“It's because even if you end up completely rewriting it, it starts out without the human soul. And it's really hard to add the human soul. But if you can start with even the messiest human written draft, and then use AI to make it better, it has human soul to begin with, and it just ends up a much more human and resonant piece of writing.” - Jessica M
You’ve probably noticed it—the emails that don’t sound quite right, the sales pages full of word salad, the content that feels like it was written by a robot. Because it probably was.
This week we’re talking with Jessica Mehring, founder of Horizon Peak Consulting, specializing in conversion-focused editorial content, campaign copy and content strategy for B2B tech companies. She is also an author, speaker, and university lecturer, and she coaches leaders and their teams how to grow trust with their own writing. After two years of scholarly research on AI and communication, we’re excited to dig in with Jessica on the topic. We discuss how the steady creep of AI into our communication is impacting trust and encouraging sameness. Where should AI fit into the writing process - or should it at all? How is AI impacting our communication and creativity - and how we can use it for the better?
In today’s episode:
How the mixing of AI and human communication is eroding trust, starting way before ChatGPT came on to the scene.
Why everything that comes out of GPT sounds oddly similar (introducing Jessica L’s new favorite term language homogeny)
The right ways to use AI to be a tool in your content without removing the soul of your writing or introducing bias.
Why one moment of friction in communication can cause us to question our trust in a company.
If you have to use AI because you’re in an firm with a mandate to do so, where and how you might use AI (and where to avoid).
How women (and other underrepresented voices) are mobilizing for seats at the AI development table.
“We go check out the social media and it's just this robotic slop. I look at that and I see a minuscule moment of friction in the customer experience, but that moment of friction is all it takes for a customer to question. ‘Do I believe everything else I've read? Can I trust this company? Should I give them my money?’ One moment of friction in the customer experience across the spectrum of content is enough for customers to question their purchase. And you never want customers to question their purchase.” - Jessica M
About our Guest
Jessica’s Thought Leadership and Teaching
Trust Fall: The Communication Connection
Resources Mentioned
The Perception Gap: When is it okay to use AI in content, and when is it not?
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