The AI boom is pervasive. We know. *cue eye roll*
It’s amazing! It’s horrible!
It unlocks everything and is the great equalizer! It’s the beginning of the end of humanity!
You can make it sound just like you! I can immediately tell if AI wrote this!
I’m neutral—verging on negative—about the use of AI.
But I do want to talk about your copy specifically. And that bucket of “AI slop” we always hear about.
(For the record, everything I send comes 100% from my brain, never even passing through any LLMs. Automatic spellcheck and thesaurus.com are about as high-tech as I get when I write.)
Here’s a take I really appreciate because it focuses on the output and intention behind creating more than the process or the tool:
“It’s not slop because it was created by an AI. It’s slop because it’s slop.
AI makes this easier, no doubt. But it pays to focus on avoiding slop, not in worrying how the slop is made.
The question is now, ‘Who approved this?’ not ‘who made this?’”
(I’m accidentally quoting Seth Godin twice this month, but A: that’s the power of staying top of mind via a daily newsletter. And B: he just writes so succinctly about so many pertinent topics, I can’t help myself!)
And yes, you can technically train AI on your brand messaging strategy, including your voice, values, and audience. (The 3 most essential elements I would be sure to integrate if I were setting up a project or entire ecosystem.)
But you STILL need to make sure you’re editing for you-ness. Every.single.time.
Here’s an example of why, sent by a wonderful friend of mine, from this Ed Tech newsletter.
He goes on to say, “When people read my newsletter for years and eventually meet me in person or see me speak on stage, these are some of my favorite words to hear: ‘You sound like you do in Buff Nuggets.’ That’s a win for me.”
That would (or should, in my opinion) be a win for each of us. To write the way we speak. Across contexts and conversations.
Because that consistency builds TRUST.
And trust is everything, with any relationship—personal, business, and the murky in-between most of us operate within.
So, use AI or don’t. Totally your call.
But DO make sure you know how you want to sound, who you want to connect with, what you want to stand for, and why you’re doing what you’re doing.
So that whatever you’re writing matches what you’re saying and doesn’t come out as slop that totally flops.
If you want a thought partner to talk, think, and write your way through those elements, book a free Alignment Call with me.
This is an excerpt from Toward Purpose & Progress, my newsletter where I share business tips, good news, shoutouts to Founder Friends, and other juicy snippets. Subscribe here for more rants, reflections, and resources.
