AI can’t write your thought leadership for you.
If you’re looking for an Easy Button for thought leadership, I have bad news. It doesn’t exist.
Sure, people are selling Easy Buttons: “Click here to generate your AI-powered story!”
A recent example: One storytelling coach is developing a new AI tool that claims to “arm exceptional tech entrepreneurs with the narrative skills of history’s most influential leaders, enabling them to secure millions in funding.”
🤔
Here’s why I’m skeptical and why I know that AI can’t do your most important thought leadership for you.
AI can’t guess the answers to the most important questions about your business.
I spent some time this week researching the AI storytelling tools currently on the market. It’s very early days still, and most of them don’t promise much. The tools targeted at corporate leaders and founders still ask the user a lot of detailed questions – questions you’d still need to reflect deeply on to answer well.
AI still needs a human to answer questions like:
- What is the problem you’re solving?
- What is the background of the company/brand/founders as is relevant to your products and services?
- What is the Purpose/Mission of the brand/company?
- How does the way you offer your solution or how it works make the difference for your target audience?
- How would you describe the result that your product/services get your customers or audience?
- What is your vision for the space/niche that you operate in and what is your place in that future?
I ask my clients similar questions. And I’ve learned that I’m not looking for a pat, practiced answer from them. Instead, the whole point is the conversation. I want to get them thinking in new ways. I want to reflect back to them the most powerful ideas and stories they’ve shared. The interview is all about developing their story. I’m not just plucking information out of their heads; I’m helping them shape the way they understand their experiences and share them with others.
You are the only one with your unique perspective. A robot can’t replicate that.
That brings me to the most critical flaw in AI storytelling assistants: they can’t do the hard work for you. The most important part of telling your story and sharing your unique perspective is digging deep to understand your story. It’s doing the hard, sometimes uncomfortable work of introspection and reflection.
It’s asking yourself:
- What have I learned?
- How have I changed?
- How is my approach to my work different now than five years ago?
- What have I learned about how to be a better leader, manager, and teammate?
- How can I unite people to move forward in a positive direction?
- How do I want to leave my mark on my company or industry?
AI doesn’t know the long, craggy road you’ve traveled to get where you are today. It doesn’t know about the difficult conversations you’ve had with colleagues, the big mistakes you’ve made, or the exciting a-ha moments you’ve shared with your teams.
Your perspective is your most valuable asset.
If you’re developing your unique voice and building a platform around a big idea, your currency – your most valuable asset – is your differentiated PERSPECTIVE. You can’t just throw together an AI-powered, Mad Libs-style story and take it to market. No one will listen. No one will buy what you’re selling. The world is crowded and noisy. If you’re just adding static to the fray, no one will even notice you’re talking.
Related: Can AI Write Thought Leadership Content for You? [NOPE]
