People Trust People: Preserving Authenticity in an AI World

Artificial intelligence has shifted rapidly from an emerging curiosity to an essential tool in modern communication. In strategic communications at Penn State Lehigh Valley, whether we are using predictive analytics, writing assistants, data visualization platforms, or workflow automation, AI now shapes how we research, create content, and engage with our communities. Our world is being transformed by artificial intelligence, and it’s easy to feel like human communication is being reshaped faster than we can keep up.

Recently, my work with AI has shifted from curiosity to necessity. Whether we are using predictive analytics, writing assistants, data visualization tools, or workflow automation, AI is no longer a futuristic concept. It’s a daily part of how we communicate, research, design content, and engage with our communities. But with its rise comes an even more important question:

How do we maintain authenticity, transparency, and trust when machines share the stage with us?

AI as a Tool for Empowering—not Replacing—Authentic Communication

A powerful example of one of the most helpful frameworks being developed today that I have encountered is Penn State Lehigh Valley’s AI Tool Box. It provides faculty, staff, and students with a clear, responsible structure for using AI in academic and professional settings. What I appreciate most is how it acknowledges both the benefits and the boundaries of AI.

“We don’t know what the future of AI literacy looks like but businesses using it, so students will likely encounter it at some point in their careers, “ said Penn State's Dr. Subhadra Ganguli, an assistant professor of business. “As faculty, we must discuss and share among ourselves how to create AI literacy for our students so they are prepared to enter the workforce upon graduation.”

The message is simple but profound: AI is a tool. Authenticity is a choice.

At Penn State, our approach to AI isn’t about replacing the human voice—it's about enhancing clarity, accessibility, and creativity. AI can analyze data at a scale we never could. It can help visualize patterns, accelerate the writing process, or support multilingual communication. But it cannot replace the lived experiences, emotions, or ethical judgment that define human leadership.

Learning from Colleagues Leading AI Research and Awareness

Penn State has been deeply involved in national conversations surrounding AI. I’m fortunate to work alongside faculty whose expertise is shaping how communities understand the implications of emerging technology.

In a recent University news story highlighting faculty chosen for the AI Awareness Project, several experts shared insight into the need for education systems that prepare students for an AI-driven world.

“If the recent past is an example, then we will have surprises and be able to achieve tasks that are impossible to even imagine today,” said Guido Cervone, director of the Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences. “This will happen within a generation of our students, and our challenge as professors is to train them to be part of the AI and computing revolution and prepare them for new challenges and innovative solutions.”

Hearing colleagues speak about the impact of AI beyond the classroom reinforces something I see every day: Higher education is becoming a central driver in shaping ethical, transparent, meaningful AI adoption.

Students don’t just need to learn how to use AI—they need to learn why, when, and to what extent it supports authentic communication.

And this has led AI to become an essential part of a Penn State education moving into the future. Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos says, “Many of our students will have to do jobs that have yet to be invented, and we need to be at the cutting edge. This is the nature of exponential change that we are facing right now.”

AI as a Catalyst for Regional and Economic Transformation

The importance of AI extends beyond campuses. In a conversation at Lehigh University, Senator Dave McCormick argued that AI innovation could reshape Pennsylvania’s economic future. His remarks illustrate something I’ve believed for a long time: Technology doesn’t have to eclipse traditional industries—it can revitalize them.

When leaders understand how AI intersects with workforce development, civic life, and regional economic growth, they can make better decisions for their organizations and their communities. And when those leaders communicate transparently about AI’s role, they build deeper public trust.

According to recent analyses by PwC and McKinsey, AI is projected to contribute more than $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030, with $6.6 trillion generated through increased productivity and an additional $9.1 trillion through economic consumption shifts. Higher education plays a pivotal role in preparing the workforce for this shift: a 2024 UNESCO report found that 60% of global employers now classify AI literacy as a “core hiring competency,” while the World Economic Forum estimates that 44% of workers’ skills will be disrupted within the next five years due to advances in automation and generative AI. In the United States alone, the National Center for Education Statistics reports that more than 80% of institutions have integrated at least one form of AI into instruction, advising, or communications. These data points underscore a critical theme: authentic leadership is needed now more than ever to guide students, communities, and organizations through a technological transformation unfolding at unprecedented scale.

A Personal Reminder: AI Can't Replace Human Authenticity

Earlier this year, during Penn State Lehigh Valley’s Global Entrepreneurship Week, we hosted a forensic handwriting expert who spoke about identity, authorship, and the nuances of human expression.

There is something deeply human about the small imperfections, the unconscious decisions, and the emotional patterns that show up in our writing. Even in an age where generative AI can produce flawless paragraphs in seconds, the human signature—literal or symbolic—still has meaning.

That experience renewed my commitment to grounding all of my communication work in authenticity, transparency, and humanity.

AI and Personal Branding: An Evolving Journey

In a blog post on my personal site, I wrote about how AI is changing personal branding. Whether analyzing SEO patterns, refining messaging, understanding audience behavior, or producing visuals, AI gives communicators new ways to strengthen their storytelling. Technology can support your voice, but it cannot replace your voice.

And I am far from alone. One of the clearest illustrations of AI’s impact on personal branding can be seen in the corporate sector—particularly in how executives now cultivate and scale their thought leadership. A strong example comes from Microsoft’s integration of AI-driven communication tools, which has reshaped how leaders build influence and establish trust with audiences. According to Microsoft’s 2024 Work Trend Index, 75% of U.S. professionals now use generative AI for communication tasks, and leaders who leverage AI effectively report a 33% increase in audience engagement across LinkedIn and corporate channels.

A notable case occurred within Microsoft’s senior leadership team during the rollout of its Copilot AI platform. Executives used AI-powered content modeling to refine messaging, align brand tone, and produce rapid-response communication during major product updates. As a result, sentiment analysis showed a 28% improvement in trust indicators, and Copilot-related posts from executives like Satya Nadella and Jared Spataro collectively surpassed 20 million impressions in less than 72 hours. This was not because AI replaced the human voice—it amplified it. Leaders still shaped the message, but AI helped ensure consistency, clarity, accessibility, and speed across global audiences—transforming personal branding into a data-driven, highly targeted communication strategy.

This corporate example reflects the broader reality in the United States: personal branding is no longer defined solely by charisma, instinct, or storytelling ability. It is increasingly shaped by AI-enhanced message optimization, real-time analytics, cross-platform audience insights, and automated content workflows. The leaders who succeed are those who understand that AI is not the voice—it’s the amplifier.

The Ongoing Debate: Innovation, Integrity, and Structure

Students, educators, and institutions must navigate the tension between innovation and responsibility. As someone who works in higher education communication, I see this tension every day. Authentic communication becomes essential when addressing policy decisions, expectations, and cultural shifts.

Clear structure is one of the most effective tools for maintaining authenticity when integrating AI into communication workflows. Because AI accelerates content creation and can generate language that “sounds” polished but may lack human nuance, leaders must rely on intentional frameworks—such as outlining purpose, defining audience, and establishing core messaging pillars—before any drafting begins. Structured communication ensures that AI outputs remain aligned with a communicator’s actual values, experiences, and strategic objectives. Without a clear structure, AI tends to drift toward generic phrasing or overly broad narratives that dilute the voice of the individual or institution using it. When leaders ground their communication in a predefined structure, AI becomes a supportive instrument rather than a narrative driver, helping refine ideas without overwriting them.

Structure also ensures transparency and consistency, which are foundational to public trust. Whether preparing a campus announcement, drafting a press release, or creating branded storytelling, a strong organizational framework helps audiences follow the message with clarity and confidence. This is increasingly important as AI-generated summaries, snippets, and zero-click search results often become the first—and sometimes only—touchpoint for readers. A structured message ensures that, even when compressed or algorithmically interpreted, the content still reflects the communicator’s intent, tone, expertise, and ethical commitments. In an era where AI can accelerate misinformation just as quickly as accuracy, structured communication is what keeps authenticity intact and protects the integrity of a leader’s voice.

How Google’s Search Evolution Impacts Authentic Leadership Communication

Google’s ongoing improvements to AI-powered search—highlighted in its update on Gemini for Search —underscore how dramatically information discovery is changing.

Search engines are no longer passive indexes. They’re dynamic interpreters of intent.

"You can use Gemini to analyze documents, answer questions, generate images and videos, research, pen creative writing, search the web, and solve math problems, among many other things. Think of Gemini as an advanced virtual assistant." says PC Magazine's Ruben Circelli

For communicators, this means our content must be grounded in clarity, originality, and value. If AI-generated summaries become the first point of contact between a user and your work, then authenticity becomes even more essential. Audiences want to know what you stand for—not just what the algorithm chooses to display.

Like many leaders today, I experiment with AI to streamline workflows. Not long ago, I used an AI tool to help analyze audience engagement across multiple communication platforms. The tool surfaced patterns I might have missed, but the real insight came afterward—interpreting the data, understanding our community, and adjusting strategy through a human lens.

AI accelerated the process, but it was human intuition that created impact.

Zero-Click Searches and the Future of Reputation

As I wrote for Oakridge Leaders, “The Dawn of Zero-Click Searching and SEO,” The truth is that search behavior is shifting. More users now find answers directly on the search results page without clicking through to a website. That means your visibility in search increasingly depends on:

1. structured data
2. entity alignment
3. long-form content
4. authoritative storytelling
5. consistent digital identity

If the story Google tells about you or your business is built from shallow or outdated information, you risk being defined by content that doesn’t reflect who you are or the value of your product. The solution is not more noise. The solution is more clarity, more transparency, and more authenticity.

Why Authenticity Matters More Than Ever

AI is evolving faster than any communication technology in recent memory. But here’s what hasn’t changed:

People trust people. They trust leaders who share their values, tell their truth, own their mistakes, and communicate with purpose. They trust stories that feel lived, not manufactured. They trust voices that are steady in uncertainty and compassionate in challenge. And no machine—not even the smartest language model—can replicate that connection.

As leaders, educators, communicators, and community members, our task is to use AI responsibly while never losing sight of the human experience at the center of every story.

About the Author

Ryan Abramson serves as the Director of Strategic Communications at Penn State Lehigh Valley. With nearly three decades of experience in authentic storytelling and the integration of emerging technologies, Abramson is a nationally recognized communications strategist and a sought-after innovator known for revitalizing and elevating organizational communication programs.