Be Better Than AI
In a recent post, I wrote about an executive who was overly dependent on AI technology for his communications. The epilogue to the story is that his entire firm suspects him and his reasoning because of this false representation of himself.
I recently read an excellent article, “I’m Begging You: Never Write with A.I.” While his recommendations are excellently compelling, I differ from his absolutism about AI. I find AI often jump-starts me into the message I want to communicate. The operative phrase here is “jump-starts.”AI is a baseline beginning. It amalgamates comprehensive data that MIGHT be salient to my message but is NOT 100% essential.
This distinction matters because the message must come from me, not a machine. My messages credential me, as they do you. I can’t stress this enough. It’s critical that we write/communicate for ourselves. Colleagues know when you’re not being true to who you are.
To ensure this, I’ve created a set of three questions to ask yourself with all your AI diligence:
- What areas of this thesis apply?
- What areas need to be tailored and more sentient?
- Does this diligence represent me?
When you come to the realization that YOU own AI, it doesn’t own you; you’ve got a friend in AI. While the technology can be an assist, it is not you. And I challenge you to be better than AI. Sure, run your communication through a bot but then analyze the result. Is it better than what you tried to communicate? If it is, you have work to do. If AI is capturing your voice more accurately than you did, you’ve got work to do. If what is created artificially seems more real than what you tried to bring to life, you’ve got work to do.
Perhaps you’re now sensing the point. Artificial Intelligence shouldn’t be a substitute for you doing the work for which your clients have engaged you. They want your thoughts, your insight, your knowledge, your experience. In short…they want you! Give them the genuine product, not an artificial facsimile. Be better than AI.
