degrade the signal
the turing test wasn’t beaten by a supercomputer. it was beaten by laziness.
We are currently in the “Uncanny Valley” of text. Everyone thinks they can spot an AI. They scan for the “delves,” the perfect syntax, and the soulless, rhythmic cadence of GPT-5, Grok, or Gemini.
They are looking for polish. But polish is no longer a signal of competence.
In the old world (pre-2022), perfect grammar signaled education and effort. In the new world of AI, perfect grammar signals automation and low effort.
The Paradox of Imperfection. When the cost of generating “perfect” text drops to zero, the value of that perfection collapses. If you send me a perfectly structured, error-free email, my brain defaults to: “This is a template. This is a robot. This is spam.”
To prove humanity, you must simulate error.
The Director Mindset. You are not the writer; you are the Director. The AI is your intern.
If you ask your intern to write a tweet, they will show up wearing a tuxedo. It’s too much. It creates distance. Your job is to tell the intern: “Take off the tie. Roll up your sleeves. Relax.”
How to Execute (The Lowercase Prompt) I use AI to crystallize my thinking, but I refuse to let it sanitize my voice. One of my most effective prompts is the simplest one:
“write your answer in all lower caps.”
Why this works:
Signaling Theory: Lowercase text implies speed. It implies you are too busy building to hit the ‘Shift’ key. It signals “Skin in the Game.” It signals human imperfection.
Disarming the Radar: When the text looks casual, the reader’s defense mechanism turns off. They stop judging the syntax and start listening to the idea.
High Trust: High polish = Corporate (Low Trust). Low polish = Friend (High Trust).
The Feynman Check. Richard Feynman believed that jargon creates a fog that hides a lack of understanding. Similarly, AI “polish” creates a fog that hides a lack of personality.
Don’t let the AI automize your soul away.
Automate the drafting.
Direct the style.
The Goal. The objective isn’t to trick people. The objective is to ensure your ideas are heard. If the “suit” gets in the way of the message, burn the suit.
degrade the signal to amplify the truth