AI Is Changing Content Creation, And That’s a Good Thing | Brand Publishing

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—and better?

The conversation around AI in content creation is still full of questions and anxiety. No one has all the answers, and AI hasn’t turned any of us into fortune tellers. Still, we now have a much clearer view of what AI can (and can’t) do—and why this shift is ultimately a good one.

The Big Fear: Will AI Take Over Content Jobs?

When tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude became mainstream, panic followed. AI’s ability to crank out writing, editing, and ideas stirred concern in newsrooms and marketing departments alike.

According to the 2024 State of Marketing Report by Hubspot, nearly 70% of marketers worried that AI would impact their jobs.

But talk to those same marketers today, and they’ll likely tell you AI is both a threat and a time-saver. It’s helping eliminate tedious tasks—like writing SEO descriptions or brainstorming headlines—without touching the parts of the job that require a human brain (and heart).

As one MIT Sloan op-ed put it:

“AI will transform economies and lift markets as a whole, but lasting differentiation will be built on human creativity and passion.”

The Reality: AI as a Force Multiplier for Content Teams

Used strategically, AI helps content teams work smarter:

• Faster research and summarizing: In 2023, the McKinsey Global Institute estimated in 2023 that AI could reduce research time by over 50%. That’s huge—but still requires fact-checking to avoid AI’s tendency to invent sources or data.
• Better first drafts: The blank page can feel like a lot to overcome for a writer, especially if content teams are churning out lots of new content. AI can help generate content ideas, outlines, and even rough first drafts, saving teams’ time and lowering barriers to iteration.
• Providing content personalization at scale: Back in 2021, McKinsey found that 71% of consumers expect personalized brand interactions. AI now makes it easier to target consumers with more precision and customize copy, tone, imagery, and offers for different audiences, without having to start from scratch each time.

With what AI can do, marketers' roles have morphed, making way for new roles and skills that leverage the technology.

New Roles and Skills Emerging

AI isn’t just reshaping workflows and redefining entire roles. New titles like “AI Content Editor” 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’ll also see more strategic oversight roles emerge to manage ethical use and make sure AI content is factual, inclusive, and on-brand.

Who’s Already Winning with AI?

The marketing tech behemoth, HubSpot, wrote in 2023 that they were using AI for content creation support, like blog ideation and draft assistance, while still keeping final storytelling in human hands. “At its core, we know AI can't replace the humanity behind marketing. So we won't try to,” writes Caroline Forsey, Principal Marketing Manager for Hubspot’s 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 quality concerns, it was used again in 2020 for AI-powered audio election results. In April 2025, The Post and OpenAI announced a partnership to help surface its journalism in ChatGPT answers, highlighting just how far the technology has advanced.

Why Human Creativity Matters More Than Ever

Despite AI’s strengths, it can’t replicate what makes human storytelling special: trust, emotion, ethics, and originality.

According to the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer, only 32% of Americans trust AI. That’s 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’t 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.

How Content Teams Can Use AI Today—and What Comes Next

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:

• Conduct competitive research and uncover market insights
• Plan SEO strategy and identify keyword gaps
• Draft outlines, headlines, and meta descriptions
• Repurpose blog posts into emails, scripts, or social content
• Generate early-stage visual concepts using tools like DALL·E

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’t resist AI—they’ll integrate it. The future is hybrid by design, where human creativity guides and shapes AI output. When used intentionally, AI doesn’t replace the creative process—it supercharges it.

Asteroid discoverer and business development pro, Jai Sharma connects brands with publishers at Stacker. 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’s all about big ideas and even bigger results.

Photo Illustration by Stacker // Canva