327. The Human Reset: Reclaiming Authenticity in the Age of AI
Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques
In this episode, Matt Abrahams and Lorraine K. Lee discuss the challenges of maintaining authenticity in an era dominated by AI-generated co
Key takeaways
- The 'authenticity crisis' stems from the inability to verify if content reflects a person's true knowledge and experience.
- The TRUST framework (Truthful, Real-time, Tailored, Unique style, Tipping off perspective) helps communicators signal their humanity.
Main topics
- AI and the authenticity crisis
- The TRUST framework for communication
Notable quotes
Our imperfections reveal that we're human.
Conclusion
True communication excellence in the age of AI comes from using techno
Transcript preview
Speaker 2 (0:00) In a world where AI can polish and perfect our communication, the ability to communicate spontaneously on the spot not only demonstrates your humanness, but gives you an advantage in your personal and professional life. My name is Matt Abrahams, and I teach strategic communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Welcome to Think Fast, Talk Smart, the podcast. Speaker 2 (0:26) Today, you are in for something a little different. In celebration of the release of an updated version of my book, Think Faster, Talk Smarter, I'm taking on a new role. I'll be the guest, and my friend Lorraine K. Lee will join me and ask questions about the content of my new book. You might remember Lorraine from episode 202, where she talked about her great book, Unforgettable Presence. Also, you can see us together in my masterclass certification course on strategic communication. So let me move over and be a guest and welcome in Lorraine. Speaker 1 (0:59) All right, Matt. Well, thank you for inviting me to grill you today. Speaker 2 (1:04) I'm Speaker 1 (1:04) so excited to be back sitting in the host chair this time. Are you ready to dive in? Speaker 2 (1:08) I am absolutely ready. A little nervous, but in... very grateful for you taking the chair and I'm excited for the conversation. Speaker 1 (1:15) Of course, same here. So I read your two new chapters and emailed you very excitedly afterwards letting you know how timely they both are. You talk about how to handle spontaneous conflict and also how to remain human in a world of AI. So today I'd like to discuss the AI chapter. You said that AI has created an authenticity crisis. What do you mean by that and what are some of the consequences that we're seeing from that? Speaker 2 (1:40) We no longer can be assured that when we see a communication from someone that it came from them. Many people are using AI to polish and perfect their communication. So this authenticity crisis is really about who generated the content. Can I trust that it's you? And can I trust that it reflects your knowledge, your experience, your critical thinking? And that's really what's at risk. I am... Absolutely for using AI to help us in many ways in our communication. But when we outsource all of the deep thinking, the critical thought, the reflection, that becomes problematic because we don't have that depth of knowledge. The experience of thinking through our messages is really, really important. So the consequences, to get to your question, could be very dire. And we're seeing people change their behavior because of it. Speaker 1 (2:31) But Speaker 2 (2:31) employers are asking people to come in person for interviews because they want to know that you actually said it. You don't have your AI up on the side when you're virtual. We know in exams in universities and high schools, they're doing more in person. They're bringing back the old blue books that I had. Speaker 1 (2:47) Oh, Speaker 2 (2:47) are they? Okay. Yeah, when I was in school because we want to see that that's original content. So AI can help us in so many ways, but it also leads to this crisis. And all of us can be better served by... making sure that we are adept at communicating in the moment. in high stakes situations without relying on AI. It will become a differentiator and really help us to be more effective. Speaker 1 (3:12) I 100 % agree with that. And I was just talking to a senior leader the other day and he said, I don't trust anything that's written. I need to see you live. I don't know what was made with AI. Like what part was your thinking versus AI? So yeah, that really resonates. So to remedy this crisis and show more of our humanness, you developed a framework you call trust. Can you- Walk us through that framework and give us some examples. Speaker 2 (3:36) Absolutely. Anybody listening or watching knows I love a good framework. And I know you do too. Your book has lots of good ones that I follow on a regular basis. When we live in a world where authenticity is in question, we need to know that we can trust what somebody is saying came from them, that it's human created. So this framework provides us with... five specific skills or actions we can take to demonstrate humanness, that we actually originated this information. So let me walk through the various steps of trust, T-R-U-S-T. To come off as authentic, you need to be trusted, and we can put trust into practice. The T is for starting with a truthful foundation. Ground your message in your lived experience, offering specific details and examples, delving into the emotions that accompanied them. I might say something like, I'm really self-conscious when I had to share that. By revealing that information, that's something that an AI tool couldn't do. The R is for real-time processing of ideas. AI just gives you a final output. You can verbalize what you're thinking in the moment, revealing your internal processes and signaling to others that you're originating content on the spot. Phrases like, my first inclination is, or let me think about, and I remember when, brings listeners into the workings of your mind. The U stands for Utilizing Tailored Detailed Local Evidence to support your logic and make it relevant. AI offers backing for its conclusion, but it tends to be very generic and flavorless. You can present stories, data, or testimonials that might be a little quirky or off, and those speak to your own unique lived experience. I might share how this new store layout is like that first store I ever visited or remember visiting as a kid. That's insight that really stands out as human and personal. The S is for showing your unique speaking style. Until very recently, I used to tell my students and clients to work on eliminating things like verbal tics that didn't add anything to the message and were potentially distracting. In the age of AI, these tics do add something, a sense of humanness. Our imperfections reveal that we're human. Now, don't go overboard on your ums and uhs, likes, oh, he means, okays, but you don't need to stress about them as much either. This verbal graffiti signals that you're authentic. And finally is T for tipping off the audience to your perspective. When sharing information, provide commentary in a form that's unique to your thoughts and insights. When describing a new process or innovation you made to a boss, you might say something like, this was the most challenging but fun solution I've had to work on in all the three years I've been here. By leveraging the T-R-U-S-T of trust, you demonstrate authenticity. You demonstrate humanness. You connect. And you let those you're speaking with know that you're human. And these are your thoughts. Speaker 1 (6:47) Love that framework. And I think the one that really resonated with me was when you were saying, oh, it's okay to add some of those verbal tics back. Similarly, I'll have people say, oh, I saw a typo in the email. I