From Manual Cars to AI: Embracing the Next Big Thing in Content. This is a light hearted look at some of the changes over a few short years
Post by Peter Hanley coachhanley.com
I was chatting with a couple of fellow bloggers, Roy and the crew over at Wealthy Affiliate, and the conversation turned to original content. It got me thinking about how much has changed. These days, I write the core of a piece myself, but I’ll often run it through an AI to add that professional polish. Yet, most of my final content is actually written by AI, carefully guided by my own instructions.
Roy, in his wisdom, was talking about something deeper: the power of telling your story. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Sharing the real you with your audience so they feel a genuine connection. This idea hit me hard, especially during one of those classic 2 a.m. thinking sessions where everything becomes crystal clear. It took me on a journey, not just about content creation, but about all the things we’ve given up because something better came along.
A Walk Down Memory Lane
Remember when getting a new car meant choosing between a manual or an automatic? I know many will disagree, but for me, the automatic was a no-brainer. Much like how air conditioning is far superior to driving with two windows down, which is probably why my right arm is still sun-damaged from resting it on the window sill for years.
The world was just…different. We used to navigate with bulky road maps that needed to be renewed every year, relying on a trusted passenger—the navigator—to shout directions. I’d usually drive with a cigarette hanging from the corner of my mouth, and we’d measure long distances by the number of beers we could drink when we finally arrived (it’s a big country, after all). We’d even cover those lovely fake leather seats with clear plastic to keep them pristine. And who could forget the monthly oil change? Only the old-timers will remember that one; now, you’re lucky if you need one every two years.
These were the staples of our lives, the accepted ways of doing things. We couldn’t imagine a different way, just as many now struggle to imagine a world where AI is a common, creative partner.
The Nay-Sayers of the Past
Our history is littered with brilliant ideas that were initially dismissed as passing fads. When Google first appeared, the collective wisdom was that it would never last because it was all free. We echoed the same sentiment about a crazy bookseller called Amazon. “What are those high school kids doing on that new thing called Facebook?” we’d ask, certain it was another fleeting trend.
I recall having countless conversations with people who called the electric car a gimmick. Yet, here we are, just a few short years later, with every major car manufacturer pushing out electric vehicles. What was once a pipe dream is now the norm. And I haven’t even mentioned the smartphone, a device that has completely reshaped our lives, or Bluetooth, which connects devices by what seems like pure magic.
My point is simple: history has a habit of repeating itself. The things we resist often become the very things that define our future.
AI Isn’t Going Anywhere
All of these examples, from automatic cars to smartphones, share a common theme: they were technological shifts that were met with skepticism before becoming indispensable. AI is no different. It isn’t going to disappear; it’s only going to get better. It’s the new automatic transmission—a tool that makes the journey of content creation smoother, more efficient, and more professional.
Just as we learned to stop using paper maps and embraced GPS, it’s time to stop resisting AI and start learning to manage it. The real magic happens when you leverage AI not to replace you, but to amplify your voice. You feed it your personal stories, your hurdles, and your hard-won wisdom, and it helps you craft them into powerful, professional content.
Your stories—the good, the bad, and the ugly—are what make your content unique. AI is simply the tool that helps you tell them in a way that resonates with a wider audience. So, embrace it, learn its quirks, and have it work for you. After all, the destination is still yours, but the journey just got a whole lot more exciting.
There is one guy that teaches this and shows you the way to better content, it’s worth a look