I recently visited a friend who has been working in HR for years. After a while, our conversation took the classic ''How’s work'' turn, and I must admit, her response left me rather surprised.
Since ChatGPT launched, it has quickly spread across the globe as a tool to help us write elaborate, lengthy texts, but also to simply organise our thoughts and produce a decent result in a relatively short amount of time. However, like any technology, it cannot fully mimic the human touch and creativity (yet).
So, when my friend mentioned that most cover letters and résumés she receives nowadays contain the same fancy words, such as ''tapestry'' or ''pinnacle'', it made me wonder if ChatGPT is to blame.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe ChatGPT can be a tremendous help, and after all, it only reflects the technological progress of the era we’re all part of. For some of my friends with dyslexia or dysgraphia, the fear of the written word has completely vanished thanks to the little helping hand from ChatGPT.
But I can’t help but ask: if we all follow the same cookie-cutter formula, could that actually backfire on us? Could we lower our chances of getting a job if our cover letter is mass-produced by artificial intelligence and doesn’t reflect who we truly are? Could we miss the opportunity to write a witty, thought-provoking essay for a school assignment if we rely too heavily on a few keywords? Not to mention, our paper might end up looking a bit too similar to that of our classmates.
I’m a big believer in technological advancements, just as I am a believer in authenticity, human emotion, and the endless creativity that only our minds and hearts can produce.
But what does etiquette have to do with all of this?
Well, the pinnacle of etiquette (pun intended 😉) is based on respect towards ourselves and our surroundings. One of the ways to show respect is to respond to a friend's email, apply to a job or deliver an assignment that mirrors our thoughts rather than completes the task in a generic yet fast way.
ChatGPT is here to stay. While others are working on improving new, revolutionary technologies, perhaps we can focus on celebrating our authentic selves—with all our flaws and errors.
I wish you all a beautiful day.
Yours sincerely,
Katarina
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