faster than a salvage job.

Next steps

Next time you use AI to create written content, keep a note of your time and properly cost the piece. See how it performs. Ask yourself honestly: are you proud of it representing your business?

Then pass it to me for a no-obligation quote on the cost of turning that content into something genuine, engaging, and on-brand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does using AI to write content hurt your SEO?

Not necessarily — but it can. Search engines don’t penalise AI-generated content outright; they penalise poor quality, thin content and inauthenticity. If AI produces generic, inaccurate or off-brand copy that fails to engage your readers, your rankings will suffer. The issue isn’t the tool — it’s the output.

Q: Can you tell if content has been written by AI?

Often, yes. AI-generated content tends to follow predictable patterns – balanced sentence structures, safe opinions, and a tendency to list everything in threes. It rarely surprises you. Experienced readers, and increasingly search engines, are getting better at spotting it. The absence of a genuine point of view is usually the giveaway.

Q: Is it worth paying a content writer when AI is free?

It depends on what you’re paying for. If you want words on a page, AI will deliver them cheaply. If you want content that builds trust, reflects your brand accurately and actually converts, that requires human judgment. The real question isn’t whether AI is free; it’s whether free content is doing the job you need it to do.