When AI starts to sound like you – and you start to sound like AI

The more we lean on intelligent tools for words, ideas and decisions, the more we must guard the one thing they cannot copy: our unique perspective as human beings.

Article link: https://open.substack.com/pub/johanosteyn/p/when-ai-starts-to-sound-like-you?r=73gqa&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Audio summary: https://youtu.be/ucdhJWTabB4

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I write about various issues of interest to me that I want to bring to the reader’s attention. While my main work is in Artificial Intelligence and technology, I also cover areas around politics, education, and the future of our children.

For many entrepreneurs, AI has become the invisible colleague in the room. It drafts emails, writes social media posts, suggests product names and even structures business plans. The first time you see it capture your tone or summarise your thoughts neatly, it feels magical. The temptation is obvious: if the machine can do this in seconds, why struggle through the blank page yourself?

Yet there is a quieter, more subtle risk here. Over time, you may find that the AI starts to sound like you – and then, slowly, you start to sound like it. Your voice, shaped by your life, values and context, can be flattened into something generic and globally optimised. That is not progress; it is erosion.

CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND

Human beings have always used tools to extend our abilities. We use calculators for sums, maps for navigation, and spellcheckers for writing. AI language models are the next step on that journey, but with a crucial difference: they operate in the same medium as our thoughts and relationships – language. When you ask a model to “write like me”, you are inviting it into the most personal part of your work: your voice. For entrepreneurs, especially in smaller businesses, that voice is not a side issue. It is a core asset. Customers often buy from you because they feel they know you, not because your wording is perfectly polished.

At the same time, modern AI systems are trained on unimaginably large amounts of text. Their job is to predict the next likely word. That means they are excellent at producing something that sounds plausible and familiar. The danger is that “plausible and familiar” can easily become “bland and interchangeable”. If every founder uses similar tools with similar prompts, their messages start to converge. The very uniqueness that gave their brand strength is at risk.

INSIGHT AND ANALYSIS

The psychological pull of convenience should not be underestimated. We are, in many ways, a lazy species. If a tool makes things easier, we will tend to use it more and more. There is nothing wrong with that, as long as we remain conscious of what we are surrendering. When you rely on AI for every phrase, every idea and every response, you slowly outsource not only effort, but also identity. You stop wrestling with what you actually think, and settle for what the machine can assemble from other people’s words.

There is also the issue of authenticity. People are increasingly good at sensing when a message is “off” – when it carries the right jargon but lacks real conviction. AI can imitate your style based on past examples, but it does not share your experiences, your worries or your hopes for the future of your children. It cannot feel the weight of a tough decision or the complexity of operating in a fractured society. When your communication becomes too heavily mediated by AI, you risk presenting a version of yourself that is technically impressive but emotionally hollow.

None of this means that AI is the enemy. Used wisely, it can amplify your thinking, challenge your blind spots and help you explore new angles. The key is to establish boundaries. Your values and sense of self must come first; the prompts must follow. You should know what you stand for, what you will not say, and how you want customers to feel after interacting with your brand, long before you ask a model to draft anything.

IMPLICATIONS

For entrepreneurs, this raises practical questions. Where in your work are you comfortable letting AI take the lead, and where must your own voice remain non-negotiable? Many find it useful to use AI for structural help – outlining an article, suggesting headings, checking grammar – while writing the core message themselves. Others draft the first version in their own words, then ask the tool to refine tone or tighten language. In both cases, the human remains the author, and the machine remains a helper.

It also means being honest in your prompting. If you ask an AI to “write in my voice”, you should have a clear idea of what that voice is: your typical phrases, your moral red lines, the audiences you care most about. Some founders even create a short “manifesto” they paste into their prompts, describing their values and how they want to speak. Crucially, you must still read and edit what comes back. If it sounds too slick, too generic, or simply not like you, change it. Your name, not the model’s, is on the line.

CLOSING TAKEAWAY

We are entering a world where AI will increasingly sound like us. The deeper question is whether we will still sound like ourselves. Our children will grow up surrounded by systems that can mimic any style at the tap of a keyboard. If we want them to understand that their individual perspective matters, we must model that in our own work.

Let AI handle the boring parts, offer suggestions and challenge your thinking, but do not hand it the pen entirely. The most valuable contribution you bring to your business, and to society, is not perfect phrasing. It is your lived experience, your conscience and your ability to care. No model, however advanced, can replace that.

Author Bio: Johan Steyn is a prominent AI thought leader, speaker, and author with a deep understanding of artificial intelligence’s impact on business and society. He is passionate about ethical AI development and its role in shaping a better future. Find out more about Johan’s work at https://www.aiforbusiness.net