Why Not Just Use AI?

What AI Gets Wrong About Email Copywriting

When Excel launched, people said it would replace analysts. When Photoshop arrived, designers were supposedly done for. Now everyone thinks AI will replace copywriters.

But wait a second… AI is different, right? AI is smart, it can think, sometimes I feel like it even feels? That’s right… right?

Grab your strong coffee and read this with us. Enjoy.

Let’s address the elephant in the room.

You’re running a personal brand. You’re busy. You’ve got coaching calls to run, content to create, programs to build. And now you can ask ChatGPT to write your emails in about 30 seconds.

So why would you hire a human copywriter when AI can do the job faster, cheaper (basically for free), and without needing coffee breaks?

It’s a fair question. And if we’re being honest, there are situations where AI-generated copy works just fine.

If you need a quick product description, for example, or a basic FAQ answer…

AI can handle that for sure.

But here’s what we’ve learned from our experience:

The stuff that actually moves people…

The emails they remember, screenshot, and forward to friends…

The ones that make them warm, laugh, or cry…

Those are not coming from AI anytime soon.

You know what…

There’s one wrong idea about email that drives me crazy every time someone says it.

It probably exists because email is so good at converting.

The idea goes like this:

“Email isn’t for relationships, email is just for selling.”

But the truth is…

Email is actually one of the best communication channels to build a deep emotional connection with your audience. Even better than social media.

Because social media is one-to-many, but email is one-to-one.

Even though everyone knows brand emails aren’t sent to just one person, when it’s done right, it feels that way

If feels like it was written just for them.

That kind of intimacy is what builds deep emotional connection.

And that intimacy is exactly what AI-generated copy can’t create.

Yes, AI Is Impressive (We Use It Too)

Before we go any further, let’s be clear…

We’re not anti-AI.

We actually use it regularly.

Because AI is really useful when it comes to:

- - Generating initial ideas when you’re staring at a blank screen
  - Speeding up research by summarizing information quickly
  - Creating first drafts that give you something to work from
  - Handling repetitive tasks like reformatting or basic editing
  - Analyzing data to spot patterns and trends

For these tasks, AI is a game-changer. It saves hours. It makes the work more efficient.

However…

When it comes to writing copy that moves people.

AI can write words that sound right.

But only humans can write words that feel right.

Read that again.

And let it sink in.

What AI Can't Do (And Probably Never Will)

Here’s the uncomfortable truth that nobody in the “AI will replace everyone” crowd wants to talk about:

“AI doesn’t understand what it’s saying.”

It’s pattern-matching at an incredibly sophisticated level. It’s predicting what word should come next based on billions of examples.

But it’s not thinking.

It’s not feeling.

It’s not connecting with your reader on a human level.

Let us show you what we mean.

The Brand Voice Problem

Your personal brand isn’t just what you say. It’s also how you say it.

The turns of phrase that are uniquely yours.

The way you pause for emphasis.

The specific examples you choose.

The inside jokes with your audience.

AI can mimic a writing style, but it can’t capture your essence.

We’ve seen this play out dozens of times. A personal brand tries to write their emails with AI.

The grammar is perfect. The structure is solid.

But something feels…off.

Generic…Like it could be anyone talking.

Because AI doesn’t know you.

It doesn’t know your values,

It doesn’t know what makes you angry or inspired or passionate.

And without that knowledge, it can’t write emails that truly sound like you, even if you feed it all the context in the world.

Because it’s still pulling from formulas and examples in its database.

So even when it tells your story, it still feels like your story told by AI.

The Emotional Depth Problem

Let’s do a quick experiment here.

Read these two versions of the same email opening:

Version A (AI-generated):

“Imagine walking toward the beach with the sun’s first light gently warming your face as you step onto the soft, golden sand.
You feel the stress of daily life melt away as the rhythmic sound of waves creates a soothing rhythm. The water invites you to take a refreshing dip, offering a moment of escape from the heat and a chance to float under the warm sun.”

Version B (Human-written):

“Ahhh, beach day. It’s only 11 AM, but the sun is already wrapping you in its warm embrace, like it knows exactly what you need.
You wriggle your toes into the soft, golden sand. It’s warm, inviting, just like you imagined. Wow, the power of the beach is indescribable.
As you lie down on your sunbed, instant relaxation flows over you like a wave. And just like that, the world slows down…
The only things that matter right now are the gentle sounds of the waves and the warmth of the sun.”

Do you feel the difference?

Version A is accurate. It’s clear. It checks all the boxes. But it doesn’t make you feel anything.

Version B puts you in a specific moment. It articulates feelings you’ve had before. It moves you from where you are now to where the writer wants you to be. The beach, with them.

That’s what human copywriters do. We tap into shared emotional experiences that create genuine connection.

AI can describe emotions. But it can’t make you feel them. Because it’s never felt them itself.

The Storytelling Gap

Here’s something we’ve noticed…

AI-generated content tends to sound like… well, like AI generated it.

You can spot it from a mile away.

The overly formal tone.

The lack of natural rhythm.

The tendency to explain everything instead of showing it.

And the most obvious one…

The complete absence of personality.

Stories are what make emails memorable.

And AI in storytelling is… not bad, but… well, not good.

Because good storytelling requires…

- - Knowing what details to include and what to leave out (AI wants to include everything)
  - Understanding narrative tension
  - Choosing the perfect moment to reveal information
  - Sensing when to be vulnerable and when to be confident (emotional intelligence AI doesn’t have)
  - Making surprising connections between seemingly unrelated ideas

Let’s look at a real example from an email written for a business coach:

“I’m a firm believer that “success” basically boils down to…
How willing are you to look stupid? How willing are you to be embarrassed? How willing are you to fail?
That’s really what it’s about.
Case in point…
When I was 20, I tried to make money as a poker affiliate. This was when online poker was booming, and all the big poker sites would pay you $100–$200 if you sent them a new player.
So I dove in as an affiliate. I was putting in 4–5 hours a day building my website. I was scouring forums, learning about SEO. I was reading every blog post I could find to get an edge. But despite all the effort I was putting in, I wasn’t making any money.
On a good month, I’d make like $100 or $200. So I was working a lot for very little money. None of the people around me could understand it. My mom said I was wasting my time. My friends constantly made fun of me. Hell, I remember one of my buddies introducing me to a girl at a party saying, “If you want a guy who’s glued to his laptop all day and makes $2 an hour, this is your guy.”
That was a rough one. But despite all the teasing and all the failure I had to go through, I simply kept going. To me, this is the crux of what it takes to be successful. You have to be OK with failing. You have to be OK with people ridiculing you. You have to be OK with being embarrassed.
Because all that stuff is going to happen. And you can’t avoid it. So instead of doing nothing in life, you simply have to accept the fact that you’re going to fail. You’re going to be criticized. And you’ll probably be embarrassed. But you still have to keep pushing forward.
That’s the key. Most people aren’t willing to do that. But if you are, then you have a good chance of being successful.
So keep that in mind…”

It looks really simple, right? Very simple story. AI can write that for sure… right?

Maybe it could generate something structurally similar if you gave it extremely detailed prompts.

But would it know to use that story to make a point about “success and the willingness to accept embarrassment”?

Would it understand the emotional resonance of a mother calling her son a failure?

Would it know when to pause and let the point land?

No.

Because storytelling isn’t just about stringing words together.

It’s about understanding what moves people.

The "Good Enough" Trap

Here’s where things get dangerous.

AI-generated copy is often “good enough.”

It’s clear. It’s coherent. It gets the basic point across.

And when you’re busy (which you always are), “good enough” is tempting.

But “good enough” is how your personal brand becomes forgettable.

Think about the emails you actually look forward to receiving.

The ones you open immediately. The ones you read completely. The ones you think about later.

Are they “good enough”?

Or are they exceptional, surprising, distinctly human?

Your audience is drowning in “good enough” content. AI is making it easier than ever to pump out mediocre emails at scale.

Which means the bar for standing out is getting higher.

When everyone can generate “good enough” content in 30 seconds, the only way to win is to be genuinely great.

And genuinely great requires human insight, creativity, and emotional intelligence.

What AI + Human Actually Looks Like

We’re not suggesting you avoid AI entirely. In this era, that would be the silliest thing in the world.

The magic happens when AI handles what it’s good at, and humans handle what they’re good at.

In our process, AI helps us:

Brainstorm angle variations when we’re developing a campaign
Research industry trends to inform our strategy
Generate multiple headline options to test
Speed up the editing process by catching typos and inconsistencies
Analyze performance data to see what’s working

But the core creative work that requires understanding your brand, crafting your voice, telling your stories, connecting emotionally with your audience….That’s human work.

Think of it like cooking.

AI is like a really good food processor.

It can chop vegetables faster than you ever could…

But it can’t taste the soup and know it needs more salt.

It can’t adjust the seasoning as the dish comes together.

It can’t make creative substitutions when you’re out of an ingredient.

You still need the chef.

The Real Question You Should Be Asking

The question isn’t “Can AI write copy?”

Because obviously, it can.

The real question is: “Can AI write copy that makes your personal brand stand out in a sea of sameness?”

And the answer to that is no.

Here’s why this matters for your business:

Your email list is your most valuable asset. These are people who said, “Yes, I want to hear from you.”

They gave you permission to show up in their inbox, which is often the most personal digital space they have.

Every email you send either strengthens or weakens your relationship with them.

When you send AI-generated emails that sound like everyone else, you’re training your audience to ignore you, and causing them to lose trust in you.

But when you send emails that truly sound like you…

Emails with personality, insight, vulnerability, humor, and stories that stick

You’re building something rare. You’re building a genuine connection.

And genuine connection is what turns subscribers into fans, fans into customers, and customers into advocates.

What Makes Copywriters Worth It

So what are you actually paying for when you hire a human copywriter?

Someone Who Gets Your Voice

We don’t just write in a “professional” voice. We study how you talk, the phrases you use, and the examples you naturally reach for. We become fluent in you so that every email sounds like it came from you

Strategic Thinking

We’re not just writing individual emails. We’re thinking about how each email fits into your larger strategy. What needs to happen before this email for it to land? What should happen after? How does this build toward your next offer?

Audience Understanding

We do deep research into your audience. We read their comments. We analyze what content performs. We get inside their heads so we can speak directly to what they’re experiencing, feeling, and wanting.

Emotional Intelligence

We know when to be vulnerable and when to be confident. When to tell a story and when to get tactical. We know when to lean in and when to pull back.

These subtle calibrations make the difference between emails that get deleted and emails that get results.

The Unsexy Work

We don’t just write. We rewrite. And rewrite again. We obsess over word choice. We test different openings. We read everything out loud to make sure it flows naturaly. We put in the hours that turn “pretty good” into “can’t stop reading.”

Fresh Perspective

When you’re deep in your business, it’s hard to see what makes you unique. We come in with outside eyes and spot the gold you’re sitting on

The stories you think are boring but your audience needs to hear,

The unique angles you’re not leveraging,

The positioning opportunities you’re missing.

That’s the kind of value we bring

And that’s something AI simply can’t compete with.

So What Should You Do?

If you’re running a personal brand and trying to figure out where AI fits into your email strategy, here’s our honest advice:

“Use AI for speed. Do it yourself (or hire humans) for impact.”

If you need to send a quick update or answer a common question, sure, use AI to draft it. Clean it up, add your voice, and then hit send.

But for the emails that actually matter…

your welcome sequence,

your value newsletter,

your launch campaigns.

When it comes to those, write them yourself if you’re good at writing and have the time.

Or hire someone who can make those emails exceptional.

Because those aren’t just emails. They’re relationship-builders. They’re trust-earners. They’re revenue drivers.

And when you look at the ROI of exceptional email copy versus mediocre AI-generated content, it’s not even close.

One great email that moves people is worth more than a hundred forgettable ones.

The Bottom Line

Will AI replace copywriters?

For businesses that see email as just another box to check, maybe.

For personal brands that treat it like another channel to spam promotions, probably.

But for personal brands that understand email is their most valuable relationship-building tool…

That will never happen.

Because the brands that win aren’t the ones with the most efficient content production.

They’re the ones that make their audience feel something. That creates genuine connection. That truly stands out.

And that requires humans.

AI helps, for sure. But it can’t replace the insight, creativity, and emotional intelligence that turn strangers into customers, and customers into advocates.

That’s what you’re really paying a copywriter for.

Not to generate words, but to create connection that compounds over time, turning your email list from just a number in your ESP into the most valuable asset your business has.

One More Thing

We know hiring a copywriter can feel like a big investment, especially when AI is “free.”

But here’s the real question…

What’s the cost of blending in?

What’s the cost of having an email list that barely opens your emails? Of launches that underperform? Of constantly needing new subscribers because you’re burning through your list with mediocre content?

Good copy isn’t an expense. It’s an investment that pays dividends for years.

The emails we write today will keep working for you.

They’ll keep building trust.

They’ll keep converting.

Long after they’re sent.

That’s what exceptional copy does.

And that’s something AI, for all its impressive capabilities, simply can’t deliver.

So if you like what you’ve read so far,

And you like the idea of working with us but aren’t sure how it could work for you…

Or if you still have some questions before making your final decision.

I highly recommend booking your free strategy call.

You’ll tell us your business story and describe your situation.

We’ll give you free advice, and let you know if and how we can help you.

And don’t worry, there’s no pressure.

We’ll make sure you feel totally comfortable.

Because at the end of the day, we practice what we preach.

You can check out our pricing page [click here],

or learn more about our email marketing philosophy [click here].

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(Coming Soon...)

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