AI Just Killed The Expert Economy

I was scrolling through LinkedIn when it triggered one of those quiet aha moments.

There it was. A perfectly polished post about "5 Ways to Scale Your Business." Beautiful graphics, flawless copy, the works.

Then I realised it was generated by AI in about 30 seconds.

My first reaction? A quiet jolt of disbelief—more curiosity than fear. If anyone can create professional-looking content instantly, what's the point of what any of us are doing?

But then something clicked.

All those years bouncing from selling hot dogs as a teenager, to violin gigs, to digital marketing, suddenly felt like gold. The messy, non-linear path I'd always felt embarrassed about became my greatest asset.

Because here's what I realised: AI can create content, but it can't create my story.

The Great Content Collapse

We're witnessing something unprecedented. The barriers that once made content creation exclusive have crumbled overnight.

Those LinkedIn influencers who built massive followings posting "10 Productivity Hacks" with slick carousel graphics? They're panicking. ChatGPT can now spit out that exact content in seconds.

Their entire value proposition just got commoditised.

I'm watching them scramble in real-time. Some are doubling down on authority, adding more credentials, more case studies, more "proof." Others are trying to out-AI the AI with even slicker presentations. (That is, they’re trying to beat AI by making their content look even more polished and sophisticated than what AI can produce—competing on surface-level flash rather than rethinking their approach.)

They're missing the point entirely. They're competing on the wrong battlefield.

The kind of "expert" content that once felt rare and impressive is now everywhere. AI has made it effortless for anyone to produce the same slick, authoritative posts, and our brains have started to tune them out. What once felt insightful now blends into the noise.

Meanwhile, when someone shares a genuine struggle, such as "I launched my course and only three people bought it, here's what I learned," the comments explode with authentic conversation.

The BS Detection Revolution

Something fascinating happened while we weren't paying attention.

AI inadvertently trained audiences to spot the difference between real and manufactured content. Half of consumers can now correctly identify AI-generated content.

People developed a sixth sense for authenticity.

They're actively hunting for behind-the-scenes content. They want the messy details, the failures, the "oh shit" moments. There's this hunger for what I call "process content" over "outcome content."

Instead of "How I Made $100K," people are gravitating toward "Day 47 of building my business: I cried in my car today because nothing is working, but here's what I'm trying next."

The really telling sign? I'm getting messages from people saying they're unfollowing accounts that feel "too perfect." One person told me, "I can't relate to someone who never seems to struggle."

Community Builders Are The New Rock Stars

While content creators should panic about AI, a different group is quietly winning.

Community builders.

These are the people who bring others together around shared interests and genuine experiences. They're not broadcasting to audiences. They're building relationships.

The data backs this up. User-generated content influences 79% of purchasing decisions, while only 13% say brand content impacts their choices.

People want to learn from someone who's just a few steps ahead and still remembers what it felt like to be confused. They want guides who remember being lost.

People want to work with someone who gets it, not someone pretending they've transcended all human problems.

Your Vulnerability Is Your Superpower

AI can't replicate the time I failed spectacularly at a client presentation and learned more from that failure than from any success.

It can't manufacture the vulnerability of admitting "I have no bloody idea what I'm doing, but let's figure it out together."

This is the emperor's new clothes moment for traditional expertise. Being perfectly imperfect isn't just a philosophy anymore. It's the only sustainable competitive advantage left.

The market is saturated with polished advice. It's starving for authentic humans willing to share their real journey.

While everyone else teaches you to position yourself as an authority, the real opportunity is building authority by being radically honest about what you don't know yet.

Start Where You Are

You don't need to wait until you've figured it all out.

Your messy, non-linear journey is your expertise. Those seemingly random experiences aren't detours. They're your unique perspective that no one else can replicate.

Document your learning process. Share your struggles. Build a community around your growth.

The future belongs to those who can bring people together around shared uncertainty, not those who pretend to have all the answers.

AI made content creation accessible to everyone. That means being human just became more valuable than ever.

Those who recognise this shift early and lean into real, messy human connection will capitalise on it long before the next big wave reshapes the landscape.