The Pros and Cons of Using AI for Personal Branding

Source: Tima Miroshnichenko / Pexels

by Jessica Helmi, Ph.D., Argho Bandyopadhyay, Ph.D., & Melissa Wheeler, Ph.D.

How do you depict and promote yourself and your work on social media? This is your personal brand. Personal branding is how you present yourself to the world—whether you realize it or not. It’s about showing who you are, what you stand for, and what makes you unique. Your personal brand signals to others how they can connect with you. Every post, photo, and comment you share online shapes how people perceive you, with repeated posts and comments giving people a fuller picture. Essentially, it’s your reputation—part personal, part professional—packaged for the digital age.

How do you portray yourself on social media? The words you use, the images you share, and the values you project all contribute to your personal brand. It’s not just for celebrities, influencers, or business leaders—it matters for everyone. Whether you’re a student trying to land your first job or a seasoned professional building credibility, your personal brand can open doors, forge connections, and help you stand out. In a hyper-connected world, where first impressions are often made virtually, online personal branding has never been more crucial—or more powerful.

Welcome to the era of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), where artificial intelligence is reshaping how we build and express our personal identities. GenAI is like having a creative assistant in your pocket—ready to whip up text, images, music, or even entire videos that you would like to create based on patterns it has learned from existing data. It is not just a tech trend; it is changing how we stand out and share our stories in a crowded digital world.

Imagine you are putting together a travel vlog. You have the footage of your adventures, but GenAI can take it a step further by creating customized graphics that match the vibe of your journey—whether it is an animated map tracing your route or dreamy background visuals of the places you have visited.

Tools powered by GenAI can generate blog posts, social media updates, and even idealized video content tailored to an individual's style and voice. GenAI has become a dynamic partner in crafting and enhancing personal brands with unprecedented depth and sophistication.

Potential Benefits of Using GenAI in Your Personal Branding

Reducing Your Workload: Crafting engaging social media posts and website content can be time-consuming and mentally draining. By automating this process, individuals can focus on other strategic aspects of their personal brand, such as networking and skill development.

Connecting With Your Audience: GenAI in personal branding can help you create a polished LinkedIn profile or regular posts on Instagram. But it can also be used to personalize and understand people's preferences and build real, meaningful relationships with your audience. For example, GenAI can analyze what resonates most with your followers, helping you craft content and messages that feel genuine and relatable. In a noisy digital world, finding what resonates with your audience will help you get heard. AI tools can help you to understand and respond to emotional triggers and cultivate loyalty and trust.

Building Self-Esteem: Hyper-realistic avatars created through GenAI serving as lifelike digital representations can enhance self-esteem by allowing individuals to present an idealized version of themselves, which can lead to increased confidence in professional interactions. The ability to control and refine one's digital appearance can also reduce anxiety related to physical appearance and public perception, making individuals feel more comfortable and authentic in online engagements. This enhanced self-presentation can positively influence how others perceive them, ultimately strengthening their brand.

Potential Pitfalls

The use of GenAI in personal branding is not without psychological risks. One significant concern is the potential for identity dissonance. When AI-generated content deviates from an individual's authentic voice or values, it can create a sense of disconnection. This incongruity between one's true self and online persona can lead to feelings of inauthenticity and discomfort.

Reliance on AI for content creation might reduce intrinsic motivation, or the inner drive to do something well for the sake of doing so, without any external reward. The satisfaction derived from crafting one's own content and the personal growth associated with it could diminish when an AI does the heavy lifting. This dependence on technology might also hinder the development of essential communication and writing skills. But let's not forget, the same was said of word processors and even spell check when it was introduced.

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The pressure to maintain a flawless online presence can also exacerbate stress and anxiety. GenAI can help individuals present an idealized version of themselves, but this can lead to unrealistic expectations and self-imposed pressure to meet those standards consistently. The discrepancy between one's real life and online persona might contribute to feelings of inadequacy and imposter syndrome.

It's unavoidable that some might view those using GenAI as imposters. And if you goal is establish yourself as a thought leader, it's important to thoughtfully craft and share your unique insights and perspectives. Your voice is what truly establishes your expertise in the field.

The Moral Question

It’s up to each user to decide how to incorporate GenAI into their personal and professional lives. Some will be comfortable to have GenAI write their resumes, for example, while others will draw the line at using GenAI only for brainstorming. It’s also worth investigating where the use of GenAI needs to be disclosed. The moral question of transparency of GenAI use has yet to be answered and may be polarizing, with people holding very different views. For now, it’s up to each of us to decide how and when to engage.