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"There is definitely a lane for this. Al backlash is real, and unpolished now stands out (although UGC has been demonstrating this for years, itself a victim of sameness).
I think we're seeing the high waterline for the Al rush and hopefully things will recede into more thoughtful use of it, away from overuse and slop. Al can produce amazing things, but only if we take the time and effort to use it properly." — Valerie Mars, Aug 2026

"I think you hit the nail on the head.
Differentiation is going to be key in an age of mass produced creative.
The ones with the most distinct vision and taste are going to stand out amongst the clones. That's not to omit Al from the process, but to not omit the human. And not omit
'the process'." — Valerie Mars, June 2026

That's the truth about any of this. Al alone won't produce high quality work, no matter what it is. It requires a human with taste and sensibilities and vision to guide the tool, curate the inputs and the output - otherwise you get slop. A lot of people are 100% okay with slop, but those of us with taste and skill will eclipse them once the fascination with
"quick and cheap" subsides.

© 2026 Amethyst Mountain — Digital marketing strategy and creative — Birmingham, Alabama. All rights reserved.

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