Why Authenticity Is the Next Competitive Advantage

I recently came across a headline that stopped me mid-scroll. ‘AI-generated content has surpassed human content,’ according to a recent analysis by Graphite” (graphite.io). Seven words that hit harder than most campaign headlines.

In my role leading communications across Asia and working closely with global teams at BBDO’s AI & Innovation Council, I’ve seen first hand how quickly the ground is shifting beneath brands. That headline got me thinking. We now have more ways than ever to reach consumers yet trust in what they’re seeing is slipping.

From fake bots leaving product reviews to AI-driven influencers and avatars sharing their “experience” with a product they’ve never used. How could they? They’re not even real. So, when bots and AI can write reviews, simulate influencer and customer personas, or generate ‘community’ content, how do consumers differentiate real authenticity from manufactured credibility?

These raise a fundamental question for every CMO: How do we build brand credibility in a world where anyone, or anything, can pose as “authentic”?

That digital trust dividend is becoming harder to earn.

I’m not opposed to AI. But trust can’t be outsourced. The more our world runs on automation, the more we’ll rely on real human integrity.

The scope of the shift

The study from Graphite found that AI-generated writing passed the 50% mark of newly published web articles late last year (techradar.com). In simpler terms, AI is no longer a novelty. It has become a mainstream creator of content.

But scale doesn’t equal substance. The same data shows that much of this AI-generated content still underperforms in terms of discoverability through search engines. Why?

Because algorithms, audiences and platforms still reward depth, originality and trust, traits that human writing delivers best. One study found that human-written content drove more than five times the traffic of AI-generated posts (neilpatel.com). And when readers suspect content is machine-made, over 50% say they disengage, revealing a widening trust gap between human and automated voices (bynder.com).

These aren’t just statistics. They reveal something fundamental about how people connect with stories. Human storytelling still cuts through the noise. It signals intent, emotion and credibility in ways AI alone can’t replicate. It references nuance, emotional cues and personal stakes, layers that AI struggles to fake.

Search reflects it too: Google explicitly highlights first-hand expertise and author credibility as key quality signals in its ranking systems (developers.google.com).
And in a content landscape where sameness is multiplying, authentic human voice becomes a competitive advantage.

Where this is heading

If AI-generated content continues to outnumber human content, the digital landscape will not just evolve. It will transform. And I believe we’re already seeing the early signs. Consumers are starting to question what’s real. Reviews don’t hold the same weight. Influencers face sharper scepticism. And the brand loyalty that once felt unshakable now hangs by a thread.

To me, this isn’t just a marketing issue. It’s a trust infrastructure shift. The internet was built to connect information, not to verify it. For CMOs and brand leaders, the question is changing. It’s no longer “How do we tell a story?” and “How do we connect that story with our consumer?” It’s “How do we prove what we say is true...and human?”

Consider the data: over 71% of consumers admit they worry about trusting what they see because of AI-driven content (quirks.com). Adobe’s research shows 90% of people want attribution details to know if content is genuine (adobe.com) And more than half say they’d disengage if they suspected a piece of content was machine-made (bynder.com).

Three signals to take note of

1. From influence to proof

For consumers, trust has always been at the heart of influence. Believing the person on the other end is real, someone who’s actually tried the product, lived the experience, felt the moment. But now, AI can be the influencer, the reviewer, the voice behind “authentic” recommendations.

And when people can’t tell what’s real, trust starts to crack. For brands and CMOs, this means proof can’t be a nice-to-have. It has to be built in from the start. Who said it, how it happened, where it came from, that context matters more than ever. If you can’t show it, people won’t believe it. And once trust slips, reach won’t save you.

Proof will speak louder than promotion.

2. Write for humans, not the machines, but pass the AI gate first

SEO still matters, keywords, link equity, structured data. But here’s the reality. AI-generated content already accounts for more than half of all newly published articles online, according to Graphite. And yet, the same data shows most of this content performs poorly in search.

Why? Because algorithms and audiences still reward signals that can’t be faked at scale: real experiences, named authors, verified sources, lived perspectives, not algorithm-optimised fluff. Google’s own Search documentation highlights that content demonstrating first-hand expertise and depth of knowledge is a key quality signal in its ranking systems (developers.google.com).

Independent reporting has also pointed to the role of author and publisher entities in how search engines assess credibility (searchengineland.com).

But here’s the deeper truth. In search today, content doesn’t just need to win the human. It has to pass the AI first. Before a single article, page or product ever reaches someone’s screen, it’s already been scanned, summarised, scored and filtered by algorithms. The AI eye decides what’s visible and what disappears. And if your content doesn’t meet what the algorithms favour, it may never make it to human eyes at all.

In a web saturated with machine-made noise, these trust signals aren’t just a ranking factor. They’re the new gatekeeper.

Anyone can publish. Not everyone will be surfaced. And fewer still will be believed.

3. Let AI co-pilot, don’t hand it the wheel

AI offers scale. Faster drafts, concept iterations, automated targeting insights. But the risk is doing too much automation and losing the heartbeat of the work. Our role as creatives, digital marketers and CMOs is evolving. We need to bring the human touch back in. It's been said before, but that means prompt engineering with real context, layering emotional insight, ensuring outputs are reviewed and refined by humans. It also means building frameworks that signal transparency.

Clarity is the new trust signal.

Looking forward

I can envision a future where trust isn’t assumed, it’s verified. A digital stamp proving the human authenticity of the brand, the product, the content you’re reading and seeing. A universal authenticity mark that signals the human in a synthetic world.

This isn’t about resisting the future. It’s about shaping it. Getting ahead of the curve. Building systems that keep humanity at the centre of creativity and content. Because if trust is going to be harder to earn in the years ahead, we need to protect it before it’s gone.

So the challenge becomes: how do we maintain trust, cultivate it, and stay true and human with one another?

In the end, the future of brand building won’t just be about being seen. It will be about being believed. As AI floods the web, the human-centred, credible, well-told story won’t just be valuable, it will be a brand’s most powerful strategic asset.

When truth itself becomes blurry, where will trust live?