By Maximilian Miguletz, Director Strategic Communications, Scompler Technologies GmbH

Across organisations, the pressure to do more with AI has turbo-charged content production. In my work with communication teams, I’ve seen how easy it is for that speed to feel like progress – until it isn’t.

According to recent analysis1, more articles are now created by AI than by humans – a statistic that captures both the power and the peril of this new productivity: volume isn’t value. When communication systems begin feeding on their own output – recycling old messages, repurposing unanchored content – we face a quiet crisis of ownership.

I call it message autophagy.

What is autophagy – and why it matters to communicators

Autophagy derives from the Greek for self-devouring. In biology, it describes cells recycling their own discarded material to be used in periods of stress or starvation.

AI researchers use a similar term, Model Autophagy Disorder, to describe what happens when generative models are repeatedly trained on their own synthetic output2. Without fresh, real data, quality and reliability degrade – often recognised as hallucination – as self-reinforcing loops turn probability into misinformation.

A similar pattern can be observed in the way many organisations communicate. Messages are copied, re-spun, and re-posted across channels until the original intent fades. AI can accelerate this, producing language that sounds coherent but is increasingly detached from strategic purpose – especially when it’s never fed with one.

The result is an illusion of productivity. An ecosystem of content that looks alive but is quietly eating itself.

The pattern: output without understanding

Teams produce more content than ever, but often without understanding how or why it connects to purpose, for example, when material repeats campaign slogans that no longer match current priorities.

These patterns predate AI. They’re symptoms of communication under constant efficiency pressure – when speed outruns sense. AI makes them even harder to notice, as generative tools produce supposedly new material trained on yesterday’s material.

Audiences start hearing phrases no longer connected to the organisation’s core – repetition without reflection.

Without understanding, communication becomes mechanical. Content is produced, but meaning isn’t created. Communication eats itself. Eventually, trust and engagement erode.

From autophagy to alignment: strategy as the missing nutrient

The cure? A better system.

Communication is often managed in fragments – by campaign or channel – yet strategy lives in the connections between them. When goals, messages, and teams are aligned through one shared framework, communication becomes more than the sum of its outputs.

Strategic clarity keeps our profession learning instead of looping. Without it, even advanced tools will hallucinate meaning – producing content that feels plausible but lacks truth.

Restoring balance: AI + HI

When output dominates understanding, several risks emerge:

  • Erosion of ownership. Teams cannot explain why certain messages exist or how they ladder up to goals.
  • Loss of authenticity. Repetition flattens personality; phrasing begins to sound the same across brands.
  • Decision paralysis. With so much ready-made content, leaders struggle to prioritise what actually matters.

These are not technology failures but symptoms of disconnection. The remedy lies in redefining our relationship with technology – and on balancing AI with Human Intelligence (HI). Three practices can help restore that balance:

  • Keep strategy in the loop. Begin every AI-assisted task with clarity on goals, audiences, and tone. AI is only as good as the purpose behind it.
  • Feed your system fresh data. Ground messages in real stakeholder feedback, research, and lived experience. Fresh input prevents stagnation.
  • Retain ownership. Before publishing, ensure someone can explain why this message matters and how it supports the organisation’s direction.

AI can accelerate what we already understand, but it cannot replace understanding. Let’s use the time it saves not for more output, but for deeper reflection.

A brief self-check

Could I explain the reasoning behind our most recent campaign without referencing a template or AI suggestion?
If the answer feels uncertain to me, that’s my first sign of message autophagy – and the moment for me to reverse it.

The way forward

In biology, healthy cells balance renewal and recycling. In communication, healthy systems balance productivity with purpose. They sense what resonates, adapt what messages are missing, and learn from every interaction.

Communication does not fail because technology advances too quickly, but when we stop thinking deeply about meaning. The discipline to pause, to reflect, to ask what a message really means, is what keeps communication alive.

Use the tools. Don’t let the tools use you.

That’s how we keep our messages alive – and our stories human.

1 Graphite (2025). More Articles Are Now Created by AI Than Humans. URL: https://graphite.io/five-percent/more-articles-are-now-created-by-ai-than-humans.
2 Alemohammad, S., Casco-Rodriguez, J., Luzi, L., Humayun, A. I., Babaei, H., LeJeune, D., Siahkoohi, A., & Baraniuk, R. G. (2023). Self-Consuming Generative Models Go MAD. URL: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2307.01850.