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Writer's pictureJamie Clark

we all sound the same

Updated: Sep 30

I love being human.


It is one of human's greatest privileges to be a free-thinker, to have a unique voice, and to be creative.


Over the past year, I have noticed a radical shift both in my working life and now even more recently in my personal life, which is that we are all now starting to sound the same.


We are writing more than ever before, but sounding less and less like ourselves.


It is almost as though there is a new digital tool that somehow is shaping how we communicate to each other. It is almost like people have deferred to a new intelligence, to 'assist' them in how they communicate online.


Oh, ya, ChatGPT is now here.


And would you just look at that adoption rate.


Released in November 2022, ChatGPT reached 1 million users in less than five days, making it one of the fastest adopted digital tools in history.


In April 2024, at it's current peak of usage, it recorded 1.8 billion monthly visits.


That is an extraordinarily fast global acceptance.


And since then, there are new AI tools popping up left, right and centre, all with the same value proposition, to essentially reduce the need for human input and to let AI takeover.


Below is a screenshot from the website of an AI company who are promising customers that they will save 11x versus employing humans, be 100x scalable than with humans, and for it to work 24/7.


Well, at least they are honest about what they're trying to do.


And, I do get it. Often times it is really hard to get away from it. Even as I write this now, AI recommendations are popping up everywhere the site I host my website on is suggesting I use AI to 'tweak' this blog. LinkedIn, where I will later post this, also says I will need the help of AI to craft the post.


See:


I can rephrase, fix my spelling, shorten it, expand it.


The digital sphere is pressuring me to use AI. I am starting to feel the heat to click that little star, just to check if the machine can propose a better alternative to this text.


LinkedIn says I'll get 2x more opportunities with AI

And indeed, perhaps this article would improve with the help of AI. It would most likely be more grammatically sound, less spelling mistakes, flawless punctuation.


But then, it wouldn't be me.


We have become so dependent on these tools that our voice is being unified into one. The large-language model is eating up all our data points to push us in one singular direction and I often wonder, who is really in control now?


And you see it everywhere, across all platforms and social medias. As a semi active user on LinkedIn, I've observed a trend of many people who write their posts with the following:


  • "Exciting News"

  • "Exciting Opportunity Alert! 🚀"

  • "Here's to another great year of doing xyz"

  • Starting the post with a ⭐

  • No spelling mistakes, anywhere.

  • Using '—' em-dash with no spacing between words, and using it everywhere.


Yeah, you seen it too? That's the "you know this was written with chatGPT" starter pack.


In the chart below, you can observe the dramatic rise of AI in business. 65% of businesses who responded to this McKinsey survey reported to be using Generative AI, meaning they are creating new information (photos, social media, blog posts etc). that has all been made by a machine.



This, at scale, will have a massive impact for how we interactive with one another and consume content.


But, I'm not saying that it is all doom and gloom. While the currents may be pulling us in one direction, there are creatives, innovators, and explorers swimming against the tide to keep human brilliance at the heart of their work.


It is their stories that I believe will become the most influential to our world.


Creativity is a privilege, let us no waste it.




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