Why AI for Writing Website Copy is Like a Botched Lip Filler Treatment

We all love a quick fix. Just as a quick injection promises instant volume for thin lips, an AI prompt promises an instant facelift for a bare website.

This worries me. Especially as web designers are relying more and more on AI — instead of hiring me — as a cost-effective cosmetic procedure.

I understand why, though. I also build sites for clients and there’s nothing worse than waiting on clients to write their own content. This is famously the number one bottleneck that stalls a new website’s launch.

Meanwhile, when you use AI for writing website copy, you now get gorgeous, hyper-intelligent Lorem Ipsum. It fills the empty spaces on a mockup instantly, saving time and making the design look complete.

Is there anything wrong with that?

It really depends on the person behind the keyboard:

• Do they actually know how to write for conversions or optimize for search?
• Or are they just filling empty space, hoping you like it enough to pay their final invoice?

We all know the effectiveness of AI depends entirely on how you prompt it, and whether or not your hired hand is actually reading, revising, and improving the copy.

Which is why I believe we need to be far more cautious. Relying on AI blindly—literally copy-pasting the output to a live site without a human eye ever reading a single line—is, in my opinion, negligence.

Whether we’re talking about your face or your website, artificial enhancements are risky.

When you rely too heavily on injected “fluff,” you often end up with an over-inflated, unnatural mess that is painfully obvious to everyone but you.

And just like a botched cosmetic procedure, the consequences range from looking exactly like everyone else to causing actual, lasting damage to your business.

So let’s take a look at what that looks like.

AI “Filler” in the Real World

Recently, I was working on a project for a commercial roofing company in Ontario. During my research phase, I started analyzing local competitors and noticed a significant number of them were relying heavily on AI to churn out SEO blog posts.

The examples below are based entirely on what I saw out in the wild. I’ve rewritten them slightly because I’m not here to name and shame a company that might just be experimenting with an AI content strategy. I am actually all for experimenting.

But, since I’m often the one responsible for a client’s brand message—and ultimately, their reputation—I’m the guy who reads every single word on a page, whether it was drafted by me or an AI.

And when you actually sit down and read the output, the “botched filler” becomes impossible to ignore.

Here’s what I saw which reaffirmed my belief that AI writing is just like a lip filler treatment gone wrong.

1. Paragraphs Bloated with Transitional Fluff

AI loves to clear its throat before it speaks, padding sentences with meaningless runway that adds zero value to the reader.

• Example: “Furthermore, in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, it is absolutely crucial to bear in mind that navigating the complexities of a commercial roof replacement requires a comprehensive approach.”
• If was writing this: Commercial roof replacements are complicated.

2. Repetitive Phrasing & Circular Arguments

Because AI predicts the next most likely word, it often gets stuck in a loop, saying the exact same thing three different ways in a single paragraph just to take up space.

• Example: “Our commercial roofing solutions are highly durable. We pride ourselves on providing long-lasting flat roofs that stand the test of time. Ensuring the ultimate longevity of your building’s roof is our top priority.”
• If I was writing this: We maintain flat roofs that last decades, protecting your investment.

3. Over-Exaggerated Adjectives

AI tries to mimic enthusiasm but lacks a human understanding of nuance. It ends up turning everyday, blue-collar services into grand, poetic events.

• Example: “Experience a revolutionary paradigm shift in bespoke TPO membrane installation,” or “We weave an unprecedented tapestry of asphalt and fiberglass to elevate your commercial property.”
• If I was writing this: We install high-quality TPO membranes and reliable asphalt roofing in Toronto.

4. Superlatives and “Shaming” Demographics

To create a false sense of urgency, AI relies on sweeping, hyperbolic generalizations that usually end up insulting the reader’s intelligence or competence.

• Example 1: “Most property managers make the catastrophic mistake of completely ignoring their flat roofs until it’s too late.”
• Example 2: “While the vast majority of small businesses fail to realize the undeniable importance of a watertight roof, the smart ones take immediate action.”
• If I was writing this: Don’t wait for a ceiling leak to check the condition of your flat roof. Catching wear and tear early saves you money.

This is the “duck-lip” effect of AI copywriting. On the first read, a sentence might look voluminous and plump. But when you actually let it sink in, it is confusing and hollow.

Once You Start, You’ll Never Stop

Here’s what genuinely concerns me about both lip filler and using AI to write copy: once you start it, you rarely stop at just one session.

Once a business owner or a “hopeless” web designer saves three hours using ChatGPT to draft a homepage, the psychological threshold for what is considered “good enough” plummets.

Just a little playful banter after I spotted a spelling mistake in Josh’s LinkedIn post.

Suddenly, you start injecting it everywhere. It creeps into your email newsletters, your social media posts, your product descriptions, and your LinkedIn updates.

What makes it worse is that AI is literally programmed to keep you hooked.

Every time it generates a response, it follows up with a helpful little nudge:

• Would you like me to adjust the tone?
• Should we expand on this section?
• Shall I turn that into a carousel for you?

AI is designed to keep you prompting ad infinitum.

Eventually, you develop “filler fatigue.” You lose perspective on what your actual, authentic brand voice sounds like, blinded to how artificial your marketing has become.

Just Another “K-Pop Idol” Face of Copywriting

I’ve been living in Asia for over 11 years now, and the cosmetic surgery culture here is wild. Back in 2014, I cycled to Seoul. I remember seeing young women walking around the streets with black eyes and bandages. Young and naive, I honestly thought I was witnessing the aftermath of some kind of street brawl or abusive relationship.

When I mentioned it to my Couchsurfing host, they laughed and explained the plastic surgery phenomenon:

• Everyone was getting procedures to chase the exact same, standardized K-pop idol look.

Fast forward to 2026, and that homogenization has only gotten worse.

AI is doing the exact same thing to brand identity.

When every business in your industry is using the same few Language Models to write their copy, everyone starts sounding identical. Your brand becomes bland, overly polite, and stripped of any unique edge or personality.

You lose the very thing that makes people want to buy from you.

Just like chasing a synthetic standard of beauty, using AI to sound like everyone else ensures nobody remembers your face in the crowd.

But hey, at least it looks good, right?

Dissolving AI’s Filler

Now, full disclosure: this article was co-written with Gemini as part of my 30-day AI writing challenge.

Before you call me a hypocrite, remember that I’ve been writing copy for hundreds of clients over the past 10 years. I know what good copy looks like, and I know how to edit.

AI for writing website copy is incredibly helpful.

I use it for brainstorming and battle-testing ideas. If I give it enough context — usually by feeding it transcripts from my discovery calls and creative meetings with clients to extract their actual knowledge, voice, and concepts, along with my own independent research — AI is pretty damn good at piecing those ideas together into passable, usable content.

It makes generating FAQs fast and easy, and it’s great for churning out SERP titles and meta descriptions.

But again, what I’m seeing out in the real world is the exact opposite of that careful process. I am seeing the same AI patterns and the same robotic writing styles being injected over and over again.

If you want your business to sound just like every other competitor, go ahead and sign up for a ChatGPT Plus. For $20 a month, you can use AI for writing website copy which would be far cheaper than hiring me.

But if you ever need a hand finding your actual voice—and keeping the artificial fluff off your website—I’m always here to help.