The Art of Recycled Thought...

...with a little help from AI and Influencers

Part 1: Why think then generative AI can do it for you?

Once upon a time, original thought was considered a badge of honour. Enter Generative AI -the new muse of LinkedIn influencers everywhere. Why bother painstakingly crafting an article when a few choice keywords and an algorithm can churn out a post that sounds intelligent? You see, it’s no longer about solving real problems or offering unique perspectives. It’s about letting an AI generate five variations of the same recycled idea until one sounds almost original.

For example:

• Step 1: Feed your favorite trending topics like "AI in customer experience," "disruptive innovation," and "synergy."
• Step 2: Let AI vomit out a thousand-word masterpiece that reminds everyone of something they read last week... or yesterday.
• Step 3: Slap your name on it and publish, basking in the glow of likes from people who haven’t caught on yet that this “insight” is the fourth reincarnation of a thought that wasn’t groundbreaking the first time.

In a few hours, the inevitable praise rolls in: "Insightful!" "You’ve articulated what we were all thinking but couldn’t say!" And there you are, celebrated as a visionary, simply for hitting "generate."

To think, humans once worried AI would replace jobs, when really, it’s just here to replace effort....

Part 2: A day in the life of a LinkedIn Influencer: Decoding the buzzwords

And then there are the influencers, whose full-time jobs seem to be LinkedIn itself. Their posts drip with life-changing insights that they claim to have come up with between their 5am wake-up and meditation, four daily "coffee chats" and back-to-back Zoom meetings. Let’s break down a few of their favourite phrases:

• “I’m humbled to be recognised...” Translation: I’ve just spent 20 minutes reworking this humblebrag to sound modest while showing off my latest award.
• “Let’s normalise…” Translation: I’m about to call for change in a way that makes me sound progressive, but I’ll be back to doing things the same way tomorrow.
• “It’s all about adding value.” Translation: I have no idea what I’m contributing here, but I know I’m supposed to sound like I do.
• “The hustle never stops.” Translation: I’ve learned that consistently posting on LinkedIn is easier than doing actual work.

And finally, the holy grail of them all:

• “I’m building a community.” Translation: I’m collecting followers who agree with me and will like every post I make, regardless of content or sense.

But let’s be fair. These influencers are committed - to LinkedIn, anyway! While the rest of us are trying to balance real work and family life, they’re out here taking on the Herculean task of regurgitating phrases like "disruption" and "thought leadership" in posts that could have been written by - you guessed it - Generative AI.

So next time you see one of those posts that seems suspiciously profound, remember: It could have been written by a human. Or a bot. Or a human who is now a bot. Who can tell?

Part 3: Identifying AI in the wild: Spotting the clues in LinkedIn content

AI content has a tell - like a magician always using the same card trick. When you see certain phrases pop up, it’s a safe bet that an algorithm has been at work. These giveaways are so overused that they’ve become the AI equivalent of wearing a neon sign saying “I wasn’t written by a human!”

Here’s a handy list of 10 AI-Speak Phrases that you can watch out for:

1. “In today’s fast-paced world…” Translation: Let’s start with a generalisation that applies to everything, yet says nothing specific at all.
2. “As we navigate the complexities of…” Translation: I’ve said nothing concrete yet, but it sure sounds serious, right?
3. “Now more than ever, it’s critical to…” Translation: I want you to think that this advice has a sense of urgency, even though it’s something you’ve been hearing for the last decade.
4. “Leveraging cutting-edge technology to…” Translation: I have no idea what this technology actually does, but it sounds really impressive!
5. “It’s time to think outside the box…” Translation: Because apparently, we’ve all been trapped inside this box until now - AI or not, clichés are still clichés.
6. “At the end of the day, it’s all about…” Translation: I’m about to wrap up this point in a generic, feel-good way that offers zero actionable advice.
7. “We’re at the dawn of a new era of…” Translation: I’ve been trained to sound prophetic, but I’m really just repeating a line from every AI-generated think piece out there.
8. “Organisations must stay agile and adaptable…” Translation: Insert buzzword soup here. I’m suggesting flexibility, but this is code for saying nothing useful.
9. “In this digital transformation age…” Translation: I’ve run out of original words and decided to throw in a phrase that literally everyone uses, so you’ll feel like I’m keeping up with the times.
10. “The future of work is evolving rapidly…” Translation: I have no new insight to offer, but hey, doesn’t this sentence sound like it came straight out of a sci-fi movie?

Next time you read a post filled with these phrases, take a moment and ask yourself: Is this really a profound reflection on the world, or did someone just hit “generate” on a well-trained AI model? Chances are, it’s the latter.

So there you have it - AI-speak decoded. In a world where original thought is increasingly outsourced to bots, these key phrases will help you spot an algorithm at work, saving you time (and brain cells) as you scroll through the sea of regurgitated wisdom.

Stay tuned for my next piece: Why Posting Less on LinkedIn Might Actually Save Your Soul. But don’t worry - I’ll have AI draft the first version for me.

Be sure to share this newsletter—after all, the algorithm loves engagement, and who am I to deny it?

(Spoiler alert: AI wrote much of this content, and it might even write my next one.)

Who is Michael Clark?

Michael Clark is a real person, he is not a bot, nor is he the famous former cricketer almost as famous for his blonde highlights and trips to Noosa as he is from playing cricket!

Michael is a veteran of the CX and Contact Centre Industry and was recognised in 2023 as one of the Top 100 Influencers in the Contact Centre Industry in APAC, and as one of Australia's Top 50 Small Business Leaders in 2022.

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