Our brand consultancy, Tenet Partners, is in the intellectual property business. Clients hire us for our original thinking and creativity—our distinctive expertise, developed over decades of award-winning work for some of the world’s most prestigious brands.
Today, we’re experiencing a new challenge: the rise of artificial intelligence, and in particular the generative AI tools that are taking the world by storm. This powerful technology is disrupting many industries, including ours. As part of our value proposition, we are making a commitment to clients that our work is not being done by AI.
AI is a double-edged sword
Make no mistake: when used properly AI can be enormously useful technology and in fact, our own analytics practice is rooted in predictive AI. There’s a lot of value there, and such tools can make it far faster and easier to uncover trends and create useful insight.
But at the same time, AI can pose a hazard, because it has the potential to diminish the perceived value of human expertise—particularly when generative AI is applied to creative activities such as content development.
AI is a trap that we willingly walk into
As useful as it may be for organizing thoughts and generating content quickly, generative AI can be a trap precisely because it produces good results so easily. Humans crave convenience, and are all too willing to lean on technology in the name of speed and ease. Over-reliance on technology risks erosion of creative, observational, critical thinking and decision-making skills through lack of use.
Does keeping creative skills sharp by exercising them matter? Are humans better when it comes to creativity simply because we are human? Generative AI blurs the lines, because it has the potential to be more than a tool that enhances our productivity. Why take the time and effort to craft thoughtful, compelling content if you can just tell a machine to generate it for you? It’s a legitimate question.
Why keeping it real matters
Relying on human creativity matters for brands because, while AI may deliver impressive content with a few simple prompts, there isn’t real intent or original thought behind it. It’s lacking in, for want of a better term, intellectual and creative nutritional value. The arguably excellent form of AI-generated content can mask an underlying lack of substance and nuance.
Branding is, in essence, storytelling done verbally, visually and experientially. And we are all storytellers. Storytelling is as old as humanity. It’s something we do our whole lives—we tell stories even before we learn to speak. AI simply cannot fully satisfy that deeply human urge to connect with others and share our experiences.
The best stories—the ones that move us—come from within. They resonate because they speak to shared human experiences. And that is precisely why it’s so important to base brands on human creativity.
No bots were harmed in the making of this blog post
As Tenet’s editorial director, verbal communication is my livelihood. Storytelling and the use of language are of great interest to me, as is the process by which great ideas come to life. The Tenet team has a very strong and productive collaborative approach to content creation in which we bounce ideas off of one another and bring different perspectives to the table. It’s a stimulating, engaging, and very human activity.
I am deeply aware of the potential of generative AI, both good and bad, and its impact on my work. As a content creator I know all too well that I, too, can fall into the AI trap. For that reason, I’ve made a personal decision to rely on my own ideation, composition and language skills rather than turn to AI. By fully exercising my abilities, I believe I can keep my mental muscles toned and continue to deliver the quality our clients expect from us. It may be more work, but I am convinced that it’s beneficial in the end.
Ultimately, the decision of when, how, and even if, generative AI should be used in your own organization warrants a deeper discussion and thoughtful assessment of its benefits and pitfalls, both practical and ethical. There may well be instances in which generative AI is the best way to handle a given task, but as the old saying goes, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. It’s a tool like any other, and its proper use is up to the person wielding it.
