Who determines the future of content: AI or you?

Looking at AI in content production, how do you see the balance between efficiency and human creativity?

Last year, we saw a dizzying increase in the use of AI. The rise is now somewhat slower, and the focus is shifting to truly valuable applications.

As a content provider, you will need to produce content increasingly quickly to keep prices acceptable for your customers, who can choose from a growing range of options. AI is already a fantastic addition for efficiency, taking over repetitive tasks, and personalizing content. However, you have to make sure you're paying keen attention to creating the right conditions.

At WoodWing, we wholeheartedly say 'yes' to AI technology, but we won't integrate fun gimmicks just because we can. We always weigh the contribution to producing, managing, and distributing high-quality content more efficiently. Respect for humans and the creative process is the most important criterion to meet.

What do you consider the Top 3 most interesting applications of AI in the field of content?

On the one hand, you sometimes get the impression that you can do anything with AI, but if you look further, it turns out that the reality is different. On the other hand, much more than you think is already possible sometimes. In the field of content, these three things stand out:

Content Creation

This is probably the most well-known application of AI and also the area where developments seem to be moving the fastest. It’s amazing to see what texts and images you can already create with AI today. Personally, I think we are going to make much larger strides here.

Suppose I write a good story with solid content. But who you are, your age, education level, and dozens of other factors determine how you want to consume this content. The time of day also affects this preference: in the morning on your way to work, you want different content than when you are relaxing on the couch on a Sunday afternoon, right?

Adjusting form, style, and which part of your text to emphasize, it's all possible on the fly with AI. But what about the ethical aspects? Will we accept content published without human oversight in the future?

Authenticity

Another interesting application of AI in the context of content could be assisting in establishing authenticity. It would be good to standardize the documentation of who created what content and when. This could be done by adding certain content characteristics that show whether a text or image was created by AI or humans. If it is AI-generated content, you could indicate whether there was human oversight, effectively adding a kind of quality mark.

Such a quality mark does not yet exist, but it would be beneficial if it did. The obligation to label AI-generated content as such already exists and is included in the EU AI Act. It would be great if a potential quality mark was also included in that directive to give it the necessary value and authority.

Copyfitting

This is the process of adjusting text to fit a specific layout or space, usually within the framework of graphic design or publication. The goal of copyfitting is to ensure that the text fits within the available space while maintaining readability and aesthetics.

AI could play a role here, except that it cannot count – at least not yet.

In every application of AI, you do need human input. Because it is precisely the human touch that makes content distinctive. Additionally, human oversight prevents AI from hallucinating or inadvertently producing content that damages your reputation before you even realize it.

At WoodWing, we wholeheartedly say 'yes' to AI technology, but we won't integrate fun gimmicks just because we can.

 

Tom Pijsel – VP Product Marketing, WoodWing

Do you also see risks in using AI?

Absolutely. Regarding content, you must always be aware that use of AI can lead to an increase in fake news, that generated content or the look & feel of content can unintentionally have legal consequences or lead to reputational damage. Then there is the risk of so-called hallucinations, which happens when AI systems, such as language models, generate information that is incorrect, fabricated, or misleading. Using fictitious facts, incorrect references, or mentioning non-existent people or events are examples of such hallucinations. It can also simply place information in the wrong context, making the output misleading or incorrect.

In terms of ethical risks, there is the danger that AI-generated content is biased – without you realizing it is. For example, when you ask AI to create an image of a person in a modern office designing a new magazine behind a computer. AI might create the ideal image of a young, 'picture perfect' blonde woman, instead of considering other options.

Be mindful of the potential legal consequences when using AI. Think about whether you want your content to be used for training models or whether you have the right to use generated content yourself. Then there is the upcoming EU AI Act; an additional incentive for all of us to ensure we do not exploit AI's possibilities without being very alert to the output and the conditions under which we use it.

For now, stick to the rule that every AI application requires human input and intervention. Because it is precisely the human touch that prevents risks and makes your content distinctive.

Are you saying that we can't (at least for the time being) do without the human touch?

If we become 100% dependent on AI for creating content, you will initially see the quality of some people's content clearly improve. However, if even good content creators heavily rely on AI to produce faster and more, you will get the well-known uniformity, and readers will inevitably drop off. So yes, our human touch is still very necessary to make content distinctive.

Compare it to spotting people on a terrace on a busy street. You can keep watching endlessly because all these people are just a bit different. Some types interest you more than others. The same goes for human-made content, which has that touch of distinctive emotion and personal 'uniqueness' added to it.

That is why at WoodWing, we focus on developing ways to speed up the content creation process without losing your distinctive factor. Tools that support you in creating a good story that you can then publish to multiple channels – in line with good multichannel publishing practices.

Not with a simple cut-and-paste exercise, but with subtle adjustments of details. That is precisely the 2% that ensures you can captivate and bind your customer on each channel, making you, as a content creator, the difference for your organization or brand.

Google warns that publishing purely AI-generated content will be penalized. If Google can easily determine authenticity, what does a quality mark add?

Google has several penalties when it comes to content assessment, so this addition does not surprise me. And of course, a potential penalty will reflect in your search engine ranking. That Google can determine whether a text comes from AI without a quality mark is not surprising. But the point is to get ahead of Google and indicate yourself how your content was created. 'This content was fully created by ChatGPT,' 'This content was created with the help of ChatGPT and edited by [name],' or 'No AI tool was used in creating this content' – that could be a classification. Whether Google will be satisfied with that or still decide to penalize if ChatGPT played a role, or even did everything, remains to be seen. It will partly depend on the extent to which people cheat with such a quality mark.

‘To trend or not to trend’: how do you deal with all the rapid developments?

Following trends in your market is important, but don't let it drive you crazy. Hopping from trend to trend is unhealthy, and you quickly lose touch with reality. It is better and more meaningful to see trends as an invitation to push your own boundaries. To experiment and experience what works for you and adds value.

Bridging the gap between technological possibilities and translating them into useful applications for practice – that's what we passionately work on at WoodWing every day. The same applies to the new options AI offers us. This way, we ensure that it is not AI but we, humans, who continue to determine the future of content creation and management.

Discussing AI

Would you like to discuss this topic with us in light of this article? We are happy to engage in a conversation with you. This way, we keep each other sharp and develop AI applications in content creation that are genuinely beneficial.