Content Challenge: AI versus Personal Branding?
The allure of the easy win will attract many leaders to leverage AI to produce content in the coming year, but is it the best way to build your brand in the long run?
If you watched the 2026 Australian Open you might have seen the spectacular final between the old guard (Djokovic) and new talent (Alcaraz). An epic battle between arguably the best player ever and the most successful young player ever - classic!
The organisers must have been salivating into their Aperol Spritz and high-fiving each other in front of the mist machines (twas very hot). Perfect for an analogical blog me thinks, so let's press on.
Whilst watching this match I couldn't help feel a loyalty to the old guy (me content agency) and a little bit annoyed at the supreme talent of the upstart (AI agencies), but perhaps that's me lamenting the old ways instead of accepting the new ways, but what really matters is what's better for our clients?
The answer would depend on what you are playing for. Continuing the tennis analogy I believe Djokovic was a winner, even though he didn't actually win.
If you missed his beautiful speech it was eloquent, full of gratitude just to be there and highlighting is long standing at that venue, especially noting the previous champion seated in the stand, a la Rafa, his old rival. Note Rafa, in stand, Djokovic on court.
He is happy to just be there! He won the crowd, respect, appreciation, capstone in his career, a bunch of money too - Win. He still came in second, which is amazing considering he first played here in 2005 (20 freakin years ago!) and has won this tournament 10 times.
Alcaraz also won, but it's new for him and it's different sort of special. He completes the grand slam and is in the record books. More head, less heart of a win.
Ok bringing it back on topic as the non-tennis fans have probably switched off by now. The point is, people are being flooded with AI options to produce content which looks easy (smooth Alcaraz) but is it as long lasting and champion building as the classic doing it yourself blogs/videos (resilient Djokovic)?
My, slightly capitulating opinion, is to use both. You may have noted my AI generate image at the start of the blog. But the words are all my own. AI wouldn't use twas for example...
If you want to be a world leading champion in your industry, a true expert, you need to write the words yourself. At a minimum, audio record - transcribe - AI - rewrite - post. An AI written post will just not cut it. Your audience can sniff an AI blog and tell you are the new kid on the blog with your polished words, without a grammatical error, soulless.
A little like Alcaraz who is likely the 6th generation Tesla Optimus robot, I mean, how could he be that good?!?
I'm cheering on organic and original content and I think a lot of people feel the same. Do the work, grind the words out and be a champion people will respect. But perhaps AI (and Alcaraz) be as good as the old guard? Time will tell.
Thoughts?
