Bad content is a 'solved problem,' says HubSpot VP of product AI

The prediction: Bad content has become a “solved problem,” according to HubSpot vice president of product AI Nicholas Holland, who notes that advances in search engines and email systems are able to effectively filter low-quality material, whether human or AI-generated.

Rethinking everything: The rise of AI in content creation is forcing businesses to rethink how they develop material to ensure it lands properly.

• The bar for effective content marketing continues to rise as platforms refine their quality detection capabilities. Search engines are increasingly sophisticated at identifying and prioritizing high-quality content that best answers user queries, Holland argues.
• Email engagement serves as a natural filtering system, with low-quality senders receiving diminished visibility—AI or not.
• Simply producing more content faster with AI won't improve results without corresponding quality improvements. Poor quality content consistently generates low engagement metrics, regardless of how quickly it's produced.

Why it matters: Recent research reveals a growing trust gap between AI content creators and their audiences.

• Adobe's research shows B2B tech marketers are acutely aware of these challenges, with 55% citing quality and customer trust as their top concern in managing AI-generated content, followed closely by content monitoring at 53%.
• Consumer skepticism remains high, with 65% of US adults feeling uncomfortable with AI-generated content in ads, suggesting businesses must be transparent about their AI usage.
• This challenge is particularly pressing since 56% of global internet users worry AI will reduce content trustworthiness, with concerns consistent across age groups (54% to 59%), per EY research.

Strategic implications:

• Companies must reinvest time saved by AI into deeper research and unique perspectives.
• Success metrics are shifting from output volume to engagement and quality metrics.
• Small and medium-size businesses need to focus on developing original insights rather than basic SEO practices.

Best practices: There’s a right and wrong way to use AI in content strategy.

• Organizations should use AI to handle mechanical aspects of content creation, like research and drafting.
• Freed resources should be directed toward developing unique viewpoints and conducting original research.
• As Holland notes: “If you carve out some of that time you got back for more research, a perspective, a better voice, you pull in some other insights that are unique— that's where we're seeing success.”

Our take: While AI makes content creation more accessible, it won't fundamentally change what drives success in content marketing.

• As search and distribution platforms continue refining their ability to identify quality content, businesses that simply use AI to increase output will likely struggle.
• That said, this evolution represents an opportunity: Organizations that leverage AI's efficiency to invest more heavily in creating truly valuable, unique insights for their audiences will find themselves well-positioned in this new landscape.