In the past creative content was driven by something other than speed. People made content because they had something to say, not because a dashboard was blinking red or an algorithm needed to be fed. Today, much of communications and media operates on an urgency to publish faster, trend harder and move on. That shift has not just changed how content is produced; it has hollowed out why it exists. What we are losing is not reach or efficiency but we are losing intention and that loss matters now more than ever.
Short-form videos, 15-second trends and AI content generators have built an entire digital economy on immediacy without reflection. We have normalized fast as a delegation for relevance and treated volume like a measure of value. I remember when BuzzFeed made it clear that metrics would shape media decisions. The stories that they produced were not the most accurate or thoughtful but they were simply the most clickable. That moment was not a fluke but was a preview of a system that rewards reaction over responsibility.
When Volume Replaces Craft
Real creativity is not about pushing out content but understanding your audience and holding yourself accountable for accuracy. Storytelling requires effort precisely because people believe what they read, hear and watch. When those steps are skipped, the issue becomes the laziness which leads to risk. You are not just producing weak content; you are building a pipeline for misinformation.
Content creators were already under pressure back in the 2010’s to push out content on a consistent basis because of the massive consumption, which translated into revenue; this is when burnout for content creators occurred. Now we have AI tools that can do the job faster, cheaper, with less effort but they do it without context, nuance or responsibility. Speed without context, nuance or responsibility is not innovation but automation with no soul. Just because something can be generated does not mean it should be published.
The Industry Trap of Trend-Chasing
The real concern is not AI itself but how quickly it’s being adopted without hesitation. Too many industries treat AI as a trend that they need to chase rather than a tool to understand. Dropping AI into a workflow without asking how it actually supports strategy, accuracy or human judgment leads to a weak foundation and implementation; which leads to chasing trends without intention. Which is a trap within itself.
When AI becomes the creator instead of the assistant, content loses its edge. Without human oversight, we get what many audiences already recognize as AI slop. The oversaturation of AI will result in people being conditioned to assume everything is slop. That erosion of trust results in skepticism, disengagement and fatigue. Once trust is gone, no amount of content can buy it back.
Who Gets Left Behind in the Rush
Let’s talk about the overlooked when it comes to the use of AI in content creation. Subject matter experts are not being consulted. Junior creatives are pressured to mimic machine output instead of developing a voice of their own. Freelancers are boxed out by clients chasing cheap, fast, algorithm friendly work. In the name of efficiency, we are excluding the very people who give content its depth and credibility.
That’s not progress but it’s regression; by removing humans from the center of content creation process, we set a new standard that stifles growth and flattens perspective. A system that cannot cultivate talent will eventually run out of ideas worth scaling.
Where the Line Has to Be Drawn
AI and humans should work together but that part is not the point; what is damaging is the mixed messaging. One moment, workers are told AI will replace them, next they are being told to collaborate with it. That confusion paralyzes industries and misleads talent who are planning for the future. The line needs to be clear: AI is a tool and is not a replacement for human judgment, creativity or responsibility.
Flood the market with AI-generated noise and you don’t just oversaturate feeds but you oversaturate human senses. Audiences learn to disengage, to scroll past and to stop listening. That does not just weaken communication; it cuts it off entirely from your brand and message. What was touted as efficiency becomes a trojan horse for self-sabotage.
Fast content may win the moment but intentional content earns the future. The choice is yours but choose carefully.
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Shaunta Garth is a Strategic Communications & Visibility Architect specializing in digital storytelling, media strategy and public affairs.