Kim Salem-Jackson is EVP & CMO of Akamai.
I tell my marketing organization every single day: "Use AI. Experiment. Automate the mundane." I want them to be the most AI-savvy marketing organization on the planet.
But lately, I’ve found myself staring at a blinking cursor, fighting a new kind of "writer's block." It isn't that I don't have anything to say; it’s that the AI is too eager to say it for me.
The Efficiency Trap
We’ve all been there. You have a raw, half-baked thought. You plug it into an LLM to "clean it up." It comes back polished, professional and grammatically perfect.
But as I read the output, I often realize: That isn’t me. The AI has sanded down my edges. It took my "hot take" and turned it into a "lukewarm consensus." It removed the edgy metaphors I like, the perspective I’ve learned over 20 years in tech and the "real speak" that defines my leadership style.
My personal struggle is simply the tip of an iceberg that is fundamentally shifting consumer trust across the digital landscape. The issue is less about what the technology can do and more about how it dilutes a brand’s credibility and alignment of its true role in the market.
This isn't just a gut feeling; the data shows a massive shift in consumer behavior. Consumers are actively seeking out human connection. Just look at social media, and the sudden obsession with '90s and 2016 nostalgia. Polaroid cameras and vinyl records are a clear signal that people are craving real connections over AI polish.
According to the Ogilvy 2026 Influencer Trends Report, as AI-generated content floods public feeds—with a staggering 1.3 billion AI videos already on TikTok—trust is migrating to private, human-led spaces like Discord and WhatsApp. The impact is measurable: 55% of users now prefer to engage with these curated online spaces, a shift that has led to a 20% increase in brand loyalty for brands that get it right.
The message for leaders is clear: Your customers aren’t looking for more content; they are looking for more connection. Real human connection. Nothing will replace authenticity. If you use AI to create a wall of "perfect" content, you are effectively driving your audience into the arms of competitors who aren't afraid to be human.
The true opportunity lies not in pushing the boundaries of AI for novelty but in applying it with intention by reinforcing authenticity, clarity and purpose. As a CMO, this is paramount. The companies that succeed won't just demonstrate what AI can do; they will use it to actively build and sustain trust.
The Authenticity Line: Where To Draw It
Lately, I’ve been thinking, when does AI enhancement cross the line into inauthenticity? After a lot of trial and error, I’ve set operational guardrails for myself that I want to share:
1. You are the pilot; AI is the co-pilot. AI is here to accelerate your work, not to replace your perspective. If the final output doesn't sound like something you’d say over a cup of coffee, it’s AI slop. Rewrite it.
2. Follow the 70/30 rule. Use AI for the 30% of the work as a thought partner, for data analysis or to solve the blank page syndrome. Reserve 70% for the human element: the "why," the core argument and the magic behind your message that is uniquely you.
3. Pass the grit test. AI is designed to be agreeable and "safe." Great marketing is often provocative. If it’s too safe, add your personal skepticism and a "war story." Great marketing has edges, lots of them.
4. Balance analysis and authenticity. Harness AI to identify and analyze data and develop proof points. Reserve your time to tell the real story behind those numbers.
5. Write like a human, not an LLM. Burn the corporate jargon. If you see “tapestry,” “delve into” or “in the rapidly evolving landscape of,” you’re doing it wrong. Write like you talk. Write with simplicity and heart. (Although I must admit I love an em dash, it often screams “AI.”)
Ultimately, the new bar in marketing isn't about how much AI we use, but how intentionally we use it.
The real magic of marketing lives in human friction: our rawness, our unique experiences and our disagreements. An LLM can't replicate that. The real threat isn't that AI will take our jobs; it's that it will erode our edges until we all drown in a sea of sameness.
By embracing our friction, we preserve what matters most to consumers and what AI still can’t replicate: critical thinking, great storytelling and the emotional gut check. In this AI-driven era, your authentic voice isn’t a luxury. It is the last, best form of marketing.
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