Ever feel like the internet's getting a bit... mushy? Like everything you read has been churned out by a word-gobbling machine with a serious case of déjà vu? Well, you're not alone.
This growing phenomenon has a name: "AI Slop." It refers to the deluge of low-quality, generic, and often inaccurate content produced rapidly by artificial intelligence, flooding our digital spaces.
The brilliant minds over at Kurzgesagt recently dropped a video aptly titled "AI Slop Is Killing Our Channel," where they delve into the phenomenon and articulate what many of us have been feeling – a creeping sense that AI-generated content, while prolific, often lacks the spark, accuracy, and genuine human touch that truly resonates. It’s like the internet has developed a bad case of indigestion.
Additionally, the video also covers how AI actually poses an existential threat to many creators - so let's discuss strategies to combat this within business and brand settings to combat this.
Pathway believes AI absolutely has its place (like HubSpot for example, where it absolutely thrives), but it's not at the head of the content table. Think of AI as the intern—an intern who's really bad at finding reputable data from reliable and respectable sources, who you will genuinely have to fact check every step of the way. But hey, this intern is pretty damn good at offering valuable inspiration - fast!
AI is fantastic for getting the gears grinding, helping us draft outlines and summarise mountains of research. It’s a powerful brainstorming partner, a veritable suggestion-slinger. But when it comes to the final content masterpiece, we insist on a human touch. That means meticulous fact-checking (because AI, bless its circuitry, can often conjure up 'facts' with the conviction of a conspiracy theorist), ensuring emotional intelligence for our target personas, and strategically aligning every word with our clients' overarching brand goals.
To the keen human brain, AI content just seems off, like the subtle smell of an electrical fire in the distance – you know something’s not quite right. That's why we champion authentic voices from within our clients companies. Who better to tell your brand's story than the people living and breathing it every day?
It’s about sharing real anecdotes and celebrating client wins. Take, for instance, this video we produced for Heineken X Purity:
Video is a medium where AI is still significantly lagging behind. With AI video, there's no real way to edit individual elements and execute your true vision or make precise reverts; the AI just re-does the whole thing, likely creating a whole host of other problems in trying to solve the original issue. Human vision, creativity, and the ability to finesse every detail make all the difference.
Why settle for recycled insights when you can strike gold with original data? At Pathway, we believe in going beyond the readily available, AI-digestible information.
For a multi-billion dollar fintech client, we discovered there was a notable lack of reputable data backing up the value proposition. So what did we do?
We partnered with a top influencer in their space. This influencer, with their vast network, was instrumental in getting us unique survey results that formed the bedrock of an array of content, including high-value white paper. AI just couldn't do any of this – not even close – and this array of content mentioned leads us nicely into our next strategy...
Building on the power of original data, we also project-managed the creation of engaging webcasts for that same leading fintech. This wasn't about talking at an audience, but facilitating genuine conversations between experts sharing real stories in their own human words! It's about creating a space where insights are exchanged, questions are answered, and real connections are forged.
In a similar vein, Pathway's LinkedIn 500 package specifically combats the ubiquitous advertising and AI slop (which, let's be honest, often feel the same in your tummy) with real human conversation and, more importantly, real conversion. It’s about cutting through the noise with genuine engagement - and the results speak for themselves.
While SEO remains vital, the landscape is shifting. With the rise of Large Language Models (LLMs), content needs to be optimised not just for traditional search engines, but for these powerful new AI systems too. It’s a different kind of keyword kung-fu!
Want to dive deeper into how LLM optimisation is becoming SEO's superpower? Get the full scoop here.
In a world increasingly awash with AI-generated content, the best content marketing agencies aren't trying to out-AI the AI. Instead, they're embracing a human-centric approach, leveraging AI as a powerful assistant while championing authentic voices, original insights, and genuine conversations.
It's about building content that not only ranks but resonates, proving that while AI can generate words, only humans can create true connection.
Now that you have a solid overview - we’re curious about whether you’d like a quick free consult on how we can help you achieve your ambitions?