Just two years ago, ChatGPT burst onto the scene, forever altering how we think about content creation. Suddenly, every brand and newsroom had to reconsider how their time and budget were being spent. Could AI really make the creative process faster鈥攁nd better?
The conversation around AI in content creation is still full of questions and anxiety. No one has all the answers, and AI hasn鈥檛 turned any of us into fortune tellers. Still, we now have a much clearer view of what AI can (and can鈥檛) do鈥攁nd why this shift is ultimately a good one.
When tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude became mainstream, panic followed. AI鈥檚 ability to crank out writing, editing, and ideas stirred concern in newsrooms and marketing departments alike.
According to the by Hubspot, nearly 70% of marketers worried that AI would impact their jobs.
But talk to those same marketers today, and they鈥檒l likely tell you AI is both a threat and a time-saver. It鈥檚 helping eliminate tedious tasks鈥攍ike writing SEO descriptions or brainstorming headlines鈥攚ithout touching the parts of the job that require a human brain (and heart).
As one put it:
鈥淎I will transform economies and lift markets as a whole, but lasting differentiation will be built on human creativity and passion.鈥�
Used strategically, AI helps content teams work smarter:
With what AI can do, marketers' roles have morphed, making way for new roles and skills that leverage the technology.
AI isn鈥檛 just reshaping workflows and redefining entire roles. New titles like 鈥淎I Content Editor鈥� are popping up, focused on refining AI-generated drafts to align with voice and strategy. On the opposite end, prompt engineers are becoming key players, ensuring AI tools are properly guided with the right inputs.
We鈥檒l also see more strategic oversight roles emerge to manage ethical use and make sure AI content is factual, inclusive, and on-brand.
The marketing tech behemoth, HubSpot, that they were using AI for content creation support, like blog ideation and draft assistance, while still keeping final storytelling in human hands. 鈥淎t its core, we know AI can't replace the humanity behind marketing. So we won't try to,鈥� writes Caroline Forsey, Principal Marketing Manager for Hubspot鈥檚 Content Innovation Team on the company blog.
The Washington Post has also tested AI over the years. In 2016, it launched Heliograf to automate election and sports coverage. While the tool was eventually retired due to , it was used again in 2020 . In April 2025, The Post and OpenAI to help surface its journalism in ChatGPT answers, highlighting just how far the technology has advanced.
Despite AI鈥檚 strengths, it can鈥檛 replicate what makes human storytelling special: trust, emotion, ethics, and originality.
According to the , only 32% of Americans trust AI. That鈥檚 because without original human input, AI becomes stale. It needs us to feed it with fresh ideas, interpret evidence, and provide context. Journalists and creators don鈥檛 just write, they investigate, empathize, and interpret the world. They also uphold a code of ethics and seek truth that AI cannot, gathering original data and expertise from other human sources.
Forward-thinking content teams are already using AI to streamline the work that slows them down. Whether you're leading a team or just starting to integrate AI tools, here are a few practical ways to bring them into your workflow:
By automating the repetitive stuff, AI gives creators more time to focus on what really matters: strategy, storytelling, and originality.
Looking ahead, the most effective content teams won鈥檛 resist AI鈥攖hey鈥檒l integrate it. The future is hybrid by design, where human creativity guides and shapes AI output. When used intentionally, AI doesn鈥檛 replace the creative process鈥攊t supercharges it.
Asteroid discoverer and business development pro, Jai Sharma connects brands with publishers at 麻豆原创. With over 5 years of experience across IT SaaS, CRM consulting, and outbound strategy, he thrives at the intersection of tech, sales, and storytelling. Whether managing C-suite relationships or launching go-to-market plans, Jai blends data-driven insights with creative execution to drive impact. Currently pursuing his MBA, he鈥檚 all about big ideas and even bigger results.
Photo Illustration by 麻豆原创 // Canva