Human Touch Is the Cheat Code

Something that’s been bouncing around in my head a lot lately is the shift we’re going through with AI and what it means for my business, and for the businesses I support.

As a software developer and solo founder operating a range of e-commerce apps, I live right on the edge of this stuff. I build tools for food brands, creators, and online stores. I’ve seen how fast AI is changing the way we search, write, build, and even cook. And like everyone else, I’m asking: What’s this space going to look like in 2 or 3 years?

For me, that question is personal. My main product is Recipe Kit, a recipe card platform built on Shopify. It helps food brands and creators format recipes for Google search, make them printable, and show users what people are actually buying or cooking from their store. It’s SEO meets content marketing meets food.

It works well. But I also know the landscape is shifting—fast.

The Rise of ChatGPT Recipes

Here’s the truth: I don’t use Google much anymore. When I want to figure something like how to fix a bug, book a flight, or make a salad dressing - I ask ChatGPT or Perplexity. And 90% of the time, it gives me exactly what I need.

For food specifically, AI is now perfect for the simple stuff. You want a quick vinaigrette ratio? Boom. 3:1 oil to vinegar. Add mustard and garlic. Done.

In that case, I don’t want someone’s 800-word blog post on how their grandmother passed down a sacred salad recipe from the old country. I just want to know how much olive oil to use. And I think a lot of users are starting to feel the same.

But that’s only one end of the spectrum.

Where AI Falls Apart

The second the recipe gets even slightly complex, I stop trusting AI.

If I’m making dinner for friends, trying out something new, or pulling together a multi-step dish—anything that takes time and effort—I want to know it’s been tested. I want the reassurance that a real person has cooked this thing, burned it once or twice, figured out the tricks, and made it better.

I don’t trust AI to know what happens when you add mushrooms at the wrong step, or how long to really roast something when your oven runs a little cold. I trust humans for that. Cookbooks. YouTube videos. Food blogs with a voice.

There’s something irreplaceable about that human layer: context, nuance, experimentation. It’s the stuff you learn by actually doing the work.

Content That Connects

This is where I think there’s a real opportunity - especially for food brands and creators trying to stand out right now.

A lot of founders are asking how to compete with AI-generated content. My take: you don’t. You go the other direction.

Double down on the stuff AI can’t do.

Your voice, your process, your weird hacks that only make sense once you’ve made the dish three times - that’s your moat. That’s what builds trust. And trust is what converts people into buyers, fans, subscribers, and long-term customers.

Anyone can get a decent pasta salad recipe from ChatGPT. But they’re not the ones buying your artisan olive oil, or subscribing to your monthly spice box, or reading your newsletter. They're drive-by users. Not your people.

Don’t Chase the Clicks—Build the Base

The brands I see winning right now aren’t chasing SEO keywords or TikTok trends. They’re talking directly to their people. They’re building small but loyal communities around a shared worldview: quality, intention, creativity.

If you’ve got an audience, even a small one, lean into it. Start a newsletter. Share the behind-the-scenes. Talk about the process. Let people into the kitchen. Let them care.

This is something I’m trying to do more of too. Recipe Kit’s users aren’t faceless stores - they’re creators, founders, and small teams trying to grow with purpose. So I’m thinking more about how I can support them beyond the app. Maybe that’s a customer community, or private recipes, or deep-dive interviews on what’s working.

Whatever it is, it’s got to feel human.

AI Is a Tool, Not a Threat

I’m not anti-AI. I think tools like ChatGPT are incredibly useful. I use them every day. They help me code faster, write faster, and get unstuck when I’m tired or fried.

But if your entire brand, business, or content strategy can be replicated by a robot… that’s not AI’s fault.

What’s irreplaceable is the messy, flawed, creative stuff. The things you learn the hard way. The stuff you can’t just scrape from a website or summarize in bullet points.

That’s the real moat.

TL;DR

If you’re a food brand, e-com business, or content creator trying to figure out your next move:

• Use AI for what it’s good at - efficiency, ideas, grunt work.
• Lean into your voice for everything else.
• Don’t chase generic clicks - invest in the people who are already showing up.
• Build something that feels alive.

The more AI spreads, the more valuable realness becomes. So don’t try to out-AI the AI. Go the other way.