Trust, tone, and the human touch: balancing expertise and AI in content creation

There’s no denying AI has changed the way we write. From brainstorming blog ideas to summarising research, AI tools for writers have become the digital equivalent of a quick-thinking assistant: reliable, efficient, and occasionally brilliant.

But let’s be clear about one thing: using AI in content creation does not replace the need for skilled human writers. It’s a collaborator – and a very clever one at that – but it still needs direction, judgement, and heart. Because while AI can help us work faster, it can’t yet help us care – and that, ultimately, is what makes great content connect.

Offering a snapshot into how we use AI at The Bigger Boat, this article explores how technological efficiency and trusted expertise can blend to form a content-creating powerhouse.

Beyond the shiny tools: what AI can (and can’t) do

When used strategically, AI tools for writers can genuinely elevate the creative process. They’re excellent for digesting lengthy reports, suggesting outlines, or identifying topical trends in seconds – the kind of groundwork that helps content teams move from idea to insight more efficiently.

At The Bigger Boat, our writers typically use AI for:

• Researching and summarising – distilling complex information into digestible nuggets that make it easier to understand and reframe ideas.

• Ideation and theme building – exploring new angles, creative directions, or helpful sources during early brainstorming.

• Structure support – suggesting campaign frameworks before the deep-dive writing begins.

This is where using AI in content creation can really shine. It speeds up the scaffolding stage, freeing us to spend more time where it matters: refining the message, shaping the emotion, and building trust through tone.

However, that same convenience can often be a trap. AI is confident – sometimes too confident – and without human oversight, it can make content sound polished yet hollow. After all, machines don’t understand nuance, emotion, or audience awareness. They don’t know when a pause is more persuasive than another adjective. And they don’t know the golden nuggets of information your client just told you on a briefing call. Most importantly, AI tools can’t demonstrate lived experience or professional expertise – the very qualities that give content its credibility. Readers and search engines alike are seeking signs of real-world knowledge and authority – more so now than ever, in the sea of AI voices. That’s why firsthand human insight is essential to every piece we publish.

Not to mention, AI tools can also be downright inaccurate. They hallucin­ate facts, muddle dates, and even misattribute quotes. Sometimes, they’ll confidently assert a percentage or trend that doesn’t exist, or introduce subtle errors that undermine credibility. Left unchecked, those mistakes damage trust, mislead readers, and can create compliance or reputational risk for clients. So, whether it’s a gripping statistic or stray punctuation, absolutely everything must be cross-checked for completeness.

The role of AI in content creation: co-pilot, not captain

The real secret isn’t avoiding generative technology, but knowing how to use AI for copywriting without losing the human spark. Think of it like autopilot: helpful when the route is clear, but only effective if a skilled pilot is still steering.

Our approach at The Bigger Boat is simple:

1. Start with intent. Every brief begins with a clear business objective and purpose. How will this serve our audience, and how will it be achieved within the brand tone?

2. Use AI for support, not storytelling. We might ask it to summarise a topic, or source examples, but never to write the final draft. That’s our job.

3. Edit with expertise. We refine every piece of content through a distinctly human lens, channelling emotion, rhythm, flow, and truth. We’ll also consider the purpose and main objective of a piece, following Google’s E-E-A-T principles for authoritative digital writing.

4. Rely on lived experience. Whether it’s our PR specialists drawing on journalistic relationships or our copywriters referencing past campaigns, we ground every message in genuine experience – something no model can imitate.

Remember: the role of AI in content creation isn’t to write for us – it’s to empower us to write at our best, while creating efficiencies that let us focus on the fun and finicky bits only humans can master.

Why trust is the foundation of all great content

Whether you’re a brand speaking to customers or a PR professional pitching stories to journalists, trust is everything. And that trust is built through tone, experience, and emotional intelligence – all qualities that require a human touch.

Our PR team knows this instinctively. A journalist doesn’t only want the facts – they want to feel confident that the person behind the words understands their publication’s audience, purpose, and the subtle art of timing. Even the smartest algorithm can’t replicate this. No AI tool can gauge when humour might land well in a subject line, follow up on the direct request a journalist sent last week, or tailor a pitch to suit news that landed mere minutes ago. Those choices rely on experience, relationships, a laser-focused eye, and compelling (human) writing.

That’s also why we place so much emphasis on authority – not in the sense of hierarchy, but of earned trust. When your audience believes in your expertise, your content becomes genuine guidance they seek out specifically. The same goes for journalists. In a time of increased scepticism, PRs are now actively being blacklisted for providing impersonal content suspected of being generated by AI. So, those who build authentic relationships, tailor their angles with expert insight, and pitch ideas with true relevance are the ones who land coverage time and again.

How generative AI can be helpful in content creation

So, how can generative AI be helpful in content creation? It depends entirely on the hands it’s in. A skilled writer will use it to gather insights, save time, and cross-check ideas. But without that creative anchor, the result risks being generic, repetitive, or even inaccurate. We’ve all seen it: blog posts that say everything and nothing at once, press releases that sound like templated sends, and marketing copy that could belong to any brand. That’s what happens when AI is left to write without intent.

As we explored in How to stand out in a sea of AI brand voices, the brands that will thrive are those that protect their individuality. Your tone of voice is your fingerprint – and no AI model can truly emulate it.

The balance between data and instinct

AI has supercharged access to information, but it hasn’t mastered interpretation. It can tell us what people are searching for – but not why they care. That’s where human intuition takes over.

We believe the best content marries data with empathy: the logic of insight with the creativity of experience. It’s this duality of machine efficiency and human artistry that keeps our content not just relevant, but truly resonant.

Writing for people instead of platforms

The danger of over-automation is that brands start writing purely to get frequent content out there for audiences. It’s easy to forget that behind every click, like, and share is a person – one who can tell when a message was written with care, and when it was churned out to fill a tick-box calendar.

At The Bigger Boat, our golden rule is this: if the content doesn’t sound like a conversation that shows we understand our audience, it’s not ready to publish. That means we question everything AI suggests, adapt every idea to fit the brand’s voice, and always keep storytelling at the heart.

Charting a course that keeps it real

As AI continues to evolve, it will undoubtedly reshape how we work. But the one thing that won’t change is the value of trust, tone, and emotional authenticity. Those will always belong to people.

So yes, embrace AI. Use it to save time in the exploratory stages and treat it as an intellectual peer who’s read more books than you. But remember, while technology might help you write faster, only human expertise can make your words truly mean something.