ChatGPT is already two and a half. The model should now be able to eat with a spoon, scribble on paper, and turn the pages in a book.In marketing circles, it feels like we’ve been using it forever.
My relationship has pretty much grown from skeptical curiosity to daily dependency.
But lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about where we should draw the line. What work should remain distinctly human?
You can blame it on Jay Clouse.
He recently shared a thoughtful list about the work he won’t outsource to AI. He doesn’t outsource what he enjoys doing, what makes him unique, or what he claims to do personally.
His boundaries got me thinking about my own limits—particularly as someone who helps others communicate more effectively. And I believe it’s good to have a list of non-negotiables you can turn back to.
So here’s my personal list of what I refuse to delegate to AI:
I don’t outsource my strategic thinking to AI.
The ability to connect dots between seemingly unrelated concepts is uniquely human and what my clients value most. AI can connect trends it’s seen before, maybe even challenge some ideas. But it can’t replicate the insight that comes from hands-on experience with diverse marketing challenges.
I don’t let AI draft my initial ideas.
I often use AI for writing. But I bring it on in the later stages only. That’s because I’ve noticed something important: when AI creates the first version of anything, it subtly shapes all subsequent thinking—even if I edit heavily afterward. Our human minds are beautifully suggestible (try not thinking about a pink elephant right now), and once AI suggests a direction, it’s surprisingly difficult to break free from that framework.
I don’t use AI to shortcut the research process.
The insights I gain from diving deep into customer research are often the most valuable part of the journey. When I skip that process, I miss the surprising connections, the contradictions, and the nuances that make messaging truly original. AI gives you the filtered consensus, not the raw material that leads to breakthrough thinking.
I don’t use AI to replicate my voice without first establishing what that voice is.
Voice comes from consistent publishing and the courage to express unpopular opinions. It’s born from the friction of putting your ideas into the world and defending them. AI can mimic a voice that exists, but it can’t create an authentic one for you.
I don’t outsource the experience.
The stories, vulnerabilities, and personal experiences that create genuine connection can’t be synthesized. When I share a difficult moment from my professional journey or an insight that came at a personal cost, that resonance is impossible to fake.
***
Does this mean I don’t use AI at all?
Absolutely not.
AI has become an invaluable partner, generating multiple headline options when I’m stuck, summarizing research notes or long interviews, and uplifting my drafts with copy diting magic.
But as AI capabilities grow, the value of genuine human expertise, insight, and connection will only increase. The future belongs not to those who can prompt AI most effectively, but to those who understand what work should remain distinctly, proudly human.
Boundaries matter,
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🤿 Diving deeper
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