How “AI-Shaped Attention” Is Changing the Way People Read (and Why It Matters for Your Marketing)

How many AI-written posts have you read today?Chances are, at least a few. They all sound… fiiiiine. Polished, structured, helpful enough. But they’ve got that unmistakable vanilla quality: smooth but flavourless.

That’s not your imagination. AI hasn’t just changed how we create content; it’s reshaping how people consume it. And that shift is quietly changing the rules of marketing, especially for expertise-led businesses that rely on trust and credibility to grow.

Welcome to the era of AI-shaped attention.

What Is “AI-Shaped Attention”?

In the old days (read: 2021 😉), attention flowed in a straight line. Someone saw a headline, clicked an article, read it, and maybe took action.

Now, that journey is chopped up and compressed. People encounter summaries, snippets and AI-generated blurbs before they’ve even decided they’re interested.

Instead of reading in full, audiences are skimming, scanning and consuming at 1.5x speed. This behaviour is shaped by search engines, social media feeds and inboxes all using AI to give “just-enough” answers.

The result?Attention is flatter, faster, and far more fragile than it used to be.

That’s the new reality for marketers, and we have to adapt. 💪

The Three Shifts Behind AI-Shaped Attention

1. Information is compressed

Search engines, social platforms and inboxes are all using AI to summarise content. Whether it’s a “quick answer” box on Google or a “tl;dr” from your email platform, audiences now get just enough to satisfy curiosity, often without clicking through.

This is what marketers are calling zero-click marketing: visibility without the visit. Your brand might show up in someone’s awareness, but your content itself never gets seen in full.

2. Content is homogenised

Everyone’s using the same AI tools, templates and prompts. The result is content that sounds eerily similar. The spark, the tone, the quirks, the things that make writing feel human, are getting smoothed away in favour of “best practices.”

Where have all our characters gone!?

3. Audiences are desensitised

There’s just so much stuff.We’re all overwhelmed by the volume of advice, insights and “thought leadership.” Even great content can vanish in the noise if it sounds like everything else.

In short: your audience is reading, but only sort of.

Why This Matters for Expertise-Led Businesses

If you’re in an expertise-led sector such as law, design, construction, consultancy or finance, this shift hits harder than most.

You’re not selling a product; you’re selling your expertise, and that depends on trust. People buy from people they believe are credible, confident and distinct.

But when your insights sound identical to everyone else’s, when your “voice” has been flattened by the same AI tools your competitors are using, you lose your differentiator.

Even more worrying, AI tools can now summarise your knowledge instantly, without attribution. The facts and frameworks that once made your content unique are now freely available.

So where does that leave you?Your distinctiveness must come from how you communicate, not just what you know.

Put simply:

💡 Expertise gets you noticed. Personality gets you remembered.

And in a market of sameness, being memorable is your most valuable marketing strategy.

How to Cut Through the Noise

So how do you stand out in a world of AI-generated sameness?By doubling down on what machines can’t replicate: your voice, your perspective, and your people.

Here are three practical ways to start:

1. Audit your tone of voice

Go back over your last five LinkedIn posts or blogs. Read them aloud.Do they sound like you or like a robot that’s trying to sound human?If it’s the latter, loosen it up. Write how you speak. Personality builds connection far faster than polish ever will.

2. Record before you write

Next time you have an idea, don’t start with a blank page. Record yourself explaining it to a colleague or client. That natural, conversational rhythm, the asides, the energy, the emphasis — that’s your brand personality.

Transcribe it, tidy it up, and you’ll have content that feels alive rather than auto-generated.

3. Put your experts front and centre

In professional services, people are the product. So show them off.Who are the thinkers, designers, planners or advisors behind your business?Are they visible on LinkedIn? Do clients know who they are and what they stand for?

When your experts have distinct voices, your business becomes more memorable and far harder for AI to flatten.

The Bigger Picture

The age of AI-shaped attention isn’t all doom and gloom. It’s a challenge and an opportunity.

For professional services firms especially, it’s a chance to humanise your marketing again. To move away from safe, samey content and towards something braver, more distinctive and unmistakably you.

Because while AI might help people find you, it’s your authentic personality that will make them stay.