#84: Has AI replaced Authenticity?
How do you stand out now?
Much is made of authenticity these days.
A few years ago, “authentic” became the word of the moment as people everywhere strived to stand out in a sea of bland.
But then what quickly followed?
AI: chatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and all the others, all purporting to be able to learn your voice and write like you.
I was a little surprised yesterday when a friend of mine and fellow coach Andy Casey said he’d managed to get Claude to write pretty much like him.
But otherwise, all I see in my social feed (particularly LinkedIn), websites (even those of people I hold in high regard with great writing skills) is homogeneity.
Posts all saying the same thing in the same robotic style.
In the search for authenticity it seems people have gone all-in on the complete opposite — and the seem blissfully unaware.
You might have just noticed the emdash (—) above, which is also another trade mark of chatGPT at least. And there’s been much lambasting of this poor, erstwhile underused punctuation mark as a tell tale sign that a piece of writing or copy was crafted by AI.
Which is a shame, as I’ve used em and it’s smaller sibling the endash in my writing for a long time, as have other writers and authors.
So how can we be authentic when the world has gone AI crazy?
Well as someone who helps people make big decisions, navigate crossroads, and holds space for them to think out loud, my own authenticity comes in person, or when I’m talking with people on the phone or on a Zoom call.
I also try my best to bring most of me to my writing, but there’s really no substitute to actual conversation.
Then you get the intonation, the facial expressions, the Metallica and Gun n’ Roses t-shirts, the challenge, the questions, and the empathy.
So while I’ve built a decent email and online following, I’m taking steps to get oiut more and attend networking events.
Whether you’re a small business owner or an exec leader, I recommend it.
Find the right ones for you, but if the three I attended 2 weeks ago are a barometer of their usefulness, the half a dozen leads and countless new connections I made would say they are worth while as part of your “mix”.
Like posting on LinkedIn, or connecting with people through other media, most people tend to wait until they need something before they’re brave enough to put their head above the parapet.
I get that going into a room of people you don’t know, or making a post on LinkedIn for the first time can feel incredibly exposing.
But like most things, once you’ve done it once, the second time becomes a whole lot easier.
So if you’re reading this and you don’t do either of those things, perhaps because you think that’s “not you” or that you don’t need to — I’d encourage you to start.
If you don’t need anything, all’s the better.
Go out to serve.
And do it powerfully. Ask great questions, be interested in other people’s businesses, their lives.
Yes there’ll be small talk, but it’s easy enough to share your knowledge in person and online without coming across as naff.
Write how you talk, be you.
Speak how you, er, speak. And also be you.
Go out to help people better understand and solve their problems and they’ll come to you when they need the help.
Then, you’re doing it authentically, and not because you need something in return.
And you’re standing out in a sea of (largely) AI garbage. It’ll be the people that focus on the art of being a human that build the best relationships in the future.
Phil
My name’s Phil Sterne and I’m a dad to two teenagers, a husband, and have a little dog too. When I’m not working, I enjoy family days out and walks, and have fun mountain biking with my mountain biking buddies.
When I am working, I help people like you who are at a crossroads in their career or business and are trying to work out the next steps — their vision, strategy, and plan — so they can get on with real purpose.
And if that’s what you need, first download my free eBook, 6 Questions That’ll Change Your Life.
Or find me….
See you there?