The story of Number 5
Keywords: authentic leadership, writing your own words, AI and leadership and leadership voice.
I'm sure anyone who was young in the 80s will remember "Number 5 is ALIVE!" from the film Short Circuit (1986). Just like Pinocchio, who wants to be "a real boy", Number 5, the robot in Short Circuit, needs to prove it's not a malfunctioning robot. It (he?) begins to show signs of being human - to have a personality, sense of humour and real emotional attachments.
I have been thinking a lot recently about films telling this story. There are a range of examples in films like Wall-E (2008), The Iron Giant (1999), A.I. (2001), and I, Robot (2004) to name a few.
But actually it's been a preoccupation of writers and creators for centuries, to decide what it means to be human. Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein back in 1818, Pinocchio was written by Carlo Collodi in 1883, and Doctor Who has been asking the same question since 1963.
For years the coldness of monsters, puppets, aliens, and robots are used contrast to the emotions of humans: whether it's kindness, humour, empathy and heart, as well as the anger, jealousy, fear and anxiety. It's the messiness that sets humans apart - our emotions make us who we are.
Overreliance on AI risks taking this human element away.
In the last few months, I've seen AI used in a range of communications from leaders, from LinkedIn posts, to organisational communications, and to prepare for difficult conversations with staff.
In each example, it was obvious that they weren't the author's own words and it felt... lacking. For an audience it can feel like "If you don't care enough to write it yourself, do you really care at all?" What you say is a representation of who you are and what you believe.
Mostly the communications we are writing are trying to create connection. But it's humans we want to connect with, not robots, and that means bringing the whole of you, including the messiness of our emotions, to the things we say. This is the authenticity we are looking for in our leaders.
So when you're preparing something to say to your staff or customers, or your LinkedIn network, draft something yourself first so it says what you want to say. By all means use AI to help you refine it - it can provide some great support in trying to structure your thinking and make sure you've not missed anything, but it can't replicate you. Don't let it rewrite your words.
Number 5 is alive, and so are you.
“Over the years, I have become convinced that we learn best - and change - from hearing stories that strike a chord within us.”