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AI-Generated Content 101 for Marketers and Creators

AI-Generated Content 101 for Marketers and Creators

The pros are of using AI for content are obvious: content gets done faster, cheaper, and often technically better. But there are cons, too, like the fact that AI-generated content wears a stigma of cheating, a lazy shortcut. In fact, one study showed that most people would rather wait years for a lower-quality, human-written book than read a polished, AI-written one right now.

In this guide, I’ll show you everything you need to know about using AI to create content, while still feeling confident about it.

“A robot wrote this entire article. Are you scared yet, human?”. The Guardian published this complete op-ed written by GPT-3 in 2020. The AI argued that humans shouldn’t fear artificial intelligence, creating an ironic piece that went viral and demonstrated AI’s ability to write persuasive, coherent articles.

Screenshot of a Guardian article headline that reads, "A robot wrote this entire article. Are you scared yet, human?", with "GPT-3" written underneath

AI-generated images

Fake photos of Pope Francis in a puffer jacket. These Midjourney-generated images of the Pope wearing a stylish white coat fooled millions on social media, becoming one of the most viral examples of AI imagery. The photos looked so realistic that major news outlets had to fact-check them.

Two side-by-side, AI-generated images of Pope Francis wearing a large, stylish white puffer jacket, which went viral on social media.

AI-generated video

Kalshi’s AI commercial. This became the first fully AI-generated advertisement aired during a major sporting event. The entire ad—visuals, voiceover, and music—was created using AI tools, proving that AI content could meet broadcast television standards.

AI-generated interactive content

Model Context Protocols, or simply MCPs, had a big take off in 2025, marking the next step in the evolution of chatbots. To see how this works in practice, let’s look at Ahrefs’ MCP for Claude. With direct access to Ahrefs’ database, you can ask about keywords, backlinks, or traffic potential and get instant, reliable insights. The experience feels less like using a tool and more like chatting with an SEO expert who’s always on hand to answer your questions.

Screenshot of the Ahrefs tool showing an AI chatbot interface on the left and a list of high-potential keyword opportunities on the right.
source).
  • 90% want to know if an image was AI-generated (source).
  • 63% believe AI content should be legally required to be disclosed (source).
  • 52% would prefer a 7/10 human-made movie over a 9/10 AI-made movie (source).
  • 57% would rather wait years for a human author’s book than immediately read an AI book of equal quality (source).
  • 52% report feeling less engaged with content when they know it’s AI-generated (source).
  • 49% of Boomers describe themselves as AI-skeptical vs. 29% of Gen Z (source).
  • 70% are concerned about AI generating product descriptions, and 61% are concerned about AI generating product reviews (source).
  • 82.1% claim they can detect AI-generated writing (source).
  • 40.4% of respondents noted that their opinion of a brand would change for the worse if they knew it used AI to generate its content. (source)
    • here). If something reads like it was written by a very polite robot, it probably was.
  • Images: Weird hands or fingers, strange facial features, inconsistent lighting, overly perfect skin or textures, and backgrounds that don’t quite make sense. That’s why the poster for the 2025 Naked Gun is actually funny, and would make no sense in 2021, pre-AI era.
  • Video: Choppy motion, lip sync issues where the mouth doesn’t match the words, unnatural gestures, and inconsistent video quality from frame to frame.
  • Audio: Monotone delivery, unnatural breathing patterns, perfect pronunciation that lacks human imperfections, and voices that sound too clean or processed. Real humans say “um,” pause awkwardly, and have slight vocal inconsistencies.
    • The official movie poster for "The Naked Gun" starring Liam Neeson holding a gun, with text that humorously states, "No AI was used in the making of this poster."
    (Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

    Good AI content that’s been edited and personalized by humans is becoming nearly impossible to detect. Tools that “humanize” AI writing by adding small errors or changing patterns can easily fool most detectors.

    We already know that most people would claim they can spot AI content, but what about AI detectors? Well, they work okay under perfect conditions—around 80% accuracy. They often fail when tested on content different from the ones they were trained on, and they struggle with content that mixes AI and human writing (which is most good AI content).

    And did you know that 74% of new website content is now AI-generated? It backs up my point from a recent rant: AI is on track to become as common in content creation as robots are in car factories.

    Screenshot of a LinkedIn post by Mateusz Makosiewicz comparing the adoption of AI in content marketing to the use of robotics on an assembly line in the auto industry.

    So, I’d say, don’t worry too much about detection. Focus on making your AI-assisted content genuinely useful and adding your own voice, experience, and insights. That’s what matters to your audience anyway.

    Further reading

    we conducted a large study based on 879 survey responses to learn how content marketers use AI.

    A promotional banner with a blue and purple gradient background for an Ahrefs report titled, "The State of AI in Content Marketing." A promotional banner with a blue and purple gradient background for an Ahrefs report titled, "The State of AI in Content Marketing."

    Here are the main takeaways.

    AI adoption is massive

    87% of marketing professionals now use AI for content creation.

    Companies using AI are publishing 47% more content monthly and growing 5% faster than their competitors.

    But here’s the important part: only 4% publish raw AI content. The other 97% are editing and reviewing everything, which explains why some AI content works while other stuff gets called out immediately.

    What’s actually working

    Most marketers use AI for blog content (87% use AI here), followed by website copy (64%) and social media (63%).

    A bar chart illustrating how marketers use AI, with "Blog posts" being the most common at 87.1%, followed by website copy and social media posts.

    How exactly do they use it? More than half of respondents use it for brainstorming topics, creating outlines, editing, and optimizing headlines.

    A bar chart showing the top AI use cases in content creation, with "Brainstorming topic ideas" at 75.7% and "Creating content outlines" at 73.2%.

    ChatGPT is the clear winner with 44% adoption among marketers, while Gemini and Claude trail behind at 15% and 10% respectively.

    Are they happy with the results AI delivers?

    65% believe human content is better quality, but 34% think AI and human content rank roughly the same in search. AI content is slightly more likely to get Google manual penalties but slightly less likely to be hurt by algorithm updates.

    Despite mixed performance, 51% plan to increase AI spending next year.

    And, the cost difference is impossible to ignore: human-only content averages $611 per article versus $131 for AI-assisted content.

    Ahrefs’ AI Content Helper, a tool for optimizing content for search engines, allows you to upload a brand kit, so that the generated content really feels like you.

    Screenshot of the Ahrefs AI Content Helper tool, highlighting the feature that allows users to add a brand kit to ensure AI-generated content matches their brand's tone and style.
    Ahrefs’ AI Content Helper does that for me. If the intent is mixed, it even lets me decide which angle to pursue.

    Screenshot of Ahrefs' AI Content Helper tool showing how it groups competing articles by search intent to help users choose the right angle for their content.

    Then, the tool maps out exactly which topics and subtopics I need to cover in any new article—or shows what’s missing in an existing article—by analyzing what’s actually ranking in the top 10 and a coverage score.

    A screenshot of the Ahrefs AI Content Helper editor, which displays an article's content score and a sidebar with SEO topic recommendations to improve its ranking potential.

    Other tools (with genuinely useful use cases)

    Humans discovered AI that can make virtually anything, and they also discovered the AI paradox:

    Screenshot of a viral tweet by Andrea Bosoni that points out the paradox of AI: everyone wants to use it to create content, but nobody wants to read content created by it.

    The more AI-generated content floods in, the less people seem to truly want it. So, maybe instead of just listing tools, let me share some genuinely cool use cases of AI content you can actually copy and the tools you’ll need to pull them off.

    • Video hooks with Nano Banana.
    • Animated product photos with Adobe Firefly.
    • Humorous video ads with the latest models you can find on a platform like OpenArt. Somehow, AI cringe goes down surprisingly well when it’s served with a side of humor.
    • Localized educational or product marketing videos with HeyGen.
    • Ad variations and formats (in no time) with a tool like AdCreative.
    • Vibe-coded online tools with Claude, like this one: AI vs Search Traffic Analysis.
    • YouTube thumbnails to test ideas or cut costs when you’re just starting out with tools like Canva or Pikzels.
    • Short-form content made from longer videos for YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and more with tools like Riverside or Opus.
    • Animated inserts that highlight an important point or bring a story in your video to life with a tool like OpenArt.
    • Last but not least, AI voiceovers are amazing these days. Try ElevenLabs.
    2026, big AI companies must watermark their content automatically. I’m not a lawyer, but it seems you will be obliged to serve these watermarks to your audience.

    Now, let’s look at the specific AI content rules on all the big platforms:

    Platform Policy & Disclosure Requirements
    Google/SEO Allows AI content if it meets E-E-A-T standards. No disclosure required.
    YouTube Allows AI content but requires labeling for synthetic content that could mislead viewers.
    TikTok Allows AI content but must label clearly in video or caption. Zero tolerance for undisclosed synthetic media of real people/events.
    Instagram No AI-specific policies. Disclosure optional unless content could mislead.
    LinkedIn Allows AI content with no formal disclosure requirements.
    Medium Allows AI content but requires disclosure in story or reader note when AI plays significant role.
    X (Twitter) No AI-specific policies. Disclosure required only for misleading synthetic media.
    Reddit Allows AI content but policies vary by subreddit. Check individual community rules first.
    Pinterest Allows AI content with automatic labeling via platform algorithms.
    Quora Allows AI content but may reduce visibility of AI-only answers. No specific disclosure requirements.

    Final thoughts

    Interesting times. AI writes faster than we can read, makes images that can fool millions, and even generates videos good enough for TV. But here’s the twist: the better AI gets, the more people crave something it can’t replace—authentic human connection. And that part is your job. Let AI handle the rest.

    Got questions or comments? Let me know on LinkedIn.

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