📈 AI Isn't The Problem (Humans Are)

Read time: 4 minutes

Over the last few weeks, it’s felt like the AI police have overtaken LinkedIn.

I even saw someone proudly saying they'd called someone out for "writing a post with AI".

Personally, I think this really misses the point.

Readers don't care what tool you used.

They care whether they feel connected to you.

The Real Problem With "AI-Sounding" Content

The problem isn’t with AI itself - it’s that most people use AI as a shortcut without adding their voice.

They pop in a prompt. Publish whatever comes out. Pat themselves on the back and then wonder why nobody engages.

Readers can see voiceless content from a mile away:

• Perfect grammar

• Paragraphs starting with "Moreover" or "Furthermore"

• Words nobody actually uses (leverage, foster, professionals)

We've even built a banned words list into Saywhat.

You just can’t get away with using boilerplate ChatGPT or Claude content anymore.

My Simple Test

Here's how I make sure my content sounds like me (and how you can too):

Read everything out loud before you publish.

Seriously. Every single post. I’m doing it right now with this newsletter.

If it doesn't sound like something you'd actually say out loud, rewrite it.

I have my own isms that I deliberately work into my writing:

• "So" (I start lots of sentences with this)

• "Honestly" (when I'm being direct)

• "Genuinely" (when I really mean something)

These aren't mistakes - they're little ways to connect with people.

Here are some examples:

• Everybody sees the wins (3,237 likes)

• Consistency Is Not Growth (6,495 likes)

• People Who Avoid Failure, Also Avoid Success (3,679 likes)

They help readers hear my actual voice instead of some generic "professional" tone.

The Steven Bartlett Blueprint

Want to see someone doing this right?

Look at Steven Bartlett's content evolution.

He went from doing simple motivational quotes to these essay-like carousels that sound exactly like how he talks on his podcast.

• Simple motivational quotes (1 year ago):

  • Don’t Wait The Time Will Never Be Just Right (13,101 likes)

• Essay-like Carousels (2 months ago):

  • 7 Things I don’t normally post about (21,462 likes)

  • Is ChatGPT making everyone feel inauthentic? (15,065 likes)

  • 10 Things Business Owners And Professionals Should Be Doing (5,785 likes)

They probably have a GPT trained on his podcast transcripts.

But here's the important thing: it still sounds like him.

His new posts use his exact phrases and takes.

AI amplifies his voice instead of drowning it out.

How To Find Your Own Voice

Record yourself explaining your main points out loud

• Use voice memos on your phone

• Talk like you're explaining to a stage full of people

Record your client calls

• Record your next few sales calls or client meetings

• Listen for phrases you repeat when you get excited about something

Create a "voice bank" of your phrases

• Write down 10-15 phrases you actually use in conversation

• Include your filler words and transitions

Train your AI with your voice  

• Feed it your transcripts and best phrases

• Start every prompt with "Write like I talk. Use words like: [your phrases]"  

• Test every output with the read-aloud test

The key is just practicing this. Every post. Every time.

See you next week,

Will

P.S. I write all my posts in Saywhat Collab - it learns from top-performing LinkedIn posts and your recent content. You can try it free if you want to skip the manual voice training.

Will McTighe

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