6 days ago
Do you sound like ChatGPT? Research says AI is changing how we speak
Stop mid-sentence and listen to yourself talk. Notice how you 'delve' into topics or describe things as 'meticulous'? Congratulations—you've been ChatGPT-ified
Research from the Max Planck Institute has revealed a startling linguistic shift: since ChatGPT debuted 18 months ago, humans have increased their usage of AI-favoured vocabulary by 51 per cent. Words like 'adept', 'realm' and 'navigate', which are commonly used by ChatGPT, are suddenly everywhere, from boardroom presentations to dating app messages. We're not just using artificial intelligence—it turns out AI is shaping how we speak.
This isn't accidental. Every time we interact with AI-generated content, while AI absorbs our patterns, we, as humans, absorb its patterns too. AI-speak sounds confident and professional, and we reach for its linguistic safety net.
Also read: Can ChatGPT understand who we are?
But here's the problem: uniformity kills personality. As we streamline our speech through ChatGPT filters, we iron out regional dialects, personal quirkiness and grammatical stumbles that make our speech uniquely our own.
Consider the difference between 'I enjoy navigating through multicultural spaces' and 'I love travelling'. One sounds impressive and professional, but the other sounds like an actual person, someone relatable.
There's no denying that AI is here to stay. And AI is shaping our culture, including our communication style. But it's up to us on how we strike a balance between what is beautifully, chaotically human and the confident 'perfectly sophisticated' voice that AI brings on board.
