AI-generated content is everywhere. LinkedIn blogs. Product descriptions. Homepage chatbots. It’s a pervasive presence on the Internet, but is it helpful? Is it what people want to engage with? According to Hookline’s 2025 AI in Content Marketing Report, consumers can easily spot AI-generated content, and that isn’t great for brands (especially B2B marketers).
If you’ve been blindly publishing AI-generated content, it’s time to hit the pause button and reexamine the role AI plays in your content marketing.
The Reputation Risk of AI-Generated Content
According to the research, a staggering 82.1% of Americans can spot AI-generated content at least some of the time. (That number jumps to 88.4% for younger people.)
Is that inherently a problem? Well, only if you’re trying to genuinely connect with an audience.
You’re not just boring your audience with generic AI-generated content. The research shows that when readers know content was created using AI, their opinion of the writer and brand suffers significantly.
- 50.1% of respondents said they would think less highly of a writer who uses AI.
- 40.4% of respondents said they would think less highly of a brand that uses AI.
This is dangerous territory for brands that want to cultivate that trust and credibility with their audience. And it’s particularly dangerous for B2B marketers who are trying to reach key decision-makers. Note: Up to 29.8% of readers aged 45 to 65 (aka the group most likely to be decision-makers at companies) said they do not enjoy reading AI-generated content. This isn’t surprising, as the go-to sources for thought leadership (e.g., X and LinkedIn) have become bloated with the same regurgitated content.
But if you’re filling your audience’s feeds with that same type of content, you’re not just failing to engage them. You might be actively turning them away at key stages of the buyer journey. Pumping out a high volume of weak AI-generated content is especially harmful for B2B brands, where trust and credibility are everything, sales cycles stretch over months, and relationships matter more than transactions.
When your audience starts questioning whether your thought leadership is authentic, whether your insights are genuine, and whether your brand truly understands their challenges, you’ve got a much bigger problem than a few poorly performing blog posts.
What Does This Mean for Your Content Strategy?
Yes, marketing teams are under pressure to produce more content with fewer resources. And AI tools are an incredibly valuable tool to do that. But you can’t over-rely on them.
Solely AI-generated content simply should not be part of your content strategy. You need a unique human perspective, voice, and thumbprint on your content, and AI can’t replicate your actual experience, genuine insights, or authentic perspective on industry challenges. But that doesn’t mean your content has to be exclusively crafted by a human hand.
AI can and should be used to assist in content creation for supporting tasks like creating outlines or sourcing key research. Not only is this approach convenient and efficient but studies have found that AI-assisted content actually generates better results than human-generated content alone. (For example, Buffer found that AI-assisted posts got higher engagement rates than non-AI posts.)
But the key to doing this successfully is creating clear guardrails and guidelines for its use.
How to Create Valuable Content (with AI)
Luckily, while your competitors are racing to produce more AI-generated content, you have a huge opportunity to differentiate your brand by doubling down on quality, human-led content creation. That doesn’t mean you have to make things harder for yourself, though.
1. Focus your energy on the content that matters most.
People will always crave long-form, high-level thought leadership that delivers true insight. While you may use tools to outline or draft first drafts, you need a human to personalize the content and infuse it with real-life anecdotes. Ask yourself: Does this piece demonstrate genuine expertise? Would our ideal customer find real value here? Could this have been written by anyone in the industry? Remember: The more experience you can inject, the more valuable it will be.
2. Use the right AI tools to support content.
Hookline’s research shows readers are more accepting of AI being used for tasks like research, brainstorming, and editing. As you build a repeatable process to gather and synthesize info, experiment with different tools to create the most effective infrastructure. (You can also reference our guide to create an AI-driven content strategy for step-by-step tips on how to use AI effectively throughout the content process.)
3. Draft AI guidelines for content creators.
One of the biggest reasons brands end up with AI-generated fluff is because they have no guidance or guardrails surrounding AI use. This isn’t surprising, though. According to the Content Marketing Institute, 45% of B2B marketers don’t have guidelines for AI use. Whether you have one content creator or a whole team of freelancers, empower them to apply these tools correctly by drafting solid AI marketing guidelines that help them navigate everything from content creation to security precautions.
(On that note, if you’re having trouble finding people who can write effectively, see our tips to source true experts.)
The Most Important Task: Shifting Your Perspective
Ultimately, AI is just a tool to help you connect with people via content. It isn’t the creator of connections. In B2B marketing, where a single piece of thought leadership can influence a six-figure purchasing decision, the stakes are too high to gamble on content that undermines your credibility or gets lost in the feed. If you want to succeed, lead with your humanity and tap into your ability to create more emotional connections. Remember: In a crowded marketplace, the brands that tell the best stories win. It’s your job to uncover those stories and turn them into conversation-starting content.
Looking for more ways to do that? Tune into the Best Story Wins podcast for Ben Parr’s perspective on what separates good companies from great ones, tips to build a billion-dollar story, and more.
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