Why Your Authentic Self Is the Ultimate Advantage in the Age of AI
As artificial intelligence reshapes work and creativity, the biggest value driver isn’t the tech - it’s the irreplaceable personality, trust, and energy only you can bring.
Let’s imagine a world where video, text, and anything you read or see could have been created by AI. In that world, when you come across a piece of writing, does it matter if it was written by a human or not?
I think it depends on why you are reading it. If you are reading for pure enjoyment, maybe it doesn’t matter. But if you are reading because you believe it has come from a real person who has lived it, learned from it, and is sharing those experiences with you, then it absolutely matters. That human fingerprint is the value.
And here’s where it gets tricky. Today, AI can already mimic your style well enough that many people would believe it was written by you. It might not be perfect, but it will pass the “real or not” test for a lot of readers.
The LinkedIn moment that brings this home
You are scrolling through LinkedIn and you come across a post from someone in your industry. It is about overcoming setbacks in business. It is thoughtful, raw, and full of personal anecdotes. The writing is crisp. The advice feels hard-won. You find yourself nodding along because it speaks directly to some of your own struggles.
You bookmark it.
You share it with your network.
You drop it into your team chat.
You even reference it in a client conversation that week because it is that relevant.
Then, you find out it was entirely made up by AI.
Does this change how you feel about the advice? Does it make those insights less valuable? Or does the fact it didn’t come from a real person take away some of its weight?
Your gut reaction probably tells the story.
Trust is now a big issue
This is not just about writing. Videos can be faked too. Today’s deepfakes are good enough to cause mischief, but fast forward a couple of years and you could create a convincing, entirely fictional person from scratch.
That means anything you put out into the world that is truly from you becomes valuable. People will want to see you and know that you are real.
Building a real world presence
Your social presence is going to be the proof point that you are real. When you show your personality, share the behind-the-scenes, and engage in real conversations, you are building a personal brand that gives your work credibility.
This is especially important because most people will take the lazy option and let AI do everything. That will flood the internet with content that is technically correct but bland and hollow.
The “right way” to use AI
There is a better way.
Instead of “AI, write me this”, start with your own thinking. Use voice memos or rough notes. Put your own experiences and stories on the table first. Then use AI to challenge your ideas, draw more out of you, and help you structure them into something more powerful.
The magic is in the mix. Your lived experience combined with AI’s ability to sharpen and amplify.
Standing on a stage in the real world - that’s scary
A few weeks ago I was standing on a stage in front of 400 people. I knew this was the moment to implement the presentation techniques I have talked about on my Substack.
Things like focusing on one part of the room so I don’t get thrown off by people’s expressions, not locking onto individual eyeballs, familiarising myself with the space before I started, and knowing the key point I was going to make on each slide.
These are not tips I copied from a book or generated in a prompt. They are things I have learned from actually doing it. You could get AI to write you a guide to presentations, but it would be average. It wouldn’t have the tiny details that come from standing there, lights on you, knowing the nerves will kick in at certain moments.
What simple meetings teach you that AI simply cant
Every day I sit in meetings with real people. You see what works and what doesn’t. You watch people try things for the first time - sometimes it lands brilliantly, sometimes it doesn’t. You notice how a well-timed question can change the whole direction of a conversation, or how a missed opportunity leaves the room flat.
That is knowledge you only get from showing up, not from Googling “how to run a good meeting”.
The real value comes from going out into the world, testing what works, and bringing those lessons back. Then using AI to help you articulate and structure those insights so they have more impact. That is where the power will be, not in some copycat content mill.
Building credibility in the AI world is tough
The risk here is that people with established reputations will keep getting stronger because they already have the trust. Pre-AI experts, celebrities, and thought leaders will carry more weight simply because people know they are real.
It makes it harder for new voices to break through. Twenty or thirty years ago, you could become a household name by appearing on a Saturday night TV show that millions watched together. Now we are all watching different things, on different platforms, in different rooms. Our cultural reference points are fragmented. That makes trust harder to earn from scratch.
And the same problems exist at work too
In a professional environment, this is going to show up in interesting ways. Imagine sharing a written report or strategy and having colleagues quietly wonder if you wrote it yourself. That is where live discussions, Q&A sessions, and collaborative work will become essential proof points.
AI can help you articulate ideas that you have lived but never quite been able to put into words. It can help you package your thinking so it is easier for others to understand. But it should not be used to fake knowledge or experiences you do not have.
What Becomes Important
In a world where AI can do almost everything with words and images, the things that remain scarce and valuable are:
Your presence – live, unedited, unscripted.
Your voice – shaped by the life you have actually lived.
Your relationships – the trust you build over time.
Takeaway Actions
Show up live: host or join webinars, panels, and interactive sessions.
Share your process: post behind-the-scenes thinking and rough ideas.
Mix AI with reality so let AI be your collaborator, not your ghost-writer.
Lead with stories: always connect your ideas to lived experience.
Invest in trust: engage where your audience can see and hear the real you.
If you want to stand out in the AI era, make your work impossible to fake.
What to read next…
A podcast you will love
Discovering new podcasts can be tricky. This week, I have one from Adam Grant on his Rethinking Podcast. He explores how you shouldn’t look to build a personal brand but instead build a reputation. There’s a subtle difference…
And here are some great Substacks to check out.
Polymathic Being- helping you break out of conventional ways of thinking.
- a fascinating journey through psychology - Practical, science-backed ideas on creativity, well-being, and human potential from a cognitive scientist.Thank you for reading this week.
Oh, and please restack if you thought this was interesting. Thanks!
And please leave a comment and join the conversation.
Thank you so much for this! AI has been on my mind a lot lately. I don't want to outsource my thinking or writing, but I also know it's not going away, so how do we use it as a tool? And if I don't use it, am I missing something?
Yesterday: fake it until you make it ...
Today: make your work impossible to fake !!!
Thanks for your post 👍👍👍🔥🔥🔥