Authenticity & AI
Self-Portrait of the Artist in the Guise of a Mocker by Joseph Ducreux, 1793 (public domain - Wikipedia)
“Authenticity is wiped out when the acceptance of its reproduction overcome the uniqueness of every reality.”
What’s stopping you from being authentic?
No, really — what’s keeping you from just letting your personality come through in everything you do?
If you’ve ever seen self-portraits by some of the great artists, there’s something missing. Sure, the artists’ style and abilities are highlighted; some even capture their struggles. But most of these lack a distinct personality.
But Joseph Ducreux managed to do what most other artists of era his avoided. In fact, his self-portraits seemed to border on the silly and almost absurd, as he captured a wide range of facial expressions that traditional portrait artists avoided.
There is a certain modern quality to these late-18th century selfies, as Ducreux authentically captured his expressions and moods so vividly that we can almost picture striking up a conversation with him.
Authenticity in the New Digital Age
The so-called softer skills are on the rise, and study after study shows that it’s good for business: employees thrive when they feel supported, are given room to grow, and can trust their leaders.
According to the 2020 Future of Leadership Global Executive Study, 82% of respondents believed that leaders in the new economy will need to be digitally savvy, but less than 10% strongly agree that their organizations have leaders with the right skills to thrive in the digital economy.
There are timeless leadership qualities that are viewed as critical: ethics, integrity, and taking risks, for example. These will endure.
And there are emerging behaviors that leaders need to add to help their teams succeed: things like humility, empathy, and authenticity.
Eroding, Enduring, and Emerging Leadership Behaviors (Source: MIT Review)
This is particularly vital amid the exploration and adoption of new technologies, such as AI. While machine learning, large language models, and automation can speed up processes, AI will also disrupt the status quo, leading to disruption and displacement.
Amid this tech-driven uncertainty and change, employees will hunger for reassurance, vision, and support. They’ll need something that machines can’t provide: a human touch.
Enter authenticity.
If you show up as the amazing human that you are, you’ll give your team something AI cannot: a relationship based on trust.
Authenticity is a form of truth and honesty. People can tell when you’re faking it.
So when you show up authentically, it shows you care about and trust other people enough to share your honest self with them. In turn, they’ll trust you.
AI may be able to produce repeatable and reliable results, but it will forever lack the empathy, humanity, and authenticity that reside in every one of us.
Your character strengths are authentically you.
There’s so much to learn,
