The competitive advantage tech companies shouldn’t overlook: good writing

In the rush to adopt AI tools, many companies are optimizing for speed and scale in their content. But in doing so, they may be overlooking one of the most powerful differentiators they have: good writing.A recent Business Insider article highlighted that writing and storytelling are quickly becoming some of the most in-demand skills in tech again. That shift signals something important: as AI-generated content becomes more common, quality, clarity and authenticity are becoming competitive advantages—not nice-to-haves.“People buy from companies that they know, like and trust, and if they only know and like you, then they're not going to buy from you. They need to trust you too,” says word-craft founder and CEO Ingrid Deon in Episode 79 of All Hands On Tech. “That's where the authentic content needs to come in.”word-craft is a Yarmouth-based social media marketing agency specializing in organic social media for the consumer packaged goods industry. While they’ve embraced artificial intelligence as a useful tool, they draw a clear line when it comes to writing. “We’re using our brains and our experiences as well as AI to come up with a bunch of ideas,” says Deon. “What we don’t use it for, is to write the end product.” That distinction reflects a broader shift happening across industries. As more companies adopt AI, the question is no longer whether to use it, but how to use it effectively.“How do we impart the human element to what we're creating? How can we still use AI, but also not make it icky? That's where people who are really talented with storytelling and with capturing brand voices and with knowing how to communicate to audiences come in,” says Deon. “It's a very hot commodity, because we've discovered that AI is really terrible at that.”That demand is already showing up in hiring patterns across the industry. In the same article, Netflix recently posted a Director of Product & Technology Communications role with a salary of up to $775,000—underscoring how even the most AI-enabled companies are investing heavily in skilled writers. The trend extends beyond a single company: organizations like OpenAI, Anthropic, Adobe, and Microsoft are expanding their communications teams and offering salaries well into the six figures for writing and storytelling roles. Anthropic alone has reportedly tripled its communications team, reflecting a growing recognition that as AI floods the market with content, the real value lies in people who can communicate clearly, shape narratives, and cut through the noise.For Deon, that shift isn’t surprising. It reflects the limitations she sees in AI every day.According to Deon, AI’s biggest weaknesses are its lack of storytelling nuance and its inability to capture a brand voice. Deceptive or low-quality AI-generated content can erode hard-earned consumer trust, especially if customers feel like the content is “lazy” or that they were fooled. “[AI] is not going to just generate a perfect image of the teacup that Grammy had in her cupboard. That's something that you can only do with authentic things — real things.” This gap becomes especially clear in industries like tech, where it’s easy to fall into the trap of listing features instead of communicating value. AI can generate information, but it struggles to articulate impact.“What your customer actually cares for is ‘how is it going to make them feel?’ ‘How is it going to make their lives better?’ ‘What is the impact of those bullet point items?’” Deon adds. Ultimately, as AI makes content easier to produce, it also makes it easier to ignore. The companies that stand out won’t be the ones producing the most—they’ll be the ones communicating the best. For tech companies, good writing is quickly becoming the competitive advantage they can’t afford to overlook.To hear the full conversation, listen to All Hands On Tech Episode 79: Authenticity in the Age of AI, available wherever you get your podcasts.