Nov 5, 2025
I’m seeing more and more founders fall into the quiet trap that is AI. They hear of its wonders, or may already be familiar with them, and think ‘I’ll give ChatGPT my idea and let it flesh it out’.
They type in everything they want their brand to be - even if it includes nine contradictory thoughts - and when it comes back, it sounds impressive. It uses words like “empower,” “authentic,” “timeless.” and talks about elevating, inspiring, transforming. They think ‘brilliant, this says everything I wanted” and run with it.
Except when you read it with a critical eye - you realise that it says a lot, and means very little.
This is the hidden risk of outsourcing your brand language to AI without the right foundations in place. If you don’t have clarity on what your brand stands for, how your product fits into people’s lives, or what your customer needs to hear in order to trust you - then the machine can’t guess that for you.
And what you’ll be left with is content that sounds beautiful, but says nothing.
You can’t skip the thinking part
The problem isn’t the tool because AI can be a brilliant assistant - if you give it the right direction, but when you’re unclear on your strategy, or your messaging, or your audience’s priorities, you’re handing it a puzzle with missing pieces. And it will still complete it just not in a way that’s accurate or useful.
You won’t know to question what’s wrong, because you haven’t yet defined what “right” looks like for your brand. Or you won’t know what to question, because you’re lacking the foundational expertise behind what makes a strategy work.
This is why so many AI-written websites are full of abstract claims and vague copy. They read like a poem about potential but they don’t tell anyone what the product actually is, what it does, or why they should care.
And in an attention economy, that’s fatal.
Clarity isn’t optional — it’s commercial
If a potential customer lands on your homepage and can’t immediately tell what you sell, they’re not going to dig around for answers. They’ll leave.
Your language has to work hard especially at the first touchpoint. It needs to be clear, specific, and rooted in what your audience values. If you’re selling a product that solves a practical problem, your copy should reflect that. If you’re selling a feeling or a lifestyle, you still need to ground that in tangible outcomes.
Abstract words might feel aspirational to you but if they leave your customer confused, they’re not doing their job.
You need the substance before you can get the style
Before you brief AI, you need to brief yourself. Ask:
What problem am I solving?
What role does this product play in someone’s life?
What kind of language does my audience actually use?
What makes my brand different?
When you’ve got those answers clearly articulated, then AI can help you scale it - turning strong thinking into clean, effective copy. But if you’re using AI to replace thinking, rather than to enhance it, you’ll end up with writing that sounds good to you and says nothing to anyone else.
Key takeaway for founders and marketers:AI can assist your content creation but it can’t define your brand. If your homepage is filled with abstract phrases and vague benefits, it’s not inspiring your audience. It’s losing them. The clearer your thinking, the stronger your writing. Use AI after you’ve done the work - not instead of it.