As I wrapped up developing my latest workshop on Product Storytelling, a few key insights crystallized that I believe anyone working in technology and business needs to understand. The intersection of AI and storytelling isn't about replacement, it's about enhancement, efficiency, and cutting through the noise to deliver what truly matters: authentic human connection.
AI can’t replace us as storytellers, but it can make us consistent.
I often listen to Melisa Lieberman's podcast Grow your Independent Consulting Business, and I especially enjoyed a recent episode where she interviewed Marketing Ops consultant Amanda Long about the transformative power of custom GPTs for maintaining brand consistency and voice. This struck me as particularly relevant for Product Leaders who are juggling multiple stakeholders, documents, and narratives across different contexts.
The key insight here isn't that AI can tell your story for you, it's that AI can help you tell your story consistently, more often, and in more ways. Custom GPTs can serve as your brand voice guardian, ensuring that whether you're writing a product brief, customer email, or executive summary, your core messaging remains coherent and on-brand. This kind of consistency is what builds trust and recognition in the market.
Humans Are Wired for Stories, Not Data
Here's what we can't lose sight of: data doesn’t tell a story on its own. "Humans thrive through storytelling rather than data" and "what drives human interaction is emotive storytelling," as UNILAD founder Alex Partridge notes in his recent Big Think interview. What I will emphasize in my workshop next week is that this fundamental truth remains constant regardless of how algorithms and platforms evolve.
This is where many Product Leaders are getting it wrong with AI. They're using it to generate content in bulk, losing the very essence of what makes communication powerful. Stories create emotional connections. They help stakeholders see themselves in the future you're building. They transform feature lists into compelling visions.
AI won't craft that emotional journey for you, but it can help you articulate it more efficiently once you've defined it!
Cutting Through the AI Noise: Our Responsibility as Leaders
With the proliferation of AI-generated content, we're facing a new challenge: NOISE. Generic, templated communication is everywhere, and as Partridge also observes, "many people are using AI to automate their emails and social media content, which I think is a terrible idea." The result is a sea of content that feels inauthentic and forgettable. We cannot afford to fall into this trap as Product Leaders and Technologists if we want to continue being innovative, future-looking thinkers.
We need to understand how AI can enhance our toolkit without becoming lazy with it. This means:
Using AI for research and angles on how to synthesize information, not for the creative storytelling itself
Leveraging AI to maintain consistency across various touch points and stakeholders
Employing AI for efficiency in documentation and SOPs, freeing up time for strategic narrative development
Never letting AI replace the human insight, empathy, and vision that make stories compelling
The Enhancement Mindset
Developing this upcoming workshop reinforced something I've been thinking about for months: the most successful Product Leaders in the AI era will figure out how to amplify their human capabilities without losing their human essence.
Think of AI as your research assistant, your consistency checker, your efficiency multiplier. But the story, that is, the vision, the emotional arc, the customer journey…that's still fundamentally human work that I would expect a person to address uniquely. It requires understanding your audience's fears, dreams, and motivations in ways that only human empathy can achieve.
Moving Forward: AI as Your Storytelling Sidekick
As we navigate this new landscape, remember that stories about products have always been about overcoming challenges, solving problems, and connection. AI can help you organize your thoughts, maintain your voice, and scale your communication. But the spark that turns features into benefits, benefits into outcomes, and outcomes into compelling narratives? That's still uniquely human.
I’m curious- what has your experience been with using AI tools for communication? I'd love to hear how you're finding the balance between efficiency and authenticity in your own storytelling. Even better, come to our Storytelling workshop next Thursday August 14th, and share your insights with the rest of the cohort!