Sharing Your Thoughts? Caffeine is Still Better Than the AI Kool-Aid 🥤

How many LinkedIn posts or emails have you scrolled past this week that made you think, "Yep, ChatGPT (or Claude or Gemini) wrote this"?

You know the ones. They start with "Let's delve into this topic further..." or drop the dreaded "But here's the hard truth..." They're obsessed with words like "revolutionize," "harness," and "unlock potential." And don't get me started on those em-dashes (these things...—) scattered throughout like blinking red lights saying, "AI wrote this!"

And for the record, I wrote this LinkedIn post, not an LLM, so all kitsch and grammar mistakes are mine.

The moment I spot AI giveaways, I tend to tune out. It's true for LinkedIn posts, emails, work documents, and anything else that comes across my screen. It's like reading a really polite robot pretending to be human, and even if the content is wonderful and relevant, it loses credibility in my eyes.

Please don't misunderstand, AI is incredibly powerful. But when everyone's using the same tools the same way, we all start sounding like variations of the same LinkedIn influencer. That's not authenticity; that's like corporate MadLibs (and yes, I came up with that...not Claude or ChatGPT).

So how do you use AI to enhance your thinking and writing without losing your voice and your audience? Here are three ways to keep it human and engaging:

1. Use AI as Your Research Assistant, Not Your Ghostwriter

Instead of asking AI to write your entire post, use it to dig deeper into your ideas. Ask it to challenge your assumptions, find counterarguments, or suggest angles you haven't considered.

For example: "I think remote work increases productivity. What are the strongest arguments for and against this view?" or "What am I missing about this topic that would make my argument stronger?"

Then write the content yourself, informed by that research. Your voice, your perspective, your examples.

2. Let AI Handle Structure, You Handle Soul

AI can't tell your stories. Only you can do that. And stories are what people remember.

AI excels at organization but struggles with the personal touch. Use AI to create outlines, suggest flow, or reorganize your thoughts. Then fill in those sections with your own stories, opinions, and unique observations and why those points matter.

Think of AI as your editor, not your author. It can tell you where to put the punchline, but it can't tell the joke the way you would.

3. Train AI on Your Voice, Then Diverge

Feed AI examples of your best writing, generated completely by you, and ask it to identify your style. What phrases do you use? How do you transition between ideas? What's your typical sentence length?

That part is the easy part. Now, your voice comes in again. Once you understand how AI sees your patterns, it is so important to consciously break them sometimes. If AI says you always use three-point lists, try writing in paragraphs. If it suggests you're a formal writer, throw in some slang or a more conversational tone of voice. The goal is to sound like you on your best day, not the robot version of you.

The "So What"

AI amplifies your thinking, and shouldn't replace it. Don't be lazy! It doesn't pay off.

Use AI to work smarter because your audience can tell the difference between your authentic voice and AI-generated jargon and phrasing.

The most engaging content comes from real humans with real perspectives sharing real insights. AI can help you articulate those insights better, but it can't manufacture them for you.

So next time you're tempted to let AI write your LinkedIn post, remember: People connect with people, not with perfectly optimized content that sounds like it came from the same training data as everyone else's.

What's your experience with AI-generated content? Can you spot it from a mile away, or has it gotten harder to tell?

#AI #AuthenticWriting #ContentCreation #ProfessionalGrowth #LinkedInTips