09/08/26
STORY
I arrived at the doctor’s office 15 minutes early.
My shoulder’s been killing me after a workout I did the week prior, so my primary doctor referred me to an orthopedic specialist.
My insurance requires a referral, which I printed and brought with me.
After sitting in the waiting room for some time, the receptionist informed me that the referral had not been submitted online and that they could not see me until it was in the system.
I showed her the printed referral, but she said it needed to be done online and that I should call my primary.
I was in so much pain that I couldn’t reschedule; I needed to see the doctor right away.
I called my primary, and after a few rings, I heard the voice of a young lady who said her name was Ella.
I immediately knew this was AI; the pauses and tonality were obvious giveaways.
It was really irritating that “Ella” was pretending to be human when I knew she wasn’t.
I asked to speak with a person, and “Ella” said she could take a message for me, or I could text the number.
(Funny, I still wrote “she” as if it’s a real person lol).
I texted the number, and no one responded for over 30 minutes.
Finally, a person called me and informed me she made a mistake, and the referral would be submitted online momentarily.
I then decided to share my feedback with the office.
Here’s what I wrote:
“The AI bot is not a good experience for the patient. The bot pretending to be human feels inhuman, and therefore, makes the patient feel like they don’t matter.
Hopefully the doctor will reconsider this approach, because I’m sure that isn’t the intention.“
The doctor actually called me after receiving this feedback, which was very thoughtful of him to do.
He explained his reasoning for using the AI service.
And while I understood his points, the concern I had (and still have) is all about using AI in a way that is trying to “trick us” into thinking it’s human.
I’d rather have the AI service announce itself as AI rather than pretend to be human; I’d be fine with that.
His point was that elderly patients immediately hang up when “Ella” announces that she’s AI, which defeats the purpose entirely.
I understood his perspective, and in the end, I told him that we’re all trying to figure out how to navigate this new “AI world”.
Here’s the main takeaway from this story:
AI is incredible.
It can improve efficiency, solve problems, and increase productivity.
It can also be harmful when it’s used as a replacement for authentic human communication.
If you’re using AI as an answering service, to write your emails, craft your content, or send out messaging of any kind…
Use caution.
You may be risking an important relationship when the person on the receiving end feels like they’re not important enough for you to take the time to craft the message yourself.
I know I feel that way every time someone uses AI to write anything.
And if you think people aren’t able to recognize it’s AI-written, think again.
I do use AI to write some things (i.e. the “Observation” below is always something AI helps me with), but each story I share with you in this newsletter is always written by me.
I’m a human writing to another human.
You’re important enough that I will take my time to write this myself.
It’s so important to me that you feel that, so I’ll never hand over the story portion of this newsletter to AI.
(I will for the “Observation”, though; AI is so helpful in finding great research!)
So use AI, my friend.
It’s an incredible tool.
But don’t attempt to use AI as a replacement for human connection.
OBSERVATION
(The following observation was written with the help of AI 😆)
A 2026 study published in ScienceDirect found that when consumers discover a seemingly human representative was actually AI, they frequently feel manipulated — with concerns rising around authenticity and transparency. The research identified what it called a “transparency threshold”: moderate human-like qualities in AI can build warmth and trust, but when AI crosses into deception — actively disguising itself as human — trust erodes sharply.
(ScienceDirect, Between Machine and Human: How Chatbot Identity Framing Shapes Consumer Trust, Comfort, and Brand Loyalty, 2026)
STRATEGY
Take inventory of how you’re using AI this week.
If you’re using it in ways that may unintentionally erode trust, reconsider your approach.
If you’re not using AI at all (or enough), I challenge you to explore how AI can help you.
Not sure how it can help you?
Simply ask it!
Tell it a little about yourself and your work, and AI can offer you a few ideas.
But remember, AI is a tool, and it cannot be substituted for human connection and trust.
Rooting for you,
Jay (inviting you to connect; human to human)
International Keynote Speaker
Host of the “Unstuck” podcast
Husband to an amazing and supportive wife (we just celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary!)