Your eyes have served you well. Since you were born, you have relied on the fact that if you can see it, then it must be true.
First it was Photoshop, then it was AI. Now it’s Nano Banana 2, Claude and ChatGPT. The past decade has challenged you. Made you sceptical. You can’t trust what you see online, but it still informs your thoughts, whether it’s real or not.
The real challenge, however, comes from not knowing at all. When you scroll past something and believe it’s real, not knowing it was AI-generated. That’s where AI starts to bleed into our lives without our consent. And because it can, so effortlessly and efficiently, brands simply cannot deny its affordability and impact, regardless of its ethics.
To those embracing AI as a convenient way to cut costs and move quickly, I would tread carefully.
Our newest generations aren’t confined by tradition and reputation like millennials and baby boomers once were. They know what you’re doing. What they see is merely a small part of what they believe. They follow what they feel. And what they feel changes all the time.
If you’re looking to the future, don’t be a brand that’s concrete, static and stable. Be like water, fluid, chaotic and ever-changing. Be what everyone else isn’t, but don’t do it for the sake of it, be you. Tell your story, the clean and the messy bits.
No one can stop brands from being smoke screens for the rich and wealthy to access more pockets, but don’t think just because you have a brand that it’s enough to resonate and build trust with your audience. You need to put in the effort. Wear your heart on your sleeve. In a world of fake, be real.
