The uncanny echo: why information design needs a human soul

We’ve all experienced it by now. You’re scrolling through LinkedIn, scanning a recipe blog, or checking out a graphic online, and this weird sense of déjà vu hits you. The words are perfectly structured. The image is hyper-glossy and immaculate.

Yet, something feels profoundly off.

We’re currently drowning in a sea of AI-generated content. From ChatGPT-penned think pieces to Midjourney-crafted landscapes, synthetic media is everywhere. And look, these tools are undeniably revolutionary, but we’ve reached a massive tipping point. AI-generated stuff can be spotted a mile away, and it’s rapidly turning the digital landscape into a wall of unreadable noise.

The tell-tale signs of the machine

AI content has a distinct flavour, and honestly, it’s not a great one. Once you train your eye to see it, the illusion completely shatters.

The corporate monotone in text

If a blog post starts with "In today’s fast-paced digital landscape" or leans heavily on words like delve, testament, tapestry, or leverage, your AI radar should be screaming. AI writes with a polite, homogenised perfection. It completely lacks the messy, chaotic syntax of human thought. It doesn’t use slang naturally, it rarely takes a bold stance, and it misses the mark on self-deprecating humour every single time. It feels like a brochure written by a committee that was forced to be there.

The plastic perfection in visuals

AI images are stunningly vibrant, yet they’re completely devoid of gravity. Look closely at an AI photo and you’ll notice a strange, airbrushed sheen. Lighting comes from impossible angles. Background characters blur into bizarre geometry. Even when the fingers are counted correctly, the eyes look dead, lacking that tiny, biological spark of genuine emotion. It’s visual fast food: looks good on the billboard, leaves you empty inside.

The data smog: how AI is ruining information design

This brings us to a massive problem in how we communicate: information design. Good information design isn't just about making things look pretty. It's the actual practice of organising and presenting data so humans can efficiently understand it and do something with it.

Right now, AI is doing the exact opposite. It's creating data smog. Because anyone can generate a 2,000-word article or a complex-looking infographic in thirty seconds, the internet is being flooded with low-effort, low-value filler.

Human information design	AI-generated content filler
Empathy-driven: Filters out the clutter to save the reader's time.	Volume-driven: Pads out text just to look authoritative.
Intentional hierarchy: Guides your eye to what actually matters.	Algorithmic average: Mimics structures without understanding why.
Contextual clarity: Adapts tone for a specific, living audience.	Generic output: Spits out a homogenised blend of old internet data.

When we rely entirely on AI to create, we completely lose editorial judgement. We get graphics with flawless gradients but nonsensical layouts, and whitepapers that use a lot of fancy words to say absolutely nothing. It’s visual and textual noise that forces the user to work twice as hard to find the actual truth.

Why the human touch is the ultimate premium

Moving forward, the content that cuts through the noise won't be the most polished; it'll be the most human. Humans are still desperately needed to act as the ultimate filters and curators.

We crave authenticity because we're hardwired for connection. We want to read about the time you failed miserably before you succeeded. We want to see layouts that have a quirky, intentional asymmetry that a machine would automatically "correct" because it doesn't fit the template.

The human touch in information design is found in the quirks:

• The unpredictable metaphor: A human writer's going to connect two completely unrelated ideas because of a weird memory they have, something an LLM would never calculate.

• The editorial cut: A human designer has the guts to leave white space, knowing that sometimes what you leave out is way more important than what you cram in.

• The shared vulnerability: Sharing a personal struggle or a unique perspective creates a bridge of empathy that raw data simply can't replicate.

  
  

The future belongs to the curators

We don't need to banish AI. As a brainstorming partner, a quick grammar checker, or a tool for rapid prototyping, it’s unmatched. But a tool's only as good as the hand wielding it.

The most successful creators, marketers, and designers of tomorrow will be editors. They'll use AI to generate the raw block of marble, but they'll use their own lived experiences, ethics, and taste to sculpt the final masterpiece.

In a world where everyone can generate a flawless fake in five seconds, the truth of your human experience, and your ability to cut through the noise, is the only unfair advantage you've got left. Use it.