AI and Email Templates: Should You Use Them? How to Maintain Human Connection

Last month, we ran an experiment: We sent 100,000 emails across 10 different campaigns – half written by humans, half by AI. The results challenged everything we thought we knew about AI in email marketing. This isn't another "AI will replace everything" or "AI is evil" post – it's a nuanced look at what actually works.

The Great Email Experiment

We partnered with 5 clients across different industries to test AI-generated emails against human-written ones. Each campaign targeted 10,000 subscribers with identical subject lines and sending times. The only variable? The email body copy.

The Surprising Results

Here's where it gets interesting. AI didn't universally win or lose – the results were fascinatingly nuanced:

Where AI Excelled

AI particularly shined in creating variations for testing. Where a human might spend hours crafting 10 different versions of an email, AI generated them in minutes, allowing for more extensive testing.

Where Humans Dominated

The Hybrid Approach: Best of Both Worlds

The real magic happened when we combined AI efficiency with human creativity. Here's our proven workflow:

Step 1: AI for Ideation and Structure

// Prompt Example
"Generate 5 email structures for a summer sale campaign 
targeting repeat customers who haven't purchased in 90 days. 
Include emotional hooks and urgency elements."

// AI Output (simplified)
1. Nostalgia angle: "Remember your last summer with us?"
2. FOMO approach: "Your exclusive access expires soon"
3. Personal achievement: "You've earned this special rate"
4. Problem/solution: "Still struggling with [pain point]?"
5. Social proof: "Join 10,000 customers this summer"

Step 2: Human Refinement

We then take the AI structure and infuse it with brand personality, specific customer insights, and emotional nuance that AI misses.

Step 3: AI for Optimization

Finally, we use AI to generate subject line variations, preview text options, and CTA alternatives for testing.

The Human Touch Formula

Through extensive testing, we've identified the key elements that maintain human connection in automated emails:

1. Imperfection is Perfection

Counterintuitively, emails with minor "imperfections" performed better. A conversational tone with occasional fragments, thinking-out-loud moments, and even strategic typos (yes, really) increased reply rates by 23%.

"The email that performed best wasn't the polished AI version or the perfect human copy – it was the one where I literally wrote 'Honestly, I'm not sure if this deal makes sense for everyone, but here's why it might work for you...'" - E-commerce Client

2. Specificity Beats Generalization

AI tends to write in generalities. Humans excel at specific details:

// AI Version
"Our product helps businesses save time and money."

// Human Version
"Last Tuesday, Sarah from Austin told us she saved 
3 hours on inventory management – time she used to 
finally take that pottery class she'd been putting off."

3. Emotional Progression

Humans naturally understand emotional arcs. We tested emails with emotional progression versus flat emotional tone:

• Flat tone (mostly AI): Consistent emotion throughout
• Progressive tone (human-edited): Curiosity → Understanding → Excitement → Action

The progressive emotional emails had 38% higher conversion rates.

Practical Templates: AI-Assisted, Human-Approved

Here are templates we've developed that leverage AI while maintaining human connection:

The "Honest Update" Template

Subject: Quick update (and a small confession)

Hey [Name],

I'll be honest – I used AI to help draft this email. 
But here's what AI couldn't tell me: You Haven't logged 
in for 47 days, and that usually means one of three things:

1. We've failed you somehow (tell me how?)
2. You've found a solution elsewhere (no hard feelings!)
3. Life got busy (totally understand)

Whatever the reason, I wanted to personally check in...

[AI-generated product updates]

But more importantly, how are YOU doing? Hit reply and 
let me know – yes, a real human (me) reads these.

- [Your name]
P.S. If you want to unsubscribe, no worries. But maybe 
tell me why first? It helps us improve.

The "Behind the Scenes" Template

Subject: How we wrote this email (meta, right?)

[Name],

Fun fact: This email started as 5 bullet points from ChatGPT.
Then I rewrote it 3 times because it sounded like a robot 
trying to sell you vitamins.

Here's what survived the human edit:

[AI-generated product features, human-edited for voice]

Here's what I added that AI missed:
- Why we built this (frustration with existing tools)
- Who shouldn't buy this (seriously, it's not for everyone)
- What customers actually say (hint: it's not all 5-stars)

[Human-written story or case study]

Curious? [CTA]

Talk soon,
[Your name]

The Tools We Actually Use

After testing dozens of AI tools, here's our current stack:

For Initial Draft Creation

• Claude 3: Best for maintaining consistent voice
• ChatGPT-4: Excellent for variations and ideas
• Jasper: Good for templates and frameworks

For Optimization

• Phrasee: Subject line optimization
• Persado: Emotional language optimization
• Copy.ai: Quick variations for A/B testing

For Humanization

• Hemingway Editor: Simplify AI's complex sentences
• Grammarly: Tone detection (set to "casual")
• Read-aloud tools: If it sounds robotic when spoken, rewrite it

The Ethics Question

Should you tell subscribers when AI is involved? We tested this too:

Surprisingly, being transparent about AI use, especially with humor, actually improved engagement. People appreciated the honesty and found it relatable.

Common AI Email Mistakes to Avoid

1. Over-relying on AI for emotional content: AI doesn't understand genuine empathy yet
2. Not editing for brand voice: AI defaults to generic corporate speak
3. Ignoring context: AI misses cultural nuances and current events
4. Forgetting the preview text: AI often front-loads keywords unnaturally
5. Using AI for apologies: Never, ever use AI for crisis communication

The ROI of AI-Assisted Email Marketing

Let's talk numbers from our client implementations:

Future-Proofing Your Email Strategy

As AI evolves, here's how to stay ahead:

1. Build Your Voice Database

Document your brand voice, successful emails, and customer language. This becomes training data for AI tools.

2. Focus on Strategy, Not Execution

Let AI handle the "what" while you focus on the "why" and "who."

3. Invest in Prompt Engineering

The quality of AI output depends entirely on input quality. We spend 20% of our time perfecting prompts.

4. Maintain the Human Review Layer

AI should never send emails without human review. Period.

Our Decision Framework

Use this simple framework to decide when to use AI:

if (email.type === "transactional" || 
    email.type === "data_update" || 
    email.purpose === "testing") {
    use_ai = true;
}

if (email.contains("story") || 
    email.contains("apology") || 
    email.audience === "vip_customers") {
    use_human = true;
}

if (email.volume > 1000 && 
    email.personalization_needed === true) {
    use_hybrid = true;
}

Real Campaign Examples

Campaign 1: E-commerce Welcome Series

• Email 1: AI-generated with human edit (performed best)
• Email 2: Fully human (important brand story)
• Email 3: AI-generated product recommendations
• Email 4: Human testimonial curation
• Email 5: AI-generated with human PS

Result: 43% higher LTV compared to previous all-human series

Campaign 2: B2B Lead Nurture

• AI for initial research and data compilation
• Human for narrative structure and insights
• AI for subject line variations (tested 20 versions)
• Human for final review and personalization

Result: 67% reduction in creation time, 23% higher conversion

The Verdict

Should you use AI for email templates? Absolutely. Should you rely on it entirely? Absolutely not.

The future isn't AI versus human – it's AI with human. The brands that will win are those that leverage AI's efficiency while maintaining the emotional intelligence that only humans possess.

"AI gave us back 15 hours a week. We use that time to actually talk to customers, understand their needs, and create strategies that matter. AI handles the execution; we handle the connection." - SaaS Marketing Director

Your Next Steps

1. Audit your current email templates – identify which could benefit from AI
2. Start small – use AI for subject line variations first
3. Document your brand voice meticulously
4. Test, measure, and iterate
5. Never lose sight of the human on the other end

Remember: Email marketing isn't about perfect copy – it's about perfect timing, relevance, and connection. AI can help with the first two, but only humans can nail the third.