SPEAK LIKE A CEO 320: AI Can Make You MORE Authentic… Or Instantly Destroy Trust
Apr 16, 2026
Allison Shapira, Harvard lecturer and author of AI for the Authentic Leader, advises executives on using AI to enhance authentic leadership. She explores when leaders underuse or overuse AI and how that affects trust. She explains the AI Authenticity Loop, when AI can aid tough conversations, and practical first steps to adopt AI while protecting credibility.
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Always Draft First Then Use AI
- Do write your own first draft before using AI so your message preserves your intent and thinking.
- Allison warns AI-first drafts skip nuance and strategy, causing messages to sound machine-made and erode trust.
AI Use Is A Transition Phase For Trust
- Short-term AI use triggers suspicion; long-term it will be invisible like spellcheck.
- Allison predicts in 2–3 years people won't ask if AI helped because AI will be integrated into everyday tools.
The AI Authenticity Loop
- The AI Authenticity Loop makes the human the central process: create, brainstorm with AI, evaluate, iterate, and deliver.
- Allison's loop preserves leadership judgment by alternating human drafts and AI suggestions then role-play feedback.
