Last night, after a long day, I found myself aimlessly scrolling TikTok just like many of us do.

One video caught my attention: a street interview, the kind where someone walks up to strangers and asks deep or silly questions. It seemed real enough, until I glanced at the comments.

Everyone was saying the same thing: “This is AI.”

I looked a little closer and sure enough, they were right.

Turns out, Google recently released a new version of its AI video generator Veo 3, and it's shockingly realistic. 

The facial expressions, the tone of voice, the body language it all felt so human. 

I ended up going down a rabbit hole, watching video after video trying to figure out which ones were real and which were AI-generated. At a glance, they’re nearly impossible to tell apart.

Once you know what to look for, unnaturally smooth movements or slightly off audio, you can spot them. 

But if you’re casually scrolling? You probably won’t notice. That’s the unsettling part.

AI is everywhere and that’s the problem

AI-generated content isn’t limited to video. 

It’s showing up everywhere from Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok, to TV ads and even non-media spaces like toothbrushes.

Ads are using superimposed faces and voices to sell products at a mass scale.

I even saw an ad the other day from Skinny where a woman’s face was digitally placed into different scenes, urging people to buy into their next plan.

At first glance, it’s clever. But at what cost?

On Pinterest, I’ve seen AI-generated products advertised with glowing reviews only for people to receive scam items, if anything at all. 

Fake crystal mugs for sale on Pinterest

On Facebook, AI images go viral with tens of thousands of likes and shares, fooling people into believing they’re looking at reality.

Look at the number of comments and shares on these Facebook posts!

AI bots are also boosting comments and engagement, responding to content and mimicking real users. 

TikTok now has interviews where the interviewer and interviewee are both AI-generated.

It’s starting to feel like we’re not watching people anymore. We’re watching simulations of them.

So what does this mean for you?

We’re now living in a time where it’s getting harder to trust what we see online. 

People are frustrated. They feel tricked, misled, and disconnected. 

There’s growing resentment toward AI not because it’s not impressive, but because it’s replacing something important: effort, authenticity, and human connection.

Consumers are becoming more aware of AI-generated images and videos. And when they suspect something is AI? Trust evaporates. 

Even big companies are feeling the heat. Duolingo, the language learning app, recently faced backlash after its CEO said the company was going to be “AI forward,” which led to staff cuts. 

The result? Thousands of users deleted the app, feeling let down by the brand’s shift away from people. 

And internally, the decision sparked resentment among staff on often overlooked cost that can weigh heavily on a business over time.

The fear isn’t just about job loss. It’s about identity. Work, creativity, storytelling these are core parts of who we are. So when a business replaces those things with automation, it can feel like a dismissal of human value.

Where do we go from here?

AI is only going to get better. It will soon create more realistic, more human-like content than ever before. But just because it can, doesn’t mean it should replace everything.

As businesses, we need to be selective and intentional about how we use AI. There’s a fine line between enhancing productivity and eroding trust.

Here’s what not to do:

• Don’t rely on AI for all communication. Mass-generating emails that sound generic or robotic might save time, but it strips away the personal touch. If customers feel like they’re talking to a machine, they’ll disconnect.
• Don’t use AI-generated art or visuals without transparency. People are becoming increasingly wary of digital imagery that feels “off.” If your product or brand identity is tied to visuals, using AI art without care can make your brand feel impersonal, or worse deceptive.
• Avoid fully automating reporting and insights without context. AI can crunch numbers, but it doesn’t understand nuance. Reports that are purely AI-generated often lack the strategic interpretation your clients or teams actually need. Add human commentary to make insights meaningful.
• Don’t let AI become your brand’s voice. Customers crave real connection. They want to feel heard, understood, and valued. If every touchpoint your captions, emails, ads, support is written by AI, it can start to feel like no one’s really behind the brand.

Ultimately, what will set businesses apart isn’t how efficiently they can implement AI it’s how well they preserve their humanity while doing so.

Use AI to support your work, not to replace the essence of it. Let it handle the repetitive tasks so your team can focus on what matters most: building relationships, telling real stories, and showing people that they still matter in a world that’s becoming increasingly automated.