The New Creative Crisis: Too Much AI, Not Enough Insight

AI photo studios in your pocket are cute until the internet is… not lovin’ it. Apps like Gio make it insanely easy to crank out glossy headshots, profile pics, and full-on glam looks in minutes.

I ran my pics through the GIO app for my birthday post and the RANGE was crazy. Some of them were giving ‘if you squint real hard, dim the lights, and hold the phone at a very respectful distance — maybe that’s me. The others were AMAZING full-on main character, soft-life excellence. I looked at the screen like… so we just reinventing me today?!?!

While everyday creators are leveling up their feeds, big brands are learning the hard way that not all AI content hits the same. Coca-Cola caught heat for its AI-generated Christmas campaign, and now McDonald’s has pulled its own AI holiday ad after viewers called it creepy, inauthentic, and “AI slop.” The message from consumers is loud and clear: if the work feels soulless, they’re not lovin’ it.

So here’s the real conversation for marketers, founders, and CMOs:

• Do you still need costly photoshoots when AI can give you 100+ looks overnight?

• Where do photographers, stylists, and designers fit when an app can fake the output?

• And most importantly—would your audience actually know the difference… or just feel that something’s off?

At Terri Eagle Group, this is exactly the kind of nuance the team lives in. As a fractional CMO, the work sits at the intersection of performance and perception—helping brands decide when AI is a smart way to save time and budget, and when you must invest in real people, real stories, and real shoots to protect trust and equity you can’t rebuild with an apology post.

AI can enhance your brand, or expose it! The winners won’t be the ones who use the most AI; they’ll be the ones who know when to close the app, call the crew, and create something only humans can feel!