I sign up for a lot of webinars but rarely listen to them in real time. It depends on the subject matter and the presenter. A webinar a few weeks ago was an exception. The presenters have done engaging and informative webinars and their thoughts are spot on with what I’ve seen. This was 2026 B2B Content and Demand Generation Predictions by the team of Robert Rose from the Content Marketing Institute, Jane Qin Medeiros (a brand leader at Informa Tech Target), and hosted by Lauren Smith from Informa Tech Target. They talked a lot about how AI is supposed to make marketing teams work smarter while helping salespeople sell better.

Robert (who closely resembles Butch Vig, the legendary producer of Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins, and founder of Garbage) said something about AI not being able to make bad copy sound better. This instantly reminded me of a common misconception about music. In the late 70s, a technique known as Graphic Equalization (EQ) crossed over from the telecom industry to be introduced into musical equipment. And like my previous blog post about vibe coding, you’ve probably used EQ without realizing it. If you’ve ever messed around with the tone controls of a car stereo to make a song sound brassier or brighter, you’ve essentially used an equalizer. The graphic EQ splits the signal spectrum into bands, so you have greater control over low or middle or high frequencies. Manufacturers of mixing consoles, effects pedals, guitar amplifiers, and PA systems soon incorporated graphic EQ into their products. It became necessary equipment for serious musicians and recording studios. Every guitarist’s effects rack (mine included) just had to have one. I used an equalizer in my rig to give my solos a little extra oomph, that little touch of something to boost above the rest of the band. Others used one to boost the lower or higher frequencies of their sound. So many musicians used them that it was starting to become scarce to find a record that was not recorded with an equalizer. Then the rumors started. The prevailing rumor was that EQ could take a flat note and sharpen it. Not true at all. What you got was merely a flat bum note, just embellished with a little brightness. EQ turned out to not be the savior of talent-challenged singers.

So this is where AI wanders into the equation. Can AI make bad copy sound better? I don’t believe it can. Sometimes it just clutters the copy and confuses the writer. When guided properly, AI can help get you unstuck. It may help you reorganize content, for example it can help you chunk up large chapters or paragraphs, or make it flow better. But can it persuade? Not really. Can it understand the audience? Only if you feed it specifics. Can it make you a better copy writer? Dangerous question.

Remember, humans in the loop is the mantra. AI can be a great creative aid, but it works best as a polishing tool rather than a replacement for human strategic thought.