52% say ‘No’ to AI content

Hey, Paige here!

Happy Friday, Paige here! May your coffee be strong, your leads be hot, and your newest campaign thrive on this fabulous day ✨ 

Before we get into today’s best marketing research…

In today’s release: 

• 52% actively disengage when they believe content is AI-created

• How to beat fatigue (without dropping your tech)

• The one thing that will always be your differentiator 

New here? Join 8,100+ marketing pros and see us in your inbox every Friday—

DEEP DIVE

Have you noticed that every piece of content is starting to sound like it’s written by the same ghostwriter?

Welcome to the age of AI, where every piece of copy is beginning to be more and more AI-washed. It’s everywhere. The blogs. The newsletters. The LinkedIn posts with zero edge.

And if your audience is starting to tune out… they’re not alone.

Content fatigue is being accelerated… quickly. 

A growing body of data shows what many of us have felt for months: people are getting fatigued by AI-written content that lacks originality and substance. Anyone else feel like LinkedIn especially is heading towards becoming a generic wasteland of half-formed thoughts and rocket emojis? 

• 52% of consumers are now actively disengaging with content they believe was AI-generated

• Even the former VP of marketing at OpenAI insists human tastes and craftsmanship are essential for companies to distinguish themselves. 

That’s the problem. Too many brands are pushing out AI-first content that lacks any form of humanity—it’s technically correct, but utterly flat.

And trust is eroding.

Your voice is your differentiator… Don’t forget it. 

In a content landscape shaped by machines, your human voice becomes your brand moat.

Matthew Prince, CEO of Cloudflare, put it bluntly:

“Original content will become even more valuable in the AI economy—not less.”

Originality is becoming scarce. That means it's becoming valuable.

But how do you stand out when everyone else is writing the same recycled takes?

3 ways to De-AI your content (without removing AI from the system)

Please don’t get me wrong. AI is a fabulous tool. You should be using it everyday. But, it shouldn’t be left alone to its own devices to create all your brand content. 

1. Reclaim the narrative

Don’t just prompt… riff. 

Use AI to sketch outlines or clean up first drafts, but inject:

• Lived experiences

• Contrarian takes

• Behind-the-scenes process insights

In other words, give your audience what AI can’t fabricate: personal, specific, original perspective.

Try this: Take one post a week and make it “AI-free.” Make it raw, human, and story-driven. Track engagement.

2. Quality > Velocity (for real this time, guys)

Content output has skyrocketed, but average engagement per post is down 24% YoY.

That’s a sign: audiences don’t want more, they want better.

• Kill off low-performing content types

• Focus on formats that build trust: emails, AMAs, and personal essays

• Audit for sameness: does your post sound like a dozen others in your niche?

3. Train for originality

Yes, originality is a skill — and it can be trained. Develop creative constraints with your team:

• Use analogies from outside your industry

• Ban the phrase “In today’s fast-paced digital world” from your intros

• Create a “Banned List” of clichés and overused takes

Strapped team that needs to lean heavily on AI for content creation? Create custom GPTs and make sure you have a human editor on the job. 

The big takeaway: AI’s not the villain. Lazy strategy is. The best content marketers in 2025 will use AI to go faster, but not flatter. They’ll bring more humanity to their brand, not less. Let the others blend into the AI noise. 

You? You’re here to stand out.