Some content marketers argue that AI-generated text is not as good as human writing, but Neville Medhora disagrees. As a seasoned copywriter, he believes that AI is 95% as effective as human writing, even for complex tasks.
“It’s a tough reality to accept, but you have to adjust,” he shared with me.
Neville is the creator of Swipe File, a curated collection of promotional content, and previously founded Kopywriting Kourse, an educational platform.
He made his first podcast appearance in 2019. In our most recent conversation, he discussed AI-generated content and the importance of adapting to change.
Eric Bandholz: Can you explain to our audience what you do?
Neville Medhora: I manage Swipe File, a platform that houses ads, emails, and marketing campaigns to inspire marketers. Before this, I operated Kopywriting Kourse, which was a significant revenue source for many years. I have a background in copywriting as a freelancer, publisher, and teacher.
With AI, the need to learn copywriting diminishes. Initially, AI results were satisfactory, but they have since improved. AI now outperforms most individuals in writing. While I can still write an article better than AI, it would take me at least three hours. AI, on the other hand, can produce content that is 95% as good, potentially even 100%, and it can generate multiple versions.
However, I keep my newsletter and copy completely human-written.
Bandholz: I no longer receive cold emails that aren’t AI-generated. I can easily identify them, and it puts me off.
Medhora: I’ve been following AI advancements for a long time. It continues to evolve, drawing inspiration from human learning mechanisms. With the right approach, AI can mimic human thinking. I don’t see anything controversial or strange about that.
While AI can already do a commendable job, it still lacks certain elements. I categorize writing into easy, medium, and hard levels. AI excels at easy writing tasks, such as crafting a podcast episode headline based on a transcript.
Medium writing includes tasks like sending an email update from an e-commerce store.
Hard writing involves scenarios like venture capitalist Mark Andreessen sharing profound insights about the world and business on Twitter. This level of writing is sophisticated, yet AI is reaching a 95% proficiency in such tasks.
My Instagram posts used to yield poor results, but now AI generates high-quality images and posts with impressive outcomes. I fail to understand why people fear AI so much.
As a writer and creative individual, AI initially posed a challenge for me. However, I shifted my perspective. Instead of creating a single email for a client, I can now produce thousands using AI.
It may be a bitter pill for some to swallow, but adaptation is crucial.
Bandholz: In 2026, a vital skill will be refining and optimizing AI-generated content.
Medhora: People don’t necessarily object to AI writing, but they do dislike being misled into believing it’s human-generated. I always clarify at the beginning of my newsletters that they are entirely human-written, with AI assistance for images. This transparency resonates with the audience.
While AI-generated articles can be effective, they often differ from my personal style. I can identify these distinctions and make adjustments for critical pieces.
Bandholz: Do you have a preferred AI model for writing?
Medhora: I don’t have a single favorite. I frequently utilize ChatGPT and Gemini. Grok is another tool I rely on, especially for challenging questions. Grok tends to be more unconventional. Occasionally, I use Perplexity to test other models.
In terms of writing, these platforms offer similar performance levels, usually within a few months of each other.
When it comes to images and videos, there are noticeable differences. For instance, ChatGPT Image 2.5 surpasses 2.0, which was already superior to Google’s Nano Banana.
Bandholz: For basic chat functions, I prefer using Grok. I also appreciate Grok’s image generation capabilities. However, I haven’t observed significant variances from an editing standpoint. I’m currently implementing an AI-driven SEO strategy and content creation, with the aim of having only robots read it, not humans.
Medhora: I’ll be attending Ahrefs’ SEO conference soon. The focus is on SEO strategies, including SEO, GEO, AEO, or whatever terminology you prefer.
The key challenge is disseminating a wide range of content across various platforms—videos, audios, texts, images, and more—allowing AI models to analyze and utilize it. This seems to align with your strategy, akin to traditional SEO practices where acquiring more links is the primary objective.
Bandholz: Let’s delve into Swipe File. It’s an impressive website.
Medhora: Swipe File serves as the foundation for my newsletter. I discover interesting content, share it on the platform, and incorporate it into the newsletter. I typically feature around three items daily to inspire marketers.
For those seeking advertising inspiration, the ads sidebar contains numerous examples.
We also offer a tool called Remix. By entering your URL, such as Beardbrand.com, Remix learns about your website and provides personalized content suggestions.
Remix is available at an affordable price of just $200 per year, offering exceptional value.
Bandholz: Where can individuals connect with you, support you, or reach out?
Medhora: The best way to reach me is through SwipeFile.com or SwipeFile.com/remix. I’m active on various social media platforms: X, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
