Visit any blog or scroll through LinkedIn, and you can spot it. The tone is smooth. The grammar is perfect. The structure is solid. But after a few paragraphs, you realize something is missing. It all sounds right, but says nothing.
This is what happens when machines write everything. And it is everywhere.
Large language models can now pump out endless content in seconds. Businesses and agencies are leaning hard into that speed and convenience. Some are publishing blog posts, social media content and email copy without even glancing at it.
The result is a tidal wave of content that feels polished but empty. The web is overflowing with pieces that look like writing but read like filler.
If you care about standing out or building trust, you cannot ignore this. Because while AI can write fast, it cannot make people care.
The Rise of AI Writing Has Lowered the Bar
Let’s be clear. The explosion of machine-generated content is not a small trend. It is a shift in how the internet is being filled.
Brands are leaning into volume. More posts. More pages. More everything. It is all being pushed out under the idea that if you publish enough, someone will notice.
But what happens when everyone is publishing the same thing at the same time in the same voice?
Readers tune out. They skim. They bounce.
And it is not just humans. Search engines are starting to notice, too. Google has been rolling out updates that target low-value, repetitive and unoriginal content. Their goal is to surface content that offers actual value and feels like it was written by someone who knows what they are talking about.
So, if your strategy is to flood the internet with acceptable content and hope something sticks, you are playing a short game with a short fuse.
Readers Want Real Voices and Real Perspectives
The truth is, people can tell. They know when content has been churned out by a machine or massaged into SEO shape without anyone stopping to ask if it matters.
Readers are not just looking for answers. They are looking for connection. They want to hear from someone who has been there. Someone who has an opinion. Someone who is willing to say something that is not already in the first ten search results.
What works right now is not perfect grammar or keyword density. It is point of view. Specificity. Tone. A story or example that only you could tell.
That does not come from a predictive text engine. That comes from experience.
Brand Voice is Not Just a Nice Touch
For years, marketers have talked about brand voice like it is something you add on at the end. A little polish to make things feel more on-brand.
That does not work anymore. Now, voice is the only thing separating you from everyone else publishing in your space.
If your content does not sound like it came from your team, your product or your culture, then you are already blending in. You are forgettable before anyone hits the second paragraph.
Machines can guess at tone. They can mimic formats. But they do not have a gut. They do not know what your customers are worried about or how they speak. They do not know what makes your business different or why someone should trust you.
You do.
Where Tools Help and Where They Fall Flat
This is not a rejection of the tools. They are useful. They can help you move faster and get through early drafts. They can take a mess of notes and turn them into something readable.
That is a good thing. And if you are not using tools to help with structure, formatting or repurposing, you are probably wasting time.
But there is a limit. The tools can give you something to start from. They cannot tell you what to say.
They cannot replace your voice. They cannot handle nuance. They cannot predict how your audience will feel or what part of your story matters most.
If your entire workflow is copy, paste, publish, you are just adding noise to a noisy internet.
SEO is Changing and Readers are Changing with It
Let’s talk about search. Because for a long time, content has been created for rankings first and readers second.
That approach is already cracking.
Search engines now reward content that demonstrates knowledge and experience. They are pushing back on the trend of publishing generic content at scale.
The more the internet fills with machine-written filler, the more valuable real writing becomes.
Content that offers specific answers. Content that shows proof. Content that reflects a human voice, not a template.
This is not about beating the algorithm. It is about writing for real people and letting that be your advantage.
What Makes Content Worth Reading Today
You do not need to be a poet. You do not need to write long-winded manifestos or invent a new voice every week.
But you do need to say something real.
If your blog post could have been written by anyone, it is probably not doing its job.
Good content should
- Show what you know
- Reflect how you think
- Offer something readers will not find in every other tab they have open
That is not too much to ask. It is just more than most content does right now.
The Takeaway That Matters
This is not a race to see who can publish the most. It is a race to see who can be worth reading.
Use tools if they help. But do not lose your voice just because it is easy to borrow one.
Say something clear. Say something honest. And write it like it matters.
Because content that sounds like it came from a person will always beat content that feels like it came from a formula.
About the Author: Linda Aylesworth
