Content creators often approach AI with concern. Will the new technology put us out of a job? Is the pursuit of greatness in customer experiences dead? Can AI really match the quality of human-created content?
These same questions have emerged frequently as we’ve worked to integrate AI-assisted working practices into our content design process. While reassurance alone has rarely (if ever) shifted perspective, hands-on experience has.
When content designers start experimenting with AI tools, many quickly identify tangible benefits: accelerated first drafts, consistent implementation of tone and voice, and an efficient way of producing content variations for testing are often among the early wins. Developing content strategy, summarizing data and research, and first-pass automation of legal reviews are more sophisticated tasks that AI can help with as the experience of the content designer – and the organization – matures.
In parallel, this practical experience also quickly reveals the technology’s clear limitations. Far from replacing content designers, AI complements their work while leaving crucial elements firmly in human hands: strategic thinking, domain expertise, audience empathy, cultural nuance, and authentic brand storytelling, to name a few. Complex narrative development and nuanced editorial decisions also continue to require human judgment.
The truth is that AI does not, intrinsically, devalue content. It is in the choices organizations make, in the way they deploy AI in their content workflows, where value judgments are made.
Organizations that have always valued the role content plays in the experience will continue to do so. When driving AI adoption, these organizations have very clear behaviors that suggest they value their content teams, and the work they do.
You will likely see them:
- Involve content leaders and teams in the selection and implementation of AI-driven (and other) content tools
- Invest in comprehensive and ongoing training and support so content creators don’t just adopt, but go on to master, the tools
- Automate repetitive tasks, freeing up content creators for strategic work
- Develop clear principles for human-centered AI practices, and clear guidelines to operationalize these, focusing on having AI enhance – rather than replace – human capabilities
- Invest in upskilling content teams to work effectively with AI tools
- Critically – measure success through quality metrics, customer and business impact, rather than merely cost savings
Conversely, organizations that don’t value content (or content teams) as a strategic business asset will tend to:
- Implement AI tools without consulting content teams, instead leaving key decisions to technical and finance teams
- Focus primarily on cost reduction and speed, rather than quality and impact
- Minimize human oversight, favoring automation instead
- Under-invest in training, leaving content creators to figure out tools for themselves, and/or put AI tools straight in the hands of non-writers with minimal training
- Prioritize quantity over quality
- Rely on AI-generated content with minimal human input
- Compromise on brand voice and content quality in the name of efficiency and cost savings
The use of AI in content creation doesn’t just represent a technological shift. It is a moment of truth for organizations – and their customers. Those organizations that recognize the critical, strategic role that content plays in their customer experience will harness AI to amplify, not replace, their content creators’ capabilities. This could lead to richer, more impactful customer experiences, if AI is used to automate low-value tasks while freeing up content creators to focus on more strategic work. Those that see content teams merely as a cost center will see AI as an opportunity to chase short-term savings through automation, ultimately leading to a compromise in the quality and the effectiveness of their content, and the customer experience it supports.
The future of content does not lie in replacing human expertise with artificial intelligence. It lies in combining the two capabilities with foresight and thought. The question should not be whether AI will replace content creators, but how it can take up the elements of content creation it does well so that organizations can focus their ongoing investments in uniquely human elements of content creation that AI cannot replicate.
But back to the original – and most emotive – of the questions content creators are likely to ask: will AI take my job?
AI won’t eliminate content creation roles – it will transform them. In the next few years, we’ll see the entire customer experience design and development process evolve, with creators across the experience taking on new, more strategic responsibilities. While that transformation deserves its own detailed exploration (coming in a future article), the immediate imperative is clear: content creators should proactively develop their AI literacy and skills, embracing a human-AI collaboration model that elevates their strategic contribution.
Lucie Hyde is a global content leader with senior roles at top tech brands including Amazon, eBay, and PayPal during periods of rapid growth. Her expertise spans content strategy, experience design, and commercial product ownership across e-commerce and financial services. Currently a Senior Director in PayPal’s Experience Design team, Lucie leads AI transformation and oversees experience architecture for the merchant design team. Lucie brings deep strategic, operational, and cross-industry experience to her work in driving impactful digital experiences.
