The Human Touch: Rediscovering Authentic Connection Amidst AI

I'm seeing a trend that makes me beyond ecstatic. It's creating content that has more of a documentary style. People want more personal, less polished messaging from brands.

I saw a post on Instagram by Filmsupply showing some of their footage that brands can license, and it emphasized that people are craving realness. "2025 - It's about making people feel something." "Less polished, more personal, feels human...".

With the rise of AI and ChatGPT, we are all sounding and looking alike, making it hard to discern what is real and what's artificial.

I have experienced the same personally and among friends and colleagues, a need to unplug, have more meaningful experiences outside and in person. To stop scrolling and take the time to read a long post or blog.

If you look around, you’ll start to notice more people using words like: real, unpolished, personal, natural, etc. I even read an article recently about the growing trend of women removing their implants or choosing smaller, more natural sizes.

In a world where so much feels out of our control—where it’s hard to tell what’s real anymore—we are leaning into our humanity. We want the messy and imperfect.

We want to feel something again, to connect with people and brands in an honest and human way.

We are craving connection. With an epidemic of loneliness in the US, there is a real need for community. We want a sense of being seen and understood. We want deeper experiences.

To me, the only way forward—personally, creatively, and culturally—is to embrace our humanness—the good, the messy, the beautiful imperfections that make us real. We don't need to portray perfection and something we are not. It's time to be real.