What AI Can’t Replace in Life Story Writing
Someone recently approached me about a new business he was launching. It was structured almost identically to Capture Your Story, with one major difference: aside from him, the entire team would be made up of AI bots.
AI is a constant topic of conversation for us right now. I think daily about where it can help our process, where it can streamline our work, and what parts of what we do should never be handed over to a machine.
Last week, one of our writers conducted an interview with the daughter of a woman who had passed away. During the call, the daughter became emotional speaking about her family. Our writer paused, gave her space, and helped her feel comfortable enough to continue. Afterward, the writer noticed a smudge on her own glasses and realized she had teared up, too.
She told me how much she wished she could have been sitting right next to her in person instead of across a screen.
That conversation was a clear reminder of why our team is irreplaceable.
A bot can ask a list of questions. It can organize information or clean up a transcript. But it cannot notice the hesitation in someone's voice, know when to pause, or feel the true impact of a memory being shared.
Our writers build real relationships with our clients and their families. People trust them with stories they haven't spoken about in years. They cry together, and they laugh together. Over time, the writer becomes someone who helps them put into words what they have been trying to say for a long time.
AI will have a place in our work, as it will in almost every business. But I don't believe the genuine human connection at the center of telling a life story can - or should - ever be replaced.
Comments