We’re Asking the Wrong Question About AI
I saw another post today about how to spot AI - actually two!
Look for an em dash.
Look for icons.
Look for bold text.
Look for something that feels “off.”
Sometimes it’s dragons with hair.
Sometimes it’s just vibes.
Honestly, who cares!!
At the same time, it seems every business and nearly every client we work with is racing to implement AI. When I attend conferences, they ask, “Who here used AI this week?” Hands go up. Last week, when I presented at a conference, I asked a similar question, and almost everyone responded with daily use.
So we’re in this strange place.
We're all using AI. We're all being told to leverage it. And yet we're obsessed with catching each other using it.
I feel there are places where this scrutiny does matter. Deepfakes, manipulated videos, and fake images that harm people or destroy trust are hugely problematic! I 100% teach my child media literacy and how to spot fake AI on TikTok and other social media platforms.
But, if someone writes a post about their business, maybe they sell wizzy wigs and those wizzy wigs bring people happiness, I truly don't care whether they used AI to help write about it.
If someone writes that same post without AI, cool. I don't feel this is the problem we need to solve.
We're living through a time that feels heavy. Politically. Economically. Emotionally. People are tired. People are trying to keep their businesses alive. People are trying to do right by their customers, their teams, their communities, and their families.
If someone uses an icon or bold text or, yes, even the dreaded em dash, and they're not hurting anyone, I'm not interested in policing that.
I'm far more interested in different questions.
Are they being honest?
Are they contributing something useful?
Are they treating people well?
Maybe we care a little less about how content is created and a little more about what people are putting into the world. Maybe we should spend less time playing “spot the AI" and more time loving our neighbors.
I can't speak for everyone, but this just feels like a better use of our energy right now.
So, how about it - maybe go comment on a few posts and celebrate the good things people are putting out into the world, and worry less about how that post was created, yes?
Author: Megan Gutierrez
