AI Isn’t the Problem. Expecting It to Be You Is.

Ad | I’m an Adobe Express Ambassador. I haven’t been asked to write this blog post, but I wanted to share it because I genuinely think this is how we should all be using AI. You might have seen the post I did about this on Instagram.

I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of AI slop.

AI is getting a LOT of stick on social media at the moment. And if I’m honest, quite a lot of it is deserved. I say this as a user, a hater, and an Adobe Express Ambassador who’s about to talk to you about using AI in your work!

You’ve seen the posters. The ones that look exactly like everyone else’s. Same glossy finish, same strange little details, same font, same assault on the senses, same feeling that nobody really made this.

And the copy. Copy that’s clearly been written by AI and not even checked by the human sharing it.

It does nothing for the brand or business using it. If anything, it does the opposite. I know of (and, ok, I am one of these people!) who have unfollowed brands for horrible AI posters and AI generated copy. Why? Because if they care that little about their marketing and brand, why do I think they might care about me?

I’m not anti AI. Far from it.

I use AI a lot. For the things it can do better and faster than me, it’s brilliant.

But I don’t think the problem is AI.

I think the problem is expecting AI to be you.

AI is your assistant, not your replacement

Here’s how I see it. AI is an awesome assistant. He (yes, I always say he, I use Claude a lot and I feel he’s a he…) can get you a really long way there.

But the input has to come from you at the start, and the polishing has to be you at the end. His job isn’t to be you. That’s yours.

Let AI do the heavy lifting. The things that can be automated, the things it’s faster at. Then you bring your touch, your taste and your brilliance to perfect it.

That’s your 10%. And that 10% makes all the difference.

How it works in real life

To show you what I mean, I used the Generate with AI function in Adobe Express to create a presentation, all about how humans and AI can work in harmony. (I know, genius, right?!)

Step 1: The idea comes from me

Here’s the prompt I wrote:

“I want to make a presentation that explains how human and AI can work in harmony. What we can use AI for, but also why that extra 10% from the human makes the difference… can you help?”

Notice it’s my idea, my angle and my message. AI didn’t decide what this presentation was about. I did.

Step 2: AI does the heavy lifting

I selected a design, and then it did the work. It wrote an outline, put what I wanted on each page, laid everything out and added the design elements.

Honestly? This is the bit that would usually eat up an afternoon. It takes a lot of time, but it doesn’t need my skills. I’m not a designer, and putting together a presentation like this would take me literally hours.

Step 3: My time to shine

Once it’s done the heavy lifting, that’s when I get my time to shine.

I changed the design so it reflected my own brand kit, with my colours and my fonts. I tweaked the wording so it actually sounded like me.

Then I went through and customised everything. I read every word. I looked at every graphic and every image. I made sure it fully reflected me.

 

Yes, it used my prompt and my guidance. But at the end of the day, it’s got to reflect me. Because it’s what I want to be sharing, and it’s what I’m teaching.

What AI actually gave me

Time.

It saved me SO much time on the bits that usually eat up an afternoon. Which meant more time for the bits only I can do. The thinking, the tweaking, making it actually sound and look like me.

That’s the sweet spot. Not handing it all over. Using it to speed things up, so you have time to do your best work, and get more done than you could in the same time on your own.

How to use AI without losing your brand

If you want to try this yourself, here’s what I’d keep in mind:

1. Start with your idea. Give AI a clear brief with your angle, not a blank “make me a poster.”
2. Give it your guidance. Your brand kit, your notes, your examples. The more of you that goes in, the more of you comes out.
3. Let it do the heavy lifting. Layouts, first drafts, the time-consuming bits that don’t need your skill.
4. Bring your 10%. Your colours, your fonts, your words, your taste.
5. Read everything before you share it. Every word, every graphic, every image. If it doesn’t sound like you, it isn’t finished.

It shouldn’t be you OR AI

It should be you AND AI.

The taste, the knowledge, the finesse, the edits? They come from you. That’s where the magic happens.

AI should never replace you. It should be an able assistant that helps you shine. And that’s exactly what so many people are getting wrong at the moment.

If you fancy giving it a go, try Adobe Express. Start with your idea, let AI do some of the heavy lifting, then make it yours.

So, where do you sit with AI at the moment? Love it, hate it, or somewhere in the middle?

Want help making your marketing sound like you, AI or no AI? Join me every Friday in the Small & Supercharged Mastermind, the equestrian and country business community.