Is this the end of AI-generated content?

Currently, writing this introduction sitting in a quirky little airport in Iceland, awaiting my flight to the north to arrive. I have not slept in 18 hours, 7 more hours to go 😅. Thankful to have written most of this newsletter on Friday, before leaving the US! Here’s what to expect in this edition:

It’s time to say goodbye to all the AI slop you see on social media apps these days 😢

JK, unfortunately, there’s plenty more where that came from…

BUT, I’m sensing a vibe shift, I’ve been sensing it for a few months now and YouTube just confirmed my suspicions.

Starting July 15, a new YouTube policy will be in place:

I know what you’re thinking, “Skyler, I’m not a YouTuber, I’m a marketer” but hear me out, I think this speaks to a general shift in how content that “smells of AI”, even in the slightest, will be received by our target customer bases. Not to mention, how what we post on a company page, might be tanked or boosted, depending on the algorithmic AI sniff test.

This doesn’t mean we can’t use AI in our content creation processes as marketers, but the point is, it just can’t look like we used it in an obvious way. It shows poor taste and lack of effort, which reflects badly on any brand.

This is only one major social platform adopting this policy, but it marks the beginning of what could be a broader trend. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and others may soon follow suit. Why? Because both users and platforms are becoming more sophisticated in detecting AI-generated content, and there's growing fatigue around homogenized, generic content.

What does this mean for us as marketers?

In the early days of AI content tools, simply using them gave you an edge. Now, the edge comes from how creatively and thoughtfully you use them - or choose not to use them at all.

In a recent episode of the Digital Marketing Institute podcast series “Ahead of the Game”, host ⁠⁠Will Francis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ talks with ⁠⁠Jim Lecinski⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a marketing professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School and co-author of The AI Marketing Canvas. They discuss how AI is changing marketing: speeding up work, improving productivity, and reshaping how campaigns are planned, executed, and measured. Here are the key takeaways I found most valuable because let’s face it, why listen to a long podcast when you could just skip to the key insights, because I listened to the long podcast for you 💁‍♀️:

This week, I was asked by a colleague of mine (if you’re reading this, hey girl 👋) how I find and sort through loads of information to get to the key insights without getting lost in the sauce. The truth is, we live in the age of information overload, and it's only going to get worse unless we figure out a way to manage how we digest and use it.

The following is one component of my system that I think would be the most helpful for marketers. And that component is..drumroll please… NotebookLM. Yes, yet another AI tool to add to the 20 tools you've probably heard about this week, but this one I've been using for a while, and I find it useful both professionally and personally.

NotebookLM is Google's AI research assistant that works exclusively with YOUR documents instead of the entire internet. Upload your market research, competitor analyses, customer interviews, and industry reports, then ask targeted questions to get insights grounded in your actual data.

Start with one current project. Upload 3-5 relevant documents and ask strategic questions like "What are the top 3 pain points mentioned across these customer interviews?" or "How does our competitor's messaging differ from ours?"

Pro tip: Use the audio feature to generate podcast-style discussions about your sources – perfect for consuming research during commutes.

The key is treating NotebookLM like your research assistant rather than a magic answer machine. Feed it good sources, ask thoughtful questions, and let it connect dots you might have missed.

Definition: A set of rules or guidelines that tells an AI model what to remember and how to behave during a conversation.

Think of it like giving your AI a cheat sheet before a meeting. It helps the AI understand who it's talking to, what the goals are, and how to respond—kind of like briefing your assistant before a client call so they can stay on-brand and on-task.

I feel as though this week’s newsletter may be a bit too long, but after reviewing what I wrote and editing it down as much as possible, this is where we ended up. I’d really appreciate your feedback!

As always, stay Human First ☝🏻 → AI Forward.

See you next Tuesday, in your inbox!

Skyler Neal