Maeve Catherine

Authenticity goes a long way especially in our digitally advanced society.

As a society we have been told over and over “don’t believe everything you see on the internet” and nothing has changed. In my opinion this quote becomes truer as each second of a day goes by. AI tools are the leading cause of this epidemic.

The first thing I think of when I think about authenticity on social media is all the way back to when celebrities are caught using face tuning applications on photos but when called out for it they claim it editing never occurred. More recently this detective work is also done by AI software that is implemented into a platform. I am specifically thinking of Meta social media platforms. According to a MetaNewsroom article by Nick Clegg, the President of Meta Global Affairs, Meta is ” Using both invisible watermarking and metadata in this way improves both the robustness of these invisible markers and helps other platforms identify them. This is an important part of the responsible approach we’re taking to building generative AI features.” The goal of keeping each and every user aware of what is real and what has been digitally created or altered gives a sense of hope for transparency and authenticity. With AI detecting software it will be interesting to watch how companies, small businesses, celebrities, influencers and the average person’s reputations will be altered.

Dave Kerpen explains in his book Likeable Social Media, “If your company can actually “be human” in dealing with its customers through current social networks, you’ll find that your customers will respond positively and appreciate your more personal attitude” (Kerpen 140). I advise everyone to be themselves while they create and post content. Have a branded voice and personality to carry throughout your platforms even if the audiences differ. This could mean that the captions are promoting the same thing but in different words.

For example, if you need 150 people to respond to a survey you are not going to post the same copy on LinkedIn that you would on a Instagram Story with just friends. Because…Time, place. and audience.

Trust takes time to earn but seconds to loose.

For more information about Meta’s Labeling AI initiative