In a world that’s about to be flooded with machine-made content and templated visuals, differentiators like taste come into sharp focus
There’s a low-level anxiety running through the creative industry right now about the effect AI might have on our future. Because, if AI can write articles, design layouts and generate images as well as we humans, where does that leave writers, editors and designers?
But I think there’s something about AI that’s uncomfortable for those banking on its future – and reassuring for those of us who are concerned about our industry: AI can produce content, but it can’t produce culture.
In fact, its content is not very good – certainly not good enough for us to use without significant rewrites and edits – at least right now.
Beyond that, it’s worth saying that publishing is more than churning out copy. Its role is to capture the mood, sense what your audience feels and values, and reflect it back to them in a way they relate to. It’s about translating a place, a movement, a brand or a community into authentically human stories.
Terrible taste
And while AI can assemble articles about travel trends, places to stay or wellness habits, it has no taste or sense of discernment. Machines can’t know what to leave in and what to leave out.
The same is true for design. Sure, AI can generate layouts, suggest colour palettes and remix visual trends but design isn’t decoration. A great designer has a feel for psychology; they know how to make something look good but also how it makes you feel. At Salt, when creating something, we’re always asking ourselves ‘does it give us the feels?’.
In a world that’s about to be flooded with competent, frictionless content and templated visuals, the differentiators come into sharper focus. These are: emotional depth, critical thinking, nuance, editorial judgment and cultural awareness.
Concentrated flavours
The future of publishing doesn’t belong to those who compete with AI on speed, it belongs to those who can create genuine connection. That’s why we believe that, for creatives and publishers, the opportunity isn’t shrinking, but it is concentrating.
The more generic content the world produces, the more valuable distinct perspectives, real feeling and authenticity become. It’s an opportunity to hold fast to the importance of using human craft and understanding to create publications that make people feel what it is to be human and to live in this world.
