You’ve seen it.
“In today’s fast-paced digital landscape…”
“Unlock the power of…”
“Elevate your journey…”
Somewhere, a robot is very proud of itself.
AI writing has a recognizable accent. Smooth. Polite. Slightly enthusiastic about everything. And when every business uses it the same way, everyone starts to sound like the same very motivated stranger.
Why it happens
AI tools are trained to produce the most likely next word.
That’s useful. It’s also the definition of average.
Your voice, on the other hand, is not average. It’s the strange phrase your customers repeat back to you. The joke you always make. The way you explain things to someone who’s nervous.
So the trick isn’t to stop using AI. It’s to stop asking it to be you.
How I use it instead
1. I write the messy version first
Voice notes. Bullet points. Half sentences. It doesn’t matter. The raw thinking comes from me.
Then I ask AI to help me organize it, not to replace it.
2. I give it examples of how I actually talk
Paste two or three things you’ve written that felt right. Ask the tool to notice the patterns. Short sentences? Questions? Humour? Local references?
You’ll get much closer to yourself than with “write a friendly post.”
3. I ban the usual suspects
I keep a small list of words I don’t want to see. Elevate. Unlock. Seamless. Game-changer. Journey (unless someone is actually travelling).
It’s surprisingly effective.
4. I read it out loud
This is the oldest editing trick in the world and it still works.
If I wouldn’t say it to a client sitting across from me, I don’t publish it.
5. I add the thing only I know
A detail from the shop. A real question someone asked this week. A small opinion.
That one sentence is often what makes the whole thing feel human.
Let AI do the scaffolding. You bring the furniture, the photos on the wall, and the slightly crooked painting you love.
Sounding like you is a competitive advantage
The more content gets generated, the more valuable a recognizable voice becomes.
People can feel the difference. Maybe not consciously. But they feel it.
And in a small community, where people actually know you, sounding like yourself isn’t just branding. It’s respect.
