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AI & Authenticity
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AI & Authenticity

What Does It Mean to Be “Real” in 2025?

Kungfu.ai, 2025


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Some 88% of consumers claim that authenticity is a critical factor in their purchasing decisions, so how does the rise of AI alter human perceptions of authenticity? Ben Szuhaj, an AI strategist at management consultancy Kungfu.ai, hosted a group discussion to address this question. The participants framed the problem as a design challenge to help them come up with proactive solutions to counter the threat of AI. The findings are sometimes humorous, often surprising, and always illuminating.

Summary

Authenticity is a multidimensional characteristic.

It’s your birthday. Your spouse presents you with a card, and the message is poetic. The words seem so personal and heartfelt. You later find out that your spouse outsourced the task of writing the message to AI. Do you feel deceived, or do you appreciate the lengths your spouse went to, to make you happy? Authenticity is a multifaceted and nuanced quality:

  • “Intent and emotional investment” — Being authentic means tapping into your true emotions. While outsourcing an emotional job to AI tarnishes authenticity for some, others believe the tool matters less than the intent and verity of the feelings conveyed.
  • “Effort and value perception” — Many liken the use of AI to cheating, but even calculators and spreadsheets underwent the same scrutiny upon launch. Humans’ perceptions of value evolve over time. While AI might seem like a low-effort shortcut now, it will eventually gain recognition as a creative aide.
  • “Consent and disclosure” — One of AI’s biggest sticking points is transparency. Is the user trying to foist AI-generated work as their own? People...

About the Author

Ben Szuhaj is an AI strategist and writer at Kungfu.ai, a management consulting and engineering firm.


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    K. P. 6 months ago
    Not convincing. Reads more like an op-ed by a marketing department company employee (and with the author being an Ai strategist for an Ai firm, it is exactly that).

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