In my last article, I talked about how content needs to be written for two different audiences: the machines and the humans. The obvious truth is that humans should always come first. This week, I want to explore why that emphasis on talking to people – rather than AI – is so crucial for all communication, not just the articles you publish.
I’ve been doing a lot of research on this recently. Even though Large Language Models (LLMs) have only been around for a short time, they are already changing the way we think. The fact that we can grab any data we want at any time is mind-blowing, but it changes how we plan projects. I think it has made us a bit lazy.
The Pattern Recogniser
AI at its best isn’t an “answer engine”. It wasn’t originally designed as a generative tool; it was built as a pattern recogniser. Because it has absorbed an incredible amount of information, it is designed from the ground up to identify patterns within that data. If you use it correctly, it can be what author Abi Awomosu refers to as a “billion-person focus group”.
The misunderstanding of this AI as a generative tool is causing what I’ve seen called “AI content sepsis”.
The Rise of Content Sepsis
A major challenge in digital marketing, especially in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), is producing content at scale. This is why copywriters have always been the unsung heroes of SEO. They are more crucial now than ever, even though many are currently struggling to find work.
If one company can churn out low-quality AI “slop”, every other company can too. When you use AI as a purely generative engine, it simply finds the middle ground when creating content. That is why we are seeing articles and LinkedIn posts that all look vaguely the same. They are all the average of each other. Safe, no shocks. No. Joy.
However, when everything looks identical, that is exactly when creative people can stand out.
The Friction of Trust
This series of articles grew out of research for my upcoming book, The Trust Engine. The core concept is that every business is an engine that runs on trust. If there is plenty of trust – both internally and externally – the business moves faster, stays agile, and becomes more profitable.
The flood of AI noise is causing massive friction between marketers, business owners, and the people who actually buy from them. It is becoming harder for consumers to figure out who is actually competent and who is using AI to fake it.
I hear people say they can spot AI content a mile off. Whether that’s true or not, it is going to get harder. In the meantime, AI slop creates friction and makes everything look worse.
The Retreat to Gated Communities
Smart people are reacting to this noise by slowing down. They are producing less content but putting more thought into making the content they publish unique.
I believe we are seeing a reaction to how the web developed fifteen years ago. All of a sudden, it felt like everyone ended up on Facebook rather than in the small, diverse online communities we had been hanging out in. We all ended up in the same place. I think the same thing is at risk with LinkedIn.
In response to this “trust friction”, people are retreating to more personalised parts of the web – a bit like gated communities. Forums are thriving again. More trust is built through a quality newsletter from someone who isn’t just trying hard to sell you something. We are all trying to escape the “algorithmic slop” to find human-verified experiences that actually connect with us.
In fact, being slightly imperfect is often a better trust signal than being ‘perfect’.
From Fire Hoses to Authority
What does this mean for your business? We are moving away from an era of manipulating algorithms to get attention. We are moving towards a ‘retrieval economy’ based entirely on authority and how well we integrate with our audiences.
The idea that marketing should be a fire hose of articles blasting consumers in the face has never appealed to me. As the way people think evolves, we can finally switch those fire hoses off.
Back to Basics
So, what can you do in practical terms? It comes back to something businesses have been doing since the dawn of time: getting other people to talk about you.
You do that by building an excellent business that generates raving fans. The companies that thrive will be those that double down on authentic human connection rather than just pumping out more junk.
If you’re wondering if your own thinking has changed, look at where you go when you have questions. Are you in smaller WhatsApp groups or Discord communities? How does that feel? Does it feel safer and more authentic?
Last Updated on April 1, 2026
