Why your human edge can never be replaced

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• Big tech giants Apple, Meta, Google, Amazon and Elon Musk’s X have lodged a formal complaint urging the Trump administration to target “coercive and discriminatory” Australian media laws.

• Value of Elon Musk’s X ‘rebounds to $44bn purchase price’. 

• Good Good Golf raises $45M in round led by Creator Sports Capital

• YouTube has announced it will roll out a Youth Digital Wellbeing initiative and says the platform will actively limit “low-quality” content. The definition of “low quality” is unclear.

• TikTok is shutting down TikTok Notes, its separate photo-sharing app.

Right now, I feel like I’m on the AI rollercoaster. 

One moment, I’m excited about how much it can help me…the next, I’m scared it will take away my purpose and turn me into a meaningless potato. 

If you’ve ever felt that same AI anxiety, I’m with you. 

However, what’s keeping in the game is this strong feeling that the demand for genuine human experiences will increase.

AI is great at a lot of things. But it will never be great at being human.

So today, let’s talk about how you can keep your creative edge in an increasingly AI-dependent world.

What AI Can’t Replace

When we decide whether to accept someone into our world, whether it’s a friend, creator, or brand, we rely on three things:

• Human Connection

• Intuition

• Imperfection

And as you read this, you're subconsciously scanning for signs that I’m human.

You'll probably hit unsubscribe if I can’t make you feel connected, trusted (which requires your intuition), or a little imperfect (because nobody likes a know-it-all).

This is why the Aussie media network Shameless Media has built such a fiercely loyal community.

Co-founders Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews just celebrated seven years of Shameless, and it’s so beautifully clear they’ve mastered the art of connection.

Shameless is all about the “smart, dumb stuff” in pop culture headlines but! you’re not just tuning in for the gossip. You’re tuning in for them.

Zara and Michelle aren’t AI-generated voices reading the headlines. They’re your digital besties.

They’ve taken you along for the ride through their marriage proposals, Michelle dislocating her jaw 3 times (from yawning!), and the gut wrenching moments of navigating a parent’s mortality.

Sure, we might reach a point where AI can mimic human personalities, but even then, it won’t replace what makes them irreplaceable.

Knowing that Zara and Michelle’s stories come from lived experience, that their laugh and snorts are unrehearsed, and that their vulnerability is real… that’s what creates genuine connection.

Embrace imperfection

Pick any social platform, and you’ll see two things:

• carbon copies or

• extreme outliers.

Algorithms reward trends, but that doesn’t mean you should lose your unique voice.

Which is why it’s critical to put energy towards building an audience strengthened by community and not by algorithmic trends. 

To do this, you need to embrace your uniqueness and use algorithms as a tool to enhance the community you’ve built using your own taste.

Connect on a human level

Just like offline networking, sharing moments of humour, vulnerability or relatibility is what sets you apart from AI and everyone else.

I get it, it’s actually quite hard to do this. 

But the thing is, if you can execute either one of these three things, then you’ve opened yourself up to connection with someone with the same problem. 

It probably doesn’t seem like much now but I was nervous to share this week.

Why?

Well, numbers can be twisted, and I worried how people might interpret them.

But, yes, to my surprise (I know, it shouldn’t have!), leaning into that discomfort led to a genuine connection and 30+ new subscribers (hello!).

Leverage AI without losing yourself

I have been reluctant to do this because it just feels a bit like, well, cheating? But I’ve since realised that AI is just simply a tool. That’s all it is. 

If you don’t use it while your peers do, then you will literally fall behind. AI can enhance your message, but it can't tell your story. 

• Use AI tools to help with repetitive tasks like editing, generating outlines, or transcribing podcasts.

• Use AI to brainstorm content ideas or create basic drafts, just make sure the final output is your voice.

• Use AI tools for analytics to understand your audience's behaviour and preferences better.

Note: If you’d like a list of AI tools to make your life easier, just hit reply, and I’ll share my suggestions.

How do you make sure you bring your own humanity into your work? 

Reaaaaally consider this question. Your answer will be your north-star until you’re ready for retirement.

Next week, we’ll explore how to find your unique storytelling style in a world full of noise.

• launched new feature update with topic tags in bios, follower-only replies and quote posts, a better video player, and more.

Instagram 

• now allows you to zoom in and out on Stories by pinching the screen.

LinkedIn

• now lets Premium subscribers send a follow-up InMail using your monthly credits.

• added a Calendly integration for Custom Buttons. Premium users can now set ‘Book an Appointment’ as their button, create or link a Calendly account, and let visitors schedule meetings directly on LinkedIn.

YouTube

• details on how to organise your content into episodes and series.

• dedicated 'Podcast' tab has rolled out more widely on Android TV.

• has added new tools for easier linking between brands and creators.

TikTok

• added the ability to add clickable links to stories.

• now lets you add multiple songs to videos.

• added a ‘background audio’ setting.

READ: How much do influencers get paid? It’s a bit random, isn’t it? When it comes to sponsorships and pricing your content, it’s hard to determine because there is no standard rate you can compare to. Of course, like everything in sales, it all depends on how you communicate your value and who accepts your value. The industry requires more transparency if it wants to have some kind of budgeting forecast. Forbes asks 5 companies to share what they would pay a creator and the price difference is wild.

LISTEN: It was 11 pm on Wednesday when I finished listening to Shameless Media Michelle Andrews on Inherited. Pregnant with her first child, she's navigating the joy of new life while facing the heartbreak of her mother's terminal brain cancer. Michelle offers an intimate glimpse into what it means to hold both grief and hope at once. Hearing her story was a reminder of how fragile and precious life can be. And it’s this raw honesty that’s at the heart of Shameless Media. They've built something rare.

WATCH: Emma Chamberlain has released a new YouTube video (her publishing pattern has been all over the place since rubbing shoulders with Hollywood), and it reminds me of why people just love to connect with people.

Let’s get serious

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Why? Our entire platform exists to help serious content creators scale faster. We’re built for those who are ready to take their content and build it into a behemoth. 

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It’s all to put your hard work in front of more people. So if you’re ready to build, ready to grow, and ready to make the world take notice, beehiiv is ready for you.

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