My Boundaries & AI ??

This past week, I met with a local networking group to discuss the latest wins, challenges, trends, and ideas in our niche industry. With AI on the agenda, I’m sharing what I also shared with that group–my boundaries, and how AI does and does not fit into them.

What Works: A Tool For Social Listening

I’ve found that AI is an excellent tool for gathering expansive, sweeping narratives about your company and/or product. Some of the questions I like to ask are:

• What do people like about [product]? ?
• Why should I buy [product?]
• How does [product] benefit me, a [personas or demographic you are trying to reach and convert]?”

As an example, I’ll ask these questions about…bananas.

“How do bananas benefit me, a millennial woman?”

AI outputs:

1. Energy Boost for Busy Days

Millennials often juggle a lot: career, side hustles, relationships, and self-care (or the idea of self-care!). Bananas are a great source of natural carbohydrates, providing quick energy without the blood sugar spikes or crashes that come from other snacks. If you’re working long hours, running errands, or heading to the gym, a banana can keep your energy steady and help you power through.

2. Affordable and Accessible

Let’s be real—living on a budget is something many millennials can relate to, whether you're paying off student loans, saving for a home, or just trying to make ends meet in an expensive city. Bananas are cheap, nutritious, and widely available, so they can fit into almost any budget. It’s a great way to get a lot of nutritional bang for your buck.

3. Gut Health and Digestion

Gut health is a big buzzword these days, and rightfully so! Bananas are a good source of dietary fiber and contain prebiotics, which help support healthy gut bacteria. If you’re feeling bloated or sluggish, a banana can help get things moving. Plus, they’re easy on the stomach, so they’re a good option if you’re dealing with digestive sensitivity or just want something gentle on your system.

4. Mental Clarity and Mood Support

Being a millennial means dealing with a lot of mental load—work stress, social media comparisons, and general life pressures. Bananas are rich in vitamin B6, which helps in the production of serotonin, the “feel-good” neurotransmitter. This can support a more balanced mood and even help reduce anxiety, which is something a lot of people in your age group struggle with.

5. Post-Workout Recovery

Whether you’re hitting the gym, doing yoga, or just running after your kids (or your dog), bananas are great for muscle recovery. They're high in potassium, which helps prevent muscle cramps and supports recovery after exercise. After a workout, a banana is a quick, satisfying way to replenish your body’s electrolytes and fuel up for the rest of the day.

6. Convenient, No-Mess Snack

Life is busy, and time is precious. Bananas are one of the easiest snacks to throw in your bag and go. No peeling, no cutting, just grab and eat. They’re perfect when you're running out the door for a meeting, heading to class, or on your way to meet friends. They won’t leak or make a mess, and you can eat them with one hand if you’re multitasking (hello, emails!).

These answers were on point to target me based on the characteristics I included about target persona. Focusing on the word “Millennial,” ?AI outputs many relevant keywords and phrases, such as: busy, student loans, saving for a home, career, side hustle, self-care, balance, budget, anxiety, children, dogs. This example was done in broad strokes, but it does give me an idea of what language to use in marketing bananas that will resonate with my target persona.

To pinpoint detractors, you just have to rephrase the question in the negative.?

• Why don’t people like [my product]?
• Why does [my product] have negative reviews?
• How could [my product] improve?
• What are better alternatives to [my product]??

Why do bananas have negative reviews? (I really love that I asked this question about bananas)

AI outputs:

1. Texture Issues

For some people, the soft, mushy texture of a ripe banana is a major turn-off. It's not as crunchy or crisp as other fruits like apples or pears, and for those who dislike that smooth, almost creamy consistency, bananas can be a tough sell.

2. Taste Preferences

Bananas have a distinct, sweet flavor that not everyone loves. Some people might find them overly sweet, especially when they’re very ripe, while others might not like the subtle, somewhat "tropical" taste compared to other fruits.

3. Ripeness Concerns

Bananas are very finicky when it comes to ripeness. Some people dislike bananas that are too ripe (because they can get mushy and overly sweet) or too green (when they’re starchy and hard). The window of perfect ripeness is pretty narrow, and that can be frustrating for some.

4. The Smell

Bananas have a strong aroma, especially when they're ripening. For some people, the scent can be overpowering and even off-putting. It’s one of those smells you either love or really dislike.

5. Gastrointestinal Sensitivity

While bananas are generally easy on the stomach, some people find they cause bloating or gas, especially if they’re eating a lot of them. The high fiber and natural sugars (fructose) might not sit well with everyone, particularly those with sensitive stomachs or digestive conditions.

6. Allergies

Though rare, some people are actually allergic to bananas. This can range from mild irritation to more severe reactions. For those who experience itching, swelling, or other symptoms, bananas are definitely not something they would enjoy.

7. Not as Versatile in Cooking

Bananas are great as a quick snack, but in cooking, they’re often seen as limited. Unlike apples or citrus fruits, they don’t always work well in savory dishes or salads (unless you’re blending them into something). This can make them feel a bit one-dimensional for some.

8. Monotony in Snack Choices

Bananas are often seen as a "boring" or predictable snack. Since they’re so common, people might crave more variety or something that feels more exciting. In urban environments or food cultures that favor more diverse options, bananas can feel a bit mundane.

Keeping in mind that these outputs reflect what people have already posted, published, or said online, you’ll find that a lot of the detractors are the same things other people actually do like about your product. For instance, versatility is listed as a benefit, but not being versatile is a listed detractor.

But, now I have a general idea of the concerns to address in my marketing. Specifically, writing an FAQ blog post would be my approach here, framing the Qs as what I already asked AI. Plus, FAQs are search engine optimized and people are searching in the form of questions–like I just did!

What Doesn’t Work: Replacing Joy

This part is trickier to write.

One of my colleagues, a teacher, recently said something that resonated hard with me.

“Meet it with curiosity, not judgment.”

I keep hearing her voice, this mantra, in my head through so many lenses. I bring it to work, in public settings, online and on social media, and in conversations with my friends and family. To be completely transparent, I am working to meet AI as a tool with curiosity. With this, I ask for grace in return as I try to navigate a sticky subject that I continue to find incredibly polarizing. Please meet this reflection with curiosity, not judgment.

But this is where my boundary is–I do not use AI to do what I love to do at work. I will not use it to replace my own creativity, voice, or human connection.

It’s hard for me, as a creative, to see AI try to replicate and replace the things that I love about my job. And the reason I say try is because artificial intelligence cannot and will not ever replace the joy and connection created by art.

I’ve been using graphic design software for years, taking classes to hone my skills and practicing until I truly grasped and embraced the technical aspect of designing. What emerged was a style aligned with our brand that I’m able to evolve, as we do, over time. It’s a harmony that wouldn’t have been possible without time, patience, talent, and a deep understanding of who we are and what our brand is. It’s incredibly satisfying and rewarding to see these designs come to life in the world, telling our individual and unique story across mediums. To see generative tools now emerging at rapid speed gives me immense pause. Why would I let it do what I love to achieve?

In my role, I consider “art” to extend outside of the graphic design and visual collateral I create. I think of my “craft” as art, too–the skills that I have that equip me to do my job well and the ones I continue to grow at work. I think of planning, connecting through projects, brainstorming retreats, and strategizing all to be part of this craft. If I did not have these connections, these very human parts of my job, I would be deeply unsatisfied at work and overall unhappy. No amount of efficiency could replace this joy for me.

I have one more reason to share why I make sure I use AI intentionally and sparingly–the harm it causes the environment. I feel this is worth mentioning, even if it pushes just one person to reconsider using AI the next time they do.

Transportation, fast fashion, mass production, AI–these are all "faster" alternatives that cause harm just as fast. I work at a nonprofit; I understand feeling the value of every minute of the day. But the need for speed and automation grips us so tightly, and I really don't believe AI can solve that problem. With incredibly high energy consumption, I think extra hard before turning to AI as a solution, the same way I approach other environmentally conscious choices in my life. Can I ride my bike there instead of driving? Can I find this item secondhand? Do I really need 1-day delivery? I try to think of creative, human, community-centered ways that I can work through the problem, and that’s something AI will never be able to replace.