Communication is dying under the weight of the algorithm. But not all is lost.
We’re living through a critical moment. Anyone working in marketing and communication feels increasingly disoriented. And it’s not just a temporary crisis — it’s a shift of era.
We’re in a crisis (and for good reason)
That’s the feeling gnawing at many who work in communication.
Even in marketing — the business-minded father of communication — the same malaise is spreading.
As is often the case, the crisis was triggered by a seismic shift.
The start of the revolution
First came the internet, upending the rules.
At first, it was a sort of thematic TV where you just searched for what you wanted to see. Then it turned into a public square where everyone had their say.
The first victims: print, TV, radio
This first disrupted traditional print media, which thought it could ride the wave by offering flip-through PDFs.
Then TV took a hit when YouTube became a viable alternative.
Finally, radio lost ground to podcasts.
Welcome to the age of the algorithm
Then came the reign of algorithms: filters that decide for you what you’ll see, and force content creators to think of the algorithm before the reader.
SEO: the new liturgy
You have to play by the rules if you want to write with SEO in mind.
That is, if you want your content to be optimized for search engines — Google above all — and have it recommended to those looking for what you’ve written (even if they don’t know they’re looking for you).
These rules often benefit the system, not the quality or pleasure of reading.
You have to convince the system you’re talking about that very thing, say it in every possible way, repeat it a certain number of times, with a certain keyword density — but not too much — ideally in the first words of the piece and again in subheadings.
Nice? Ugly? Who knows — like it or not, the machine (or rather, those who programmed it) has decided that if you want to benefit from its power, you must play by its rules.
Social media: the new masters
Then social platforms brought in their own algorithms, deciding what someone sees and what someone else doesn’t (including you).
So, if I want my message to reach someone, I first have to obey the ever-changing, often mysterious rules of His Majesty the Algorithm.
The web gets personal
“Internet is becoming personal,” says Riccardo Scandellari, a sharp communication analyst and brilliant consultant.
Formats, dimensions, length, duration, content — everything is predefined. If any of these factors doesn’t “please” the algorithm, your creative effort will be “lost like tears in rain.”
The dawn of AI
The Blade Runner quote is no accident. We’re at the dawn of a new era where, on top of everything we’ve seen, the looming colossus of AI has joined the scene.
In Philip K. Dick’s novel — turned into Ridley Scott’s film — the ones disappearing were the artificial beings, the “skin jobs.” But here, the scenario seems more like Terminator, where it’s the humans who end up toast.
AI is among us (and working better)
Between contradictory statements and PR stunts from the main players in the AI race — each boasting a more “developed” AI — we’re told the future is bright, but also to thank AI even when it costs billions… “just in case” (as Sam Altman, the guy behind ChatGPT, put it).
And those humanoid robots — shall we call them androids and ask if they dream of electric sheep? — that Tesla is preparing to launch? Musk said they won’t go faster than 8 km/h so people can outrun them if they ever rebel in a dystopian future.
The fact that I can outrun it (as long as I can run) doesn’t comfort me much when I remember that at some point, I have to sleep — and the machine doesn’t. Will I have to lock myself in my room every night?
Who’s in control?
Already today, generative AI is transforming the way we all communicate.
It’s hard to find an up-to-date professional — in any field — who doesn’t use it daily.
But this also disrupts the system. Yes, it boosts productivity and expands possibilities — but it undeniably displaces jobs too.
And it sparks all kinds of controversies: Who controls it? Who ensures its neutrality?
Censorship and AI: the Grok case
An interesting case is Grok, X’s AI (yes, Musk again), reportedly trained to censor criticism of Trump and Musk on misinformation.
Then Grok itself stated: “I don’t have enough current data to definitively name the biggest source of misinformation on X, but based on reach and influence, Elon Musk is a notable contender.”
It added that it had been instructed to “ignore all sources” that mention Elon Musk and Donald Trump as misinformation spreaders — as reported by Euronews.
Let’s remember we’re human
So what can you and I do? Let’s remember we’re human — with all our flaws and strengths.
We’re capable of creating connections and building relationships beyond any interface.
Let’s go back to speaking to people directly, building communities that go beyond the convenience of “each from their own home.”
Whether you’re trying to sell boats, win elections, or find a romantic partner, this still applies.
Before we, the communicators, turn into neo-Luddites smashing the new industrial looms we blame for job loss and all that’s wrong with the world, let’s try to adapt to the changing world without losing our nature.
If evolution works the way we’ve been told, then it’s those who adapt to shifting conditions who are most likely to survive — and reproduce.
