My On-Again-Off-Again Love Affair With AI

I fell in love in 2024. Hard.

It started innocently enough. A sneaky little test of some basic social media copywriting, a strategic direction that I needed to “bounce” off someone, and THAT AI tool I had been putting off trying. Within an hour, it had drafted copy I would have spent two hours writing (then rewriting) and then, it gave me new, data-driven insights on my strategy, and - BOOM - it had given me back time I did not know I had. I was smitten. Suddenly tasks that used to eat my whole afternoon were done before my peppermint tea went cold. I told anyone who would listen. I probably overdid it a little.

Then, like any relationship worth having, things got complicated.

I started reading about the environmental cost behind all that magic - the data centres humming away, the water and energy it takes to keep them cool, the sheer scale of what is required to power a “simple” request. Then came the headlines about AI systems behaving in ways nobody quite intended, stepping outside the boundaries they were built for. It was unsettling. I found myself pulling back, Googling things I probably should not have Googled at 11pm, and wondering if I had been too quick to fall for something I did not fully understand (and - let me tell you - that’s VERY on brand for me!)

So we broke up. Sort of. For about a week.

But here’s the thing. There was a pattern forming. I am of an age where I remember the launch of social media. I remember the heady early days where you could not get enough, then you realise you have a bit of a problem, and you need to take a break. It was the same with AI.

The more I have sat with it, the more I have realised my worry is not really about AI itself. It is about how it is used, and by whom, and for what purpose.

Used carelessly, it can absolutely cause harm - to the planet, to trust, to the people whose jobs and creativity get flattened into a prompt. But used responsibly, thoughtfully, with a human firmly at the wheel, it is one of the best tools small business owners have ever had access to.

That is the part I keep coming back to. For years, those “big brand” campaigns, the fast turnarounds, the professional-grade output was reserved for businesses with big brand budgets. AI has quietly changed that maths. A small business can now punch well above its weight, producing content, insight and creative work that used to require a much bigger team and a much bigger invoice. That’s not a small thing. That’s genuinely levelling a playing field that’s been tilted for a long time.

But - and this is the bit I will not budge on - AI does not get to be the whole story. It is brilliant at speed. It is hopeless at soul. It can help you say something faster, but it cannot tell you what is actually worth saying, or why your business matters, or what your customers need to feel to trust you. That still has to come from a person who understands people. Because at the end of the day, no matter how clever the tool, we are humans marketing to humans. The empathy, the judgement, the knowing-when-to-break-the-rules - that’s ours to bring, every time.

So yes, it is complicated. I am still cautious. I still think about the cost of the technology I am using, and I still keep half an eye on the headlines. But I am also still a fan. Because when a small business uses AI well, with a clear head and a human hand on the tiller, it stops being something to fear and starts being something genuinely useful.

On again, it seems. Ask me how I feel next week.