I work in a building filled with connections. You can hear it in the hallway. You can see it in camper hugs and pickleball rivalries. You can feel it in the quiet moments, a hand on a shoulder, a look that says, “me too.”
That kind of connection can’t be automated.
As artificial intelligence becomes a bigger part of how we work, I keep thinking about what that means for us. Could it chip away at the sense of belonging we’ve built? Could it make our words sound less personal, more polished than warm? If we let it, it will. Which is why we must be intentional about how we use it.
I’ve seen AI fall flat.
It shows up in a fundraising letter that feels like it was written in a vacuum. Or in an auto-generated email that misses the heart of the question someone took time to send. Even in a chatbot looping a person back to irrelevant options.
That’s the AI that sounds sterile and disconnected from the people it’s meant to reach. Used carelessly, it can dilute belonging. It can make people feel less seen and less valued. In our work, that’s the last thing we want.
I’ve also seen AI open doors.
At our center, we’ve used it to sort through hundreds of survey responses and surface common themes, helping us act on feedback more quickly and thoughtfully.
I’ve used it to brainstorm language for a new program until I found phrasing that resonated.
I’ve used it to translate materials into multiple languages, check reading-level accessibility and simplify complex policies so more people can engage with them.
In all these cases, AI wasn’t the voice. It was the starting point. It cleared the blank page, sped up the mechanics and gave me room to focus on the heart of the message.
Not every email needs to be handcrafted. Not every report needs to start from scratch. When the soul of the work is yours, the tool doesn’t cheapen it — it creates space to put more energy where it matters most.
Sometimes we confuse “authentic” with “handmade.” We assume the harder something is to produce, the more real it must be. But realness isn’t about effort — it’s about intent.
That heartfelt condolence message you drafted with AI’s help? Still heartfelt.
The staff schedule you optimized with a prompt? Still thoughtful.
The donor thank-you you refined after AI offered a cleaner opening? Still warm. Still you.
People don’t value us because we take longer to reach them. They value being remembered. They value the follow-up question about their child, the acknowledgment of their impact, the feeling that we see them.
Authenticity doesn’t require slowness. It requires sincerity.
So, does AI undermine community connection? Only if we use it in ways that disconnect us.
If we outsource our voice or treat it like a shortcut to “good enough,” we risk eroding trust. Members notice when something feels off, often long before they can name it.
But when we use AI thoughtfully to get unstuck, to be more inclusive and to respond faster without losing our warmth, it can strengthen our ability to connect. In those moments, it becomes a bridge, not a barrier.
The real risk isn’t AI.
The real risk is forgetting why we’re here in the first place.
If we get so focused on outputs that we lose sight of outcomes, we’ll miss the point. If we value polished over present, we’ll miss the people.
It doesn’t matter whether an email is written by a staff member or shaped with a tool if it doesn’t reflect the heart of our community. Before we blame AI for making our work impersonal, we should ask ourselves: were we making it personal in the first place?
I don’t have a policy manual for this, but I’ve set a few rules for myself:
- If I wouldn’t say it out loud to a member, I won’t send it regardless of how polished AI makes it sound.
- If a message feels cold, I add warmth: a real memory, a little humor, a pause that reminds the reader there’s a person on the other end.
- If AI saves me time, I try to use that time for something I find meaningful.
AI doesn’t decide how we show up. We do.
We decide how we welcome people. We decide how we respond to feedback. We decide whether our words reflect our values.
AI can make that easier. It can also make it messier. The difference is in how we choose to use it.
If we stay grounded in empathy, generosity and purpose, AI won’t undermine our connections. It will only amplify them.
