Does AI Need Its BeReal Moment?

For some reason I keep finding myself thinking about BeReal. BeReal was a photo-sharing app that was a reaction to the declining authenticity of social media. It would force the user to take a photo once a day, and at unexpected times. In 2022, I remember observing the growing excitement behind the app in my undergraduate classroom. At different moments during class, a student’s phone would buzz and you could feel a small ripple of excitement or urgency. It almost felt like different groups of students were part of a shared experience that was fresh and new.

BeReal was a reaction to the hyper-curated Instagram feeds that made people wonder what happened to the everyday moments. The moments before we had our make-up and hair done. When we weren’t #winning and instead feeling like crap–that we might be close to rock bottom. According to The Tab, part of BeReal’s decline is due to changes they made to the product. Initially, the photos were fully unscripted with a short timer catching you off guard and forcing you to take photos of your real life. BeReal introduced an opportunity to delay the picture, which effectively meant photos were scheduled around winning moments (like the photo of our BTE class at their signature Design Sprint above). With more curated photos, the app started to feel no different than Instagram and the buzz subsided.

The reason BeReal comes to mind in this current moment is that it was a response to the decline in authenticity and natural human awkwardness in user-generated content. AI is accelerating and exacerbating the inauthentic nature of social media but now has moved into the workplace as well. Starting with LinkedIn think pieces that used to feel grounded in the authority of the writer are increasingly feeling like bullet-pointed lists from queries on trending topics. Instead of watching the thinking out loud of middle managers and executives, I’m being given the polished conclusions with posts that read: “But here’s the truth” or “Nobody talks about the real reason…” The challenge is that the AI Slop extends outside of LinkedIn and follow through into pitch decks, emails, and project plans.

Maybe this phase will pass. Maybe the AI Slop settles as the novelty wears off. I just hope that around the corner is a new way for digital interaction to feel less rehearsed. Seeing the winning moment, hearing the final conclusion, being given the key takeaways leaves me yearning for the broader narrative. What did the middle point look like? What would we see if we caught you off guard? What was the struggle and what’s still unclear?

On Instagram many say the real joy is in the comments section. It’s a place where the town square gathers to loosely opine on memes. We love the unscripted conversation because it makes us feel seen.

Feel free to share your own unscripted thoughts below!