AI Slop Isn't Working Anymore: Your AI Strategy for 2026
Last week someone sent me a website screenshot.
"This brand used to be amazing," they said. "Look at this now. It's lost its soul."
They were right. I could tell in about three seconds that every piece of copy had been run through ChatGPT and left untouched. No personality. No voice. Just... beige.
Welcome to 2026, where lazy AI use isn't just ineffective—it actively damages your brand.
In 2025, everyone jumped on the AI train. By the end of the year, 90% of people in business were using ChatGPT or some variation of it. It felt like a superpower: pump out content without the hours of writing. Show up online effortlessly. Win.
But here's what happened: everyone used the same tools, same prompts, same templates. And suddenly everything sounded identical. People got tired. They started unfollowing accounts that used to feel human but now just felt hollow. Merriam-Webster literally named "AI slop" the word of the year.
So what does that mean for your business? If you're still thinking about AI as "the thing that writes my captions," you're already behind.
The real leverage in 2026 comes from somewhere completely different.
Let me show you where.
Why 2025 Was a False Start
The first wave of AI adoption was beautiful in its simplicity. Open ChatGPT. Ask it to do something. Close it. Done.
But simplicity breeds sameness.
When everyone has access to the same tool and uses it the same way, suddenly nobody stands out. Your content sounds like everyone else's. Your brand voice disappears. Your engagement tanks.
The pushback started early and it's only getting stronger. People are scrolling past the AI-generated captions. They're clocking the generic B-roll. They're unfollowing. And even if they don't consciously know why something feels off, they feel it.
This is the year of reckoning for AI lazy use.
The Prediction That Might Piss People Off
Here's what's coming in 2026: Critical thinking and strategy are about to become more valuable than they've ever been.
Why? Because everyone can use AI now. It's accessible. It's free. That means being able to say "I use AI" is worthless. It's baseline. Meaningless.
What matters is being able to say: Here's our AI strategy. Here's how we use it differently. Here's what gives us an edge.
Let me give you an example.
Agency A pitches a client: "Yeah, we use AI to create content faster."
Client thinks: Great, they're just using ChatGPT and charging me for it.
Agency B pitches the same client: "We use AI to scrape competitor data and identify posts performing 10x above average. AI analyses the patterns. Then our team—actual humans who understand your brand—create strategy and content informed by these insights."
Which one are you hiring?
It's B. Every time.
The businesses that win in 2026 aren't the ones saying "we use AI." They're the ones who can articulate exactly how and why it matters.
If you can do that, you're set.
What Didn't Work: Replacing Humans With AI
2025 saw a lot of companies make a hard bet: replace skilled workers with AI tools.
We all saw how that played out. Mass layoffs. Scrambling. Rehiring.
Here's the thing: AI is a mirror. It can only reflect back what you feed it. If you're a beginner asking for help, it can lift you to mid-level. If you're mediocre, it keeps you there. But if you're genuinely skilled and strategic? You can use AI as a collaborator to move ten times faster.
The developer who uses Claude Code ships code faster than before.
The marketer who knows strategy uses AI to test and iterate at scale.
The consultant who understands their field uses AI to handle the repetitive thinking so they can focus on the creative problem-solving.
The real play is amplification, not replacement. Upskill your existing team. Train them to use AI strategically. They move faster, do better work, serve clients better. Everyone wins. You retain talent because you've invested in them.
I've worked with agencies that took this approach. Same team. Same headcount. Bigger output. Better work. Happier clients.
Companies trying to replace humans with ChatGPT? They're going to be playing catch-up all year.
Where the Real Leverage Lives: The AI Operating System
Here's where most businesses are still stuck: they're using AI as an app.
Open ChatGPT. Do a task. Close it. Disconnect. Manual. Repetitive.
That's not a strategy. That's just what everyone else is doing.
What wins in 2026 is different. It's what I call an AI operating system: AI embedded into how your business actually runs.
This looks like five things:
1. Automated workflows that run without you
I use N8N to run my entire membership backend, content workflows, everything. No copy-pasting. No opening ChatGPT every time. The system just runs.
2. Custom tools built for your specific needs
Tools like Lovable, Bolt, Claude Code, and Replit let you or someone on your team build things designed exactly for how you work. Not off-the-shelf software. Custom.
3. Client-facing tools that wow
This is where almost nobody is playing. I build interactive dashboards, resource hubs, beautiful deliverable formats using Claude Code. Same work. Different presentation. It's a huge differentiator. After corporate training, I take the meeting notes, have AI create a resource related to what we covered, and present it in a gorgeous interactive format branded completely for them. Takes no extra time. Looks incredible.
4. Analysis and pattern recognition at scale
If you're manually looking at data, spotting trends, finding insights, you're doing it wrong. Set up workflows that run weekly or monthly. Pull the data. Let AI spot the patterns. Get summaries automatically.
5. Voice mode
This is my prediction for what explodes in 2026. I use Whisperflow for emails, Slack responses, brainstorming. Talk through ideas. Get transcribed in real time. Iterate faster. Think out loud.
The shift is simple: from "I use AI" to "AI runs through my business."
Build This in Your Business Right Now
Start small. Don't chase AI agents (they're overhyped for most businesses right now). Don't skip the fundamentals.
Map your workflows first. Ask: Where am I doing repetitive, manual work? Where could a system run in the background?
Then build it.
If you have someone on your team interested in AI—actually curious, genuinely excited—invest in them. Train them. They become your competitive advantage. They understand your operations. They can build custom tools that take weeks off your timeline.
That's your edge in 2026.
The Only AI Confession That Matters
I got swept up in the AI content hype too.
There were moments where I'd get ChatGPT to write something, look at it, and think: This sounds nothing like me.
I'm recommitting in 2026 to letting AI brainstorm and iterate, but I own the final product. I own the ideas.
No getting sucked into endless ChatGPT strategy loops. That's the trap.
Your One Thing for This Week
Audit how you're currently using AI. Not to judge yourself. Just to notice.
Are you opening it like an app and closing it? Or is it embedded into your systems?
If a client or employer asked you: "How do you use AI?" Could you give them an answer that impresses them?
Or would it just be: "Um... content and brainstorming and strategy and stuff."
That gap? That's where the work is in 2026.
The Bottom Line
AI slop happened because everyone chased the same shiny thing at the same time. That era is over.
In 2026, the businesses that win are the ones with clear AI strategy, highly skilled teams upskilled in AI, and systems that run intelligently in the background.
It's not about using more AI. It's about using what you've got better.
Ready to build your AI operating system? The AI Dream Team Workshop walks you through exactly how. Or if you want to work with me directly on strategy, let's chat about consulting.
FAQs
Is AI going to replace my job in 2026?
Not if you're strategic about it. AI is a mirror—it amplifies what's already there. Highly skilled people using AI move faster and become more valuable. Mediocre work stays mediocre. The people who lose out are those trying to replace skilled workers with ChatGPT. The winners are ones who upskill their team to use AI strategically.
What's the difference between using AI apps and an AI operating system?
Using AI apps means opening ChatGPT, asking it to do something, closing it—manually, repeatedly. An AI operating system is when AI runs in the background of your business: automated workflows, custom tools built for your needs, client-facing dashboards, data analysis that happens automatically. It's embedded into how you work, not just a tool you occasionally use.
How do I stop my brand from sounding like everyone else's?
Let AI handle the brainstorm and iteration, but keep you at the centre. Your voice, your ideas, your perspective go into the final product. Don't outsource the strategy or the thinking. Use AI to expand your capacity, not replace your judgment. That's what keeps your brand distinctive.
Should I be using AI agents right now?
Probably not yet. AI agents are being hyped heavily, but for most businesses, they're still overly complex and unreliable. Claude Codes agent capabilities are interesting, but most agents need to be kept on a tight leash. Focus on simple, effective automation first. Master the fundamentals before chasing shiny new features.
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