Most CEOs Are Using AI for Thought Leadership—And They’re Getting It All Wrong

One of the biggest shifts in my career wasn’t moving from print journalism to PR, launching a business, or ghostwriting for top executives. It was realizing the way we create content has changed—dramatically.

I started as a journalist, back when print was king and transcribing interviews meant rewinding a cassette tape, not clicking “generate.” I spent years crafting narratives, shaping voices, and turning executives’ insights into impactful content.

Then AI arrived.

At first, I was skeptical. Colleagues worried about plagiarism and saw the technology as a form of cheating. How could an article drafted in seconds by a machine possibly compare to a well-researched story that reflects original thought?

But the more I used AI, the more I realized it’s just a tool—like a pen and paper, a keyboard and screen, a paintbrush in the hands of an artist. The quality of the output depends entirely on the person using it. And unfortunately, much of the AI-generated content flooding LinkedIn and executive blogs today falls into the category of disposable, forgettable noise.

By 2026, Gartner predicts that 90% of online content will be AI-generated. That doesn’t mean thought leadership is dead. It means the bar has been raised. It means that standing out—not just producing more—is the real challenge.

And right now, too many CEOs are getting it wrong.

They’re Using AI to Sound Smarter—And It’s Backfiring

The number one rule of thought leadership? It should reflect your unique lived experiences and insights.

If your content sounds nothing like the way you talk, write, or think, it’s not making you sound smarter—it’s making it obvious that it’s not your voice.

Your audience isn’t looking for Wikipedia-style explanations or textbook-perfect syntax. They follow you because of the credibility you’ve built—the opinions, expertise, and personal perspective that only you can offer. If AI-generated content strips that away, it’s not helping. It’s diluting your brand.

This doesn’t mean AI can’t play a role in the writing process. But if you’re using it to replace your thoughts rather than refine them, you’re taking your audience’s attention for granted. They want to hear from you, not a machine.

Executives who successfully integrate AI into their thought leadership don’t just generate content. They use AI to enhance their personal brand—training it on past interviews, articles, emails, and social posts so it mirrors their natural tone, phrasing, and storytelling style.

When used correctly, AI should help articulate your thoughts—not erase them.

They’re Structuring LinkedIn Posts Like College Essays

AI models are trained on massive datasets—most of which follow academic or corporate writing formats. That’s why, left unchecked, AI-generated content often reads like a five-paragraph essay.

The problem? Thought leadership isn’t a term paper.

If AI dictates your content structure without guidance, your writing will feel stiff, formulaic, and robotic. Thought leadership—whether it’s an op-ed, a LinkedIn post, or a keynote script—should feel conversational, insightful, and platform-appropriate.

An op-ed should not read like a LinkedIn post. A LinkedIn post should not sound like a white paper. Thought leadership isn’t just about what you say—it’s about how you say it.

The executives who stand out in an AI-driven world are the ones who guide AI rather than letting it guide them. They train it to recognize their preferred structure, specify the formats that resonate with their audience, and ensure their content flows naturally rather than mechanically.

Because if your writing feels automated, your audience will disengage before they reach the second paragraph.

They’re Generating Content—But Not Offering Perspective

AI can summarize industry trends. It can compile data, rephrase existing ideas, and package information in a way that’s clear and digestible.

But it can’t think for you.

AI doesn’t challenge conventional wisdom. It doesn’t offer bold opinions. It doesn’t take risks. And thought leadership? That’s exactly what it requires.

Too many executives are using AI to churn out content that says nothing new. No contrarian take. No original insight. No lived experience. Just repackaged industry jargon that disappears into the endless scroll of forgettable posts.

Executives who lean too heavily on AI risk becoming content machines instead of thought leaders. But the goal of thought leadership isn’t to produce more. It’s to say something that matters.

AI is a game-changer when it comes to scaling content creation. The time it saves in generating drafts, emails, LinkedIn posts, and op-eds is undeniable.

But how you train it makes all the difference.

If you let AI run on autopilot, your content will sound like everyone else’s. But if you use it strategically—guiding it with your own voice, insights, and experiences—it becomes a powerful amplifier for your thought leadership.