Using AI for Content Creation: A List of 5 Don’ts

Using AI (artificial intelligence) for content creation is becoming more common every day. And honestly, it can really take the pressure off your team – if you use it the right way.

Whether juggling a packed marketing schedule or just needing a spark to get the ideas flowing, ChatGPT and other tools can help you move faster and do more. They're great for filling in the gaps, helping you keep up with demand and move projects along faster.

But here's the thing: While using AI for content creation can save time, it's not a set-it-and-forget-it solution. It’s not a replacement for strategy, creativity, or human insight. If you're not careful, it can lead to content that feels off-brand, lacks accuracy, or just doesn’t uniquely connect with your audience. At its worst, AI-written content can be derivative and dangerous.

That’s why we’re sharing five big don’ts when using AI for content creation. This quick guide will help you sidestep common mistakes so you can reap the benefits without compromising on quality.

Where Marketers Are Screwing up AI Content Creation

Overreliance on tools like ChatGPT can suck the quality, the creativity, and even the ethicality of your marketing content. 

There are five common areas where AI might not meet your expectations for content creation: 

1. Don’t rely on AI for expert knowledge
2. Don’t trust AI with proprietary information
3. Don’t expect human content from AI
4. Don’t let AI dictate tone and context
5. Don’t expect AI to handle the task solo

1. Don’t Rely on AI for Expert Knowledge

Similar to how using Wikipedia as a source without fact-checking isn’t wise, asking AI to be the sole source of in-depth information on a specific topic isn’t gonna fly with Google. 

The information you receive from a generative AI tool is compiled from websites on the internet, with no intermediate layer of expert oversight. Just as you would want support for any facts you gleaned from an entry on Wikipedia, you want to back up your information from AI sources. 

There’s a reason OpenAI shows the disclaimer “ChatGPT can make mistakes” directly underneath its chat box. 

Making an AI platform your “in-house expert” isn’t just an accuracy issue. The purpose of most B2B marketing content is to get it ranking in Google search results for relevant terms your ideal customers are using. Google is transparent about the fact that it uses E-E-A-T guidelines as a major factor in whether it ranks your webpage highly or poorly.

AI tools can be a huge help during the writing process, but raw output isn’t the final product. Without a skilled content marketer reviewing and refining it, that content risks falling short. It's the human touch that ensures accuracy, polish, and alignment with keyword and SEO (search engine optimization) best practices and business goals.

Resource: Want to get a better handle on using AI for content creation the right way? 

Check out our guide to using AI in marketing for tips on strategy, audience alignment, and balance.

The problem is, those guidelines fly in the face of nearly everything AI represents:

Using AI for marketing means you have another tool at your disposal, but it does not provide a replacement for colleagues. Your in-house engineering, technology, and leadership experts remain valuable to the content creation process. They can offer specific examples and niche solutions AI can’t. Robots won’t replace their experience and understanding anytime soon. 

2. Don’t Trust AI with Proprietary Information

AI models continue to learn and evolve in their quest to provide better support and results. With that in mind, it makes sense that feeding information into an AI is one of the primary ways the system “learns” and improves itself over time. 

However, feeding an AI data you don’t want publicly shared is a good way to lose control of that information. 

Examples include:

• Personal & financial information (i.e. logins and credit card #s)
• NDA-level customer data
• Proprietary ideas & plans

Some platforms, at least at certain service tiers, assure you that they won’t give out information you don’t want shared, but those reassurances are not guarantees. It’s much smarter to play it safe when it comes to protecting your information. Avoid sharing anything in a prompt that you wouldn’t want disseminated to others who use the same tool. 

3. Don’t Expect Human Content from AI

The debate about whether AI will eventually be able to replicate human tones and inflection is evolving by the day. Many AI tool creators have created add-ons to help “humanize” the AI content you are receiving. Of course, better prompting makes a big difference too. 

Current AI software doesn’t automatically infuse results with a level of humor, cleverness, empathy, and emotion that can equal human writing. Before you publish it, read through the AI-generated content and edit to the desired human depth. 

It’s nice that the issue of “humanness” is on the radar of the AI creator community, but for now, your team should have the final say on brand voice. 

4. Don’t Forget to Check for Tone and Context

Consider the following:

• AI outputs are very matter-of-fact
• AI can only answer you based on its historical understanding of the world
• AI content is limited in the scope of tone and context it can provide.

Yes, if prompted, AI can infuse sarcasm or other humor into a response. It can strive for a professional tone or speak conversationally if you tell it to.

But because AI content is generated based on a specific algorithm, it will still follow a logical path that doesn’t break new ground. Double-check any text from an AI tool and ensure it matches the intended message – your unique, differentiating message!  Otherwise you’ll sound just like the 999 other folks who used AI to write a similar article.

5. Don’t Expect AI to Fly Solo

You can walk blindfolded across a rural road and survive nine times out of 10. That doesn’t mean you should.

AI tools are improving regularly. However, there is still a lot to be done regarding quality and uniqueness compared to the work done by a writer. 

AI-generated content marketing takes the prompt, similarly to a 3D printer, and provides a response that fits the parameters. If the prompt does not adequately cover your expectations, the response will be lacking. 

This could mean insufficient:

• Length
• Tone
• Level of depth
• Consideration of the target audience

Editors will continue to be valuable for nuance, human perspective, and general biases for a long time. 

Using AI for Content Creation in a Way That Provides Value

AI can be a powerful asset in your content strategy — not because it replaces your team, but because it helps it work more efficiently. When used thoughtfully, AI can handle repetitive or time-consuming tasks, giving your team more room to focus on strategy, creativity, and quality.

That said, AI isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s not meant to take over your marketing efforts, but to support them. The best results come from using AI as a collaborative tool — one that works alongside skilled marketers to elevate your content, not automate it entirely.

Humans and AI: A Smart Content Team, Not a One-Man Show

With new tools launching every week, using AI can feel overwhelming. But you don’t need to chase every trend or master every platform. The goal isn’t to “AI-ify” everything — it’s to work smarter. 

Want to keep learning how to use AI in a way that actually supports your B2B marketing goals? Visit our AI resource mega-page:

(Editor's Note: This article was originally published in March 2024 and was recently updated.)