This AI Channel should not exist, and it poses a threat to the presumption of authenticity in senior living testimonials.
You might see the disclaimer in the corner briefly: “Altered or synthetic content.” But, odds are, you will miss it entirely and believe that this older adult is sharing something emotionally captivating. The truth is that this is fully scripted, AI generated slop; fake people and fake stories that sit right in the uncanny valley of creepiness.
So, what’s the big deal? Movies, TV and books are scripted. This is just a creative new way to tell an emotional story, right?
Wrong. We can accept when stories are fictional, but we expect to be told if something is fictional or intended to convey a true story. We can even accept AI avatars speaking if we know they are not real. But trying to pass off AI avatars as human is beyond disheartening in a world full of real stories waiting to be told.
This is where we lose with AI: following promises of efficiency into a wasteland of dishonest plays on human empathy. Empathy becomes less instinctual if we suddenly don’t know what to believe is real or worth our emotional investment.
Senior Living as an industry depends on brand trust and confidence. Everything an organization puts out impacts public perception of their product expertise and quality, for better or for worse.
We don’t like being lied to. Undisclosed mimicry of a human is eerie and should not be normalized anywhere, let alone senior living. At worst, using AI poisons the entire well, creating doubt in an industry spending millions to appear approachable and human to seniors and families.
Once we break this implied social agreement with our audience, we’ve potentially broken the foundation of trust that high-consideration products so rely heavily on. And this will elicit subconscious questions: Do you see your residents as human? Are their stories valuable and important?
But, it’s only a matter of time until state and federal laws change (California restricts AI use by healthcare providers).
Creating quality media for your organization doesn’t have to destroy your budget. We understand senior living markets, and we know quality media will elevate your exposure and occupancy. Let us help you stand out in your market.
