While generative video gets the hype, producer Tim McLear finds AI's most practical use is automating tedious post-production tasks like data management and metadata logging. This frees up researchers and editors to focus on higher-value creative work, like finding more archival material, rather than being bogged down by manual data entry.

For knowledge workers like authors, up to 50% of their time is spent on tedious "chores" like organizing sources or creating timelines. AI automates this drudgery, freeing up mental bandwidth for higher-value creative tasks like narrative construction and prose.

HubSpot’s AI strategy focuses on automating time-intensive tasks that fall between initial human strategy and final human quality control. This includes localizing videos and auto-generating clips, significantly increasing output without sacrificing creative oversight and taste.

The true power of AI in content isn't generating text, which creates generic content. Instead, use AI as a research partner to analyze existing narratives, identify saturated topics, and generate unique, counter-intuitive angles. This shifts AI's role from a writer to a strategist, ensuring your content is differentiated from the start.

The most effective use of AI in content is not generating generic articles. Instead, feed it unique primary sources like expert interview transcripts or customer call recordings. Ask it to extract key highlights and structure a detailed outline, pairing human insight with AI's summarization power.

HubSpot's AI strategy automates the tedious "messy middle" of content production, like video localization with tools like HeyGen. The core creative process—ideation and final judgment—remains human-led. This allows them to scale production efficiently while preserving creative integrity.

The best use of AI in content creation isn't for writing the first draft. Instead, apply it to the tedious parts of the process you dislike, such as data processing, topic ideation, or even editing, to accelerate the path to a high-quality, human-created piece.

The most valuable use of AI in content isn't generating generic copy. Instead, use it for high-leverage tasks like synthesizing long-form video into clips, analyzing performance data, and as a pre-publication check to flag potential misinterpretations or insensitive timing.

While many fear AI-generated books, author Joanna Stern reveals how professionals actually use the technology. AI was not used to write prose but was indispensable for backend tasks like organizing notes, managing timelines, and formatting endnotes, accelerating the entire process.