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This article was originally published on Adformatie.nl.
AI has accelerated the world of content. It’s no longer about isolated experiments with ChatGPT, Gemini or Midjourney, but about structurally integrating AI into teams, processes and tech stacks. According to Danny van Steijn, client director at iO and programme developer for the Content Marketing & Web Editing Congress, this requires a fundamentally different way of working and thinking. “AI can do a lot, but only if people, processes and technology are in balance.”
Beyond the hype
The initial AI hype is behind us. Where content marketers and web editors were mostly experimenting last year, the focus is now on structural integration.
Van Steijn sees this as a logical evolution. “Automation doesn’t mean people are no longer needed. By accelerating routine work, space is created for genuine interaction and creativity. That’s where the best ideas come from.”
At iO, this has led to redesigned workflows and shifting roles. “We’re moving towards more holistic profiles: professionals who can switch between strategy, content and data. At the same time, specialist knowledge remains crucial. You must be able to assess whether AI output is accurate, or you lose control over quality.”
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From experiment to structure
Many organisations want to speed up with AI but forget that integrating a new technology takes time. Van Steijn: “The real work isn’t in the tool itself, but in how you structure your processes. Who is allowed to use it? Who is responsible for quality and oversight? And also: how much autonomy do you get within your role and team? These are fundamental questions.”
These topics will be explored at iO’s Content Marketing & Web Editing Congress 2025 on 20 November, which this year focuses on content at scale.
“Last year, our message was mainly: AI is here to stay. Now it’s all about the next step: how do you ensure both your organisation and you yourself are ready?” The congress is built around three pillars: people, process, and technology — the key to sustainable AI use, according to Van Steijn.
People: from creator to director
People remain the starting point. “AI is a tool, not a goal. As a professional, you need to know what you want to achieve with it.” Van Steijn notes that cold feet might play a role. “Content creators understand the benefits, but don’t always have the room to experiment or get trained. Yet that’s exactly where it starts: learning and trying.”
Meanwhile, the role of content and communication professionals is shifting from creator to director. “They manage AI agents, evaluate output and safeguard the brand voice. Creativity remains human work. AI can complement ideas but cannot replace them.”
Alexander Klöpping: how AI shapes working and thinking
The congress will further explore this human side. Internet entrepreneur and journalist
Alexander Klöpping will demonstrate how strongly AI influences our way of working and thinking.
Behavioural scientist Michaël Van Damme will show how behavioural insights can help address large groups in a personal way.
And Marelle van Beerschoten (Digital Shapers) will demonstrate how to move from experimentation to real change, with concrete steps to embed AI into your work and mindset.
“What unites all these stories,” says Van Steijn, “is that AI isn’t about technology, it’s about what people do with it.”
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The process: structure and scale
Successful AI adoption goes beyond the tool itself.
“It starts with processes. How do you collaborate between marketing, IT, and communications?” This relates to the congress theme: ‘content at scale: scalability without loss of quality’. “Scalability doesn’t mean you need fewer people, but that you work smarter. That you can reuse content across channels, markets and languages without diluting your brand identity.”
iO client Signify, which operates globally with local marketing teams, has already invested in operational efficiency, even before the arrival of genAI. They will share their experience at the congress.
Another breakout session is led by KLM, which is exploring how an AI mindset can be embedded within an organisation. “There, you see that technology only works when people are ready for it. It’s not about the tools, but about how teams think and collaborate.”
The technology: smart choices
The technological side is about finding the right balance between speed, control and security. “Not every tool fits every organisation,” says Van Steijn. “Some companies work entirely within Microsoft and therefore only use Copilot, but there’s no one-size-fits-all.” iO has developed its own AI ecosystem, ‘iO Bonzai’, combining multiple large language models. “One model excels in creative tasks, another in process automation. We help clients find the right mix.”
At the congress, TNO will present GPT-NL: a Dutch language model that respects privacy, copyright, and language preservation. “This is especially important for governments and public institutions, also because keeping data safe within the EU is a hot political topic,” says Van Steijn.
Balancing scale and authenticity
Van Steijn cautions against over-automation. “Hyper-personalisation sounds appealing, but if everything is algorithm-driven, authenticity is lost. Authenticity remains the core of trust. People immediately recognise when something feels too polished. My nine-year-old son can instantly tell if something is AI-generated or real. AI is valuable mainly because it creates space.”
From scale to meaning
What does van Steijn hope attendees take away from the congress? “Not just discovering new tools, but developing the mindset to work with them. That the next day, they approach their manager and say: I have an idea I want to experiment with.”
Van Steijn believes that the future of content marketing is no longer about producing more output, but about meaningful scale. “Content at scale isn’t about mass, it’s about relevance.”
Attend the Content Marketing & Web Editing Congress 2025
This year’s Content Marketing & Web Editing Congress focuses on content at scale – balancing people, process and technology. The programme includes practical breakout sessions and keynotes from internet entrepreneur Alexander Klöpping, behavioural scientist Michaël Van Damme, and Marelle van Beerschoten, founder of Digital Shapers and a driving force behind digital transformation in the Netherlands.
The Content Marketing & Web Editing Congress 2025 will take place on 20 November at Jaarbeurs Utrecht. Register now!