When AI Takes the Mic 🎤

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I have a love-hate relationship with technology. And today I want to talk about AI. 

When it comes to public speaking, AI offers incredible tools to make our lives easier. It can help improve both content creation and delivery. But it also comes with a risk: losing your authentic voice and sounding like a robot.

It might sound good, but does it sound like you? Real-talk on staying authentic with AI.

So how do we balance human and bot?

Let me start by saying that I use AI almost daily. I’m not against it. I use it for everything from research and brainstorming to content development and image creation.

BUT (and that’s a big but) I don’t use it to create content from scratch.

What do I mean by that? I write the content myself, then use AI to refine it. In other words, I treat it like an editor, not a ghostwriter.

Why? Because AI can be very formulaic. (Even when I’m using it as an editor, I have to keep a close eye on that.) As someone who’s been teaching and coaching public speaking and communication for a decade, I’ve seen a noticeable shift in the content clients present.

The core ideas are often theirs, but the voice isn’t. The structure is solid, but everything starts to sound the same. People are falling in love with how AI makes them sound, and I get it…AI writes well.

The problem is, it no longer sounds like them.

There’s a disconnect between how someone talks to me about their topic and how their speech reads. Their passion, purpose and perspective get lost in the bot.

And audiences can feel that. Research is starting to show that people can tell the difference between AI-generated and human-generated content; and even if they can’t articulate why, they gravitate toward what feels more real.

AI shines at efficiency and structure, but lacks the emotional memory hooks human voices naturally provide. The most resonant speeches—scientifically and emotionally—are co-created. AI does prep work, but humans anchor the message in lived experience and emotion.

So yes—AI can be a powerful part of your public speaking toolkit. The key is using it in a way that supports your voice, not replaces it.

Here’s some tips to help you collab effectively with AI:

Start With Story

Your stories are yours and yours alone. Use them as the foundation of your content. That’s something AI can’t manufacture.

Give It a Go

Write your first draft yourself—even if it’s messy. Thought leadership should start with your ideas, not the internet’s. The more it comes from you, the more likely your message will stay aligned with your voice, values, and viewpoint.

Prompt Purposefully

Use prompts that support your tone, not overwrite it. Try:

• “Tighten this post for clarity and flow. Keep it conversational and natural. Don’t change my voice or tone—just help make it more concise and readable.”

• “Edit this like a writing coach, not a copywriter. Keep my tone and rhythm, just clean up wordiness and make the message sharper.”

• “Polish this for clarity without making it sound too polished. Keep my voice intact—friendly, direct, and human—but help streamline the wording.”

The bottom line is that AI can absolutely help elevate your communication, but only when you’re still driving. Sure, it takes more time and effort to keep your voice front and center, but it’s worth it because you’ll sound like you and connect more deeply with your audience.

Speak Success,

Founder, SPEAC Success

Public Speaking & Authenticity Coach