A reminder about Artificial Intelligence (AI)

This week I tried the Eddie Shleyner AI experiment.

(Eddie, if you don't know, is a gifted copywriter and author of the book Very Good Copy. Get it. Read it. It's 5-stars all the way.)

In one chapter, Eddie demonstrates one of AI's biggest weaknesses.

Even though AI can crank out thousands of words a minute, the words, while grammatically correct, often feel antiseptic. Impersonal. Soul-less.

AI-generated content often sounds like it was written by a machine. (Maybe because it was written by a machine?)

So, here's my version of Eddie's experiment:

I asked ChatGPT to "Write a short paragraph about the birth of my first son."

Here are the 79 words ChatGPT wrote:

The day my first son was born was a moment of pure wonder. Holding him for the first time, so small and perfect, filled me with overwhelming love and a profound sense of purpose. His tiny hands curled around my finger, and his first cries brought tears to our eyes, a humbling reminder of life’s miracle. In that instant, the world shifted, and my heart swelled with gratitude and an unshakable commitment to give him the best of myself.

Oof. My turn.

Limiting myself to the same number words, I wrote about May 2, 1990, the day I became a dad:

With the announcement, “It’s a BOY!” my brain goes numb. I can’t process what’s happening. A pediatrician examines the squalling baby. A faceless nurse weighs him and places him on my wife’s chest.

Time stops. I feel like I might throw up on my shoes. I feel like doing a cartwheel. And when I take my son into my arms to introduce him to the crowd in the hallway—I’m crying so hard I can barely see his face.

Here's the reminder we need:

AI can be a helpful tool for busy small business owners. It can summarize and organize quickly. It can spit out good outlines and useful first drafts.

But when you need to speak powerfully to the felt needs of your customers, AI comes up short.

Why? Because AI's words don't come from the heart. (AI doesn't have a heart.) AI's words are mechanically pulled from a vast database.

So...before you load that that AI-generated email series into your email software, look it over carefully.

Does it sound "meh" and generic? Does it sound like you? Does it grab you? Does it make you feel anything?

If not, give it a human touch. Give it some heart.

Or give me a call. I'd love to help.

Here's to the right blend of technology and humanity.