Remember when social media felt like the Wild West and every new platform promised overnight reach? Matt Michaelree lived that era from the inside—first persuading voters, then customers. On this episode of the Business Schooled Podcast he explains why today’s inflection point, generative AI, is every bit as seismic as the arrival of the iPhone. But the winners this time around won’t be the brands that pump out the most content. They’ll be the ones that stay unmistakably human.
Automation Is Table Stakes—Originality Is the Differentiator
Large‑language models now spin up ad copy, bids, and first‑draft blogs in seconds. Great: let them. Offloading drudge work gives marketers back the scarcest commodity—time to think. Use it to sharpen your insight into what customers truly care about and to craft narratives no prompt can imitate.
Trust Beats Traffic
Search engines are drowning in generic AI prose. Customers notice. In PwC’s latest survey, 60 percent say they distrust AI‑generated content, while 80 percent buy only from brands they trust. Authentic stories—customer wins, employee perspectives, founder takes—cut through the noise and signal that real people stand behind the promise.
Build Your AI Skill Stack
- AI Literacy: Know how models work, where they fail, and how to audit their outputs.
- Data Fluency: Interpret performance signals and turn them into strategic actions.
- Creative Courage: Use insights, not shortcuts, to create memorable hooks, visuals, and experiences. Continuous micro‑learning—certificates, sandbox projects, peer demos—keeps skills fresh in a field where half‑lives are measured in months.
Lead the Change—or Chase It
Executives can’t outsource this revolution. Set clear usage policies, champion ethical data practices, and sponsor hands‑on workshops where teams experiment safely. When marketers see senior leaders getting their digital hands dirty, a culture of responsible innovation follows.
The Bottom Line
Generative AI is neither a magic wand nor a death knell for marketing careers. It’s a power tool. Brands that pair its speed with human originality will earn attention—and trust—while everyone else fights for visibility in an ocean of sameness. Your move.
