Tools & Tips for Integrating AI into your Content Workflows

There’s been a ton of hype and fears around AI in recent years, and we’re starting to really see the emerging reality of where it’s a wonderful time-saving tool, and where its abilities have been exaggerated to a fault. How can you break past the false promises and actually reap the benefits of using AI to improve your content workflows? In our recent CMSWire webinar, JAKALA’s Creative Director, Matt Dichter met with Jake Athey, VP of Go-To-Market and Sales, from Acquia to discuss how to distinguish between the hype from reality, and practically apply AI to improve content efficiencies. 

Watch the full presentation below to get a more comprehensive deep dive, or read on for highlights.

How AI is like the microwave of the 2020's.

Microwave ovens were marketed with incredible claims when newly released; with promises like, “You can cook a full Thanksgiving feast with just your microwave!”. If that same statement was made today, we would all roll our eyes at the egregious claim. 

Technically, you probably could make a Thanksgiving meal with just a microwave. But is it going to be nearly as good? No way. The real value comes from using the microwave as a tool to help with the cooking process. For example, if you use it to boil water or melt butter, that will help cut the time required and help with the overall process.

Microwaves are a valuable tool – but they’re still a tool.  The same can be said for AI. Understanding that and using AI accordingly will give you the greatest results, and will prevent you from pouring out tons of “microwave meal” quality content. 

Like microwaves in the 1970s, AI has sparked inflated expectations. Gartner's hype cycle highlights how technology often follows a predictable path. This graph demonstrates the cycle we often see with emerging tech (think VR, autonomous vehicles, and streaming). AI is currently sitting at the “Peak of Inflated Expectations”. 

We’re already seeing many examples where the expectations of AI overestimate its capabilities of replacing human skill: incorrect information, images with way too many fingers on a hand, automated messages that are clearly not written by a human.

Just like a microwave, it can’t take on every piece of the project and be expected to create the same level of quality.  But we have found some great time-saving, “boiling water” type uses for it.

There are opportunities to use AI throughout your content workflows. Here are some of the applications we’ve found useful for using AI for creating, editing, and managing content.

Creating Content

• Content Ideation & Research
  • Topic Generation
  • Competitor Analysis
  • Keyword Research
• Content Creation
  • Text Generation
  • Visual Content
  • Video Editing
  • Email personalization
  • Speech-to-Text and Voiceovers

Editing Content

• Grammar and Style Checkers
• Style, Tone, Clarity, and Readability Adjustments
• SEO Optimization
• Translation and Localization
• Image and Video Enhancement:
• Repurposing Content
  
  

Managing Content

• Tagging / adding metadata
• Cataloging
• Recognizing faces and objects
• Transcribing videos 
• Reading/extracting text
• Translating videos, docs, text
• Summarizing content
• Analyzing content use

Real world examples of incorporating AI.

Are there parts of your content workflow that feel inefficient or time-consuming? These are excellent opportunities to incorporate AI. For instance, if you often spend too much time searching for stock photography, using AI to generate images could save you effort. On the other hand, when a custom-designed image is required, working with a designer might still be the better choice.

AI can also help repurpose original content into derivative assets. For example, it can transform blog articles into teaser text, craft compelling headlines, generate alt text for media, and even create variations tailored for different audiences. By automating these tasks, you can focus on higher-level strategy and creativity.

Challenges with Generative AI.

As mentioned, AI is a powerful tool, but it’s not a perfect solution for every task or problem. Here are some key considerations when working with AI:

• It’s a Supplement, Not a Substitute: AI can enhance your work, but it doesn’t replace human expertise and judgment.
• Quality In, Quality Out: AI requires clear, high-quality examples to produce effective outputs. Be prepared to refine your prompts and provide specific input.
• Verify Outputs: AI tools often struggle with accuracy, biases, and factually incorrect information. Always review and fact-check the content it generates—don’t take it at face value.
• Consider Tone and Sensitivity: AI-generated content may fail to capture the appropriate tone, cultural nuances, or sensitivities required for your audience.
• Respect Privacy and Compliance: Ensure your use of AI aligns with your institution's privacy and consent policies.

Want to learn more about the tools available for the three key types of AI, how to operationalize AI and manage workflows, and more? Check out the full presentation here.