The proliferation of AI-generated content has eroded consumer trust to a new low. People increasingly assume that what they see is not real, creating a significant hurdle for authentic brands that must now work harder than ever to prove their genuineness and cut through the skepticism.

Even though anyone can create media, legacy brands like The New York Times retain immense power. Their established brands are perceived by the public as more authoritative and trustworthy, giving them a 'monopoly on truth' that new creators lack.

Beyond data privacy, a key ethical responsibility for marketers using AI is ensuring content integrity. This means using platforms that provide a verifiable trail for every asset, check for originality, and offer AI-assisted verification for factual accuracy. This protects the brand, ensures content is original, and builds customer trust.

As AI makes content creation feel robotic, businesses must stand out by publishing authentic, behind-the-scenes content. This includes showing processes and unique stories. If sharing content doesn't feel slightly uncomfortable, it is likely not real enough to build trust and differentiate your brand.

Generative AI allows any marketer to quickly produce mediocre content. This saturation makes buyers more discerning and creates a significant opportunity for brands that invest in genuinely excellent, insightful content to stand out and build trust. Quality, not quantity, becomes the key differentiator.

In a world saturated with AI-generated content, work that is verifiably human-made will command a premium. Similar to how consumers seek out organic food, audiences will actively seek and value the authenticity, personality, and craftsmanship of human-driven content.

As AI makes technical execution and content generation easier for everyone, these cease to be competitive advantages. The only truly defensible asset left is a company's brand—the promise it makes and the trust it builds with its audience over time.

When AI can produce limitless content for free, volume ceases to be a competitive advantage. The new differentiator becomes the quality and consistency of a company's unique brand voice and values, making brand governance paramount to content strategy.

As generative AI floods the internet with generic content, the core challenge for brands will shift. It will no longer be about content creation, but about cutting through the noise—the "AI slop" from bots talking to bots. The greatest competitive advantage will be sounding verifiably and authentically human.