Mortgage Executives Embrace AI for Content Creation

Mortgage industry executives are increasingly delegating content creation to artificial intelligence (AI) tools, a trend that is leading to a phenomenon described as "the great averaging." This shift involves paying AI services to produce content, a practice that has largely replaced traditional ghostwriters and content coaches. One executive, who leads the Mortgage Bankers Association's AI Mortgage Change Champion program, noted that foundation model providers are trained on similar datasets, resulting in homogenized output. This means that even with different AI models, the content generated for a lender's website or social media posts will likely appear indistinguishable from that of competitors who also use AI. The executive explained that AI produces "basically the same result" when all factors are equal, leading to a situation where every executive entrusting their brand to AI is being "averaged against every other one who did the same." This reliance on AI for content generation bypasses the crucial step of extracting an executive's unique thinking, a process that was central to the work of human ghostwriters. Instead of in-depth interviews to capture authentic insights, AI skips this step and generates content that is averaged from the collective input of all users who have asked similar prompts. This approach risks diluting individual brand identities and producing generic marketing materials that focus on "assets instead of outcomes," a critique that predates the widespread adoption of AI in the industry. The author suggests building a "backbone" for content creation, which consists of three components: taste, guts, and receipts. Taste involves discerning what sounds authentic to an individual and having the discipline to discard content that does not align with their voice, even if it is well-written by the AI. AI can generate numerous drafts quickly, but the key is to filter these outputs to maintain a distinct personal or brand identity. The "guts" component implies having the courage to express original thoughts and opinions, while "receipts" refers to backing up claims with verifiable data and evidence. The author contrasts this with the current AI-driven approach, where executives are handed "fifty clean drafts in a minute," and every one is deemed "fine." The implication is that while AI can produce technically proficient content, it lacks the nuanced understanding and authentic voice that builds strong, recognizable brands. The trend highlights a broader concern in the digital marketing landscape about the potential for AI to lead to a homogenization of online presence, making it harder for businesses and individuals to stand out. The executive's observation that lenders could build the same website with six different models and achieve the same result underscores the challenge of differentiation in an AI-saturated content environment. This "great averaging" poses a significant challenge for mortgage professionals aiming to build unique brands and connect with their audience on a deeper level, suggesting a need for a more discerning and strategic approach to AI-assisted content creation.