[Edaily Reporter Lee So-Hyun ] In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) writes articles and summarizes information, the competitive landscape for content creators is shifting. Whereas keywords and formatting were once crucial for achieving top search rankings, the question “Why should readers choose my content over information summarized by AI?” has now become more important.

Creators selected for “Naver Mate,” a creator fellowship program operated by Naver (NAVER(035420)), found the answer in human experience, verification, and unique interpretation. They argue that while AI is useful for organizing information and assisting with expression, it is difficult to replace the know-how gained through firsthand experience and the trust conveyed to readers.

The “Special Naver Mates,” who receive a monthly special grant of 10 million won, cited experience and expertise as the key factors for content competitiveness in the AI era during written interviews. Creators across various fields—including the food recipe blog “MJ’s Quick & Easy Recipes,” the book blog “Stories from the Tips of My Fingers,” the Japan travel forum “Naildong,” and the fashion community “GoaCAD”—emphasized the value of human-centered content that AI cannot easily replicate.

Naver Mate is a fellowship program that helps creators on Naver’s user-generated content (UGC) services—including blogs, cafes, Knowledge iN, and premium content—make their content more discoverable in AI search results. It provides activity allowances and exposure benefits to outstanding creators, and awards a special grant of 10 million won per month to top-tier creators.

“We Must Become More Trustworthy Than AI”

The food recipe blog “MJ’s Quick & Easy Recipes” has an “AI citation count”—the number of times its content has been used as the basis for answers in Naver’s AI search—totaling 22.09 million.

The blogger defined the role of a creator in the AI era not as a mere conveyor of information, but as a “trustworthy verifier.”

They explained that while AI can provide cooking instructions or basic recipes, firsthand experience is necessary to understand the points where people fail during the actual cooking process, the variations depending on ingredient conditions, and the challenges beginners face.

“The core of cooking content lies in thorough verification of taste and empathy for the confusion beginners face in the kitchen,” he said. “Creators must convey authentic information—gained through their own hard work and firsthand experience—to searchers with meticulous care.” He added, “I approach my work with the belief that this is the only way to survive as a creator and not be replaced by AI in the AI era.”

“Smooth AI-generated sentences lacked warmth”

The blog “Stories from the Tips of My Fingers,” which consistently posts book reviews, has recorded 1.71 million AI citations on Naver. Reading content isn’t complete with just a summary of information. While AI can summarize a book’s plot or key messages, it’s up to the creator to explain which sentences stood out, why those passages resonated, and how they connect to the reader’s life and emotions.

He uses AI as an assistant to expand on thoughts inspired by a book or to refine the flow of his writing. However, he does not entrust the entire text to AI.

He said that while the polished sentences generated by AI initially seemed impressive, he came to feel its limitations through repeated use. “It lacked human warmth,” he explained. “That kind of writing definitely doesn’t resonate with readers.” He added, “Now, I only use AI for planning reviews, idea expansion, and proofreading and editing—then I rewrite it myself.”

Recently, as the search environment has shifted from typing keywords into a search bar to asking questions of AI, the concerns of creators have also changed. Whereas in the past, the format was important for achieving top search rankings, it has now become more important to include one’s own unique insights and experiences—things that AI cannot summarize or replace. His criterion for using AI is “not losing my own voice.”

Travel and Fashion Communities: “AI Can’t Recreate the On-Site Experience”

Creators active on Naver Cafes have also noted this trend. The Japan travel cafe “Naildong” has recorded 44.37 million AI citations on Naver. While AI can assist with organizing travel information, creating itineraries, and translation, they believe that AI cannot replace the photos taken by members themselves, their vivid travel reviews, or the emotions they felt on-site.

The fashion community “GoaCAD” also recorded 6.12 million AI citations. GoaCAD views AI not as a substitute but as a complement, strengthening people-centered narratives based on the fashion knowledge and experiences shared by actual members. They explain that while AI can organize information about clothing and styling, it is difficult for it to replicate the actual feel of wearing an item, personal taste, or the context exchanged within the community.

According to the creators of “Special Naver Mate,” the key to survival in the AI era is neither to exclude AI nor to rely solely on it for content production. Instead, they advocate leveraging AI’s strengths—such as organizing information and assisting with expression—while giving deeper thought to the experiences, verification, interpretations, and emotions that only humans can provide, and infusing them with their own unique style.

The search environment is also changing. As users shift from entering keywords to find a list of results to asking AI questions and receiving answers, the competitive edge of content is shifting from a focus on search optimization to a focus on trustworthiness and expertise.

Experts believe that platform competitiveness in the AI era depends not simply on securing a large volume of content, but on how effectively platforms connect with and nurture creators who possess real-world experience and expertise.

A Naver spokesperson stated, “Even in the AI era, the starting point for good content is records of experiences that people have personally lived through and verified,” adding, “We will provide support so that creators’ unique experiences and expertise can be more easily discovered even within the AI search environment.”