The Competitive Advantage of Not Using AI
Would you really want to hire a freelancer or agency that heavily used AI? What if it's not all it's cracked up to be after all? Could there be a rising demand in clients not wanting anything to do with AI?
These thoughts follow a rather interesting episode of the Marketing Meetup podcast. The title was AI and the Law. The general message I came away with was that it's a lot more hassle than it's worth.
Ryan Lisk from Hybrid Legal joins us to talk about the legal side of what marketers need to know about using AI in your work. There’s a consensus in marketing that “everyone’s using AI”. Whether that’s the case or not, we do all need to be aware of the potential legal impact of using AI. Especially with client work.
Legal implications aside, I'm also seeing a fairly dramatic backlash against AI. Not about the technology in general, but how it's being implemented into absolutely everything. Often at the sacrifice of what users actually want. This was particularly evident at Adobe Max 2025.
No AI will be used in the final work
It's difficult to imagine a world without ChatGPT or image generation tools now. These are here to stay. That said, there needs to be a clear definition of what's acceptable when it comes to working with clients and customers. Where you draw the line is ultimately how a business could start leveraging its positioning as a strong selling point.
A guarantee, of some sorts, that no AI will be used in the final work. I know I'd be happy with that. Additionally, I'd even be drawn towards a freelancer, company or brand that includes this as one of their values.
A strong guideline is that if you feel that any reasonable viewer of your photography would feel deceived if you told them how you had created your photograph, then you've crossed the line.
But you'll fall behind
It's unbelievable how quickly this common misconception has spread across the business world. Well paying clients will always require high-quality results. As it stands, this can rarely (if at all) be achieved with AI.
Again, I'm starting to think that instead of falling behind, not using AI in your final work is nothing other than a competitive advantage. The quality of the work, copyright and intellectual property rights are just a few of the areas that will benefit.
Failure to secure AI systems can lead to data breaches, which could damage the company’s reputation and erode customer trust.
Slower, calmer, better
Lastly, I really can't stand the 10X productivity mindset that AI has inflicted on businesses. If everyone is getting ten times as many tasks completed, ten times quicker, then we're simply going to run out of work. Furthermore, minds will be frazzled, and the quality will be much worse than it could potentially have turned out. What a chaotic mess.
A slower, calmer approach to any creative work leads to infinitely better results. I don't know about you, but my brain quickly enters shutdown mode as soon as things start cranking up to a rapid pace.
Carefully considered, well-thought-out creativity improves the outcome for both the freelancer or agency, as well as the client.
No respectable business wants to pay for generic artwork or copy. Maybe this is where the opportunity lies; a guarantee that no AI will be used in the final work. Who knows? I guess we'll see how it all pans out over the next year. For the moment, at least, I think it could certainly be used as a selling point to clients who require exceptional standards.
