What’s most enjoyable about life is that, on a daily basis, there are opportunities to meet new people. Human connection is at the heart of what makes life meaningful.

Yet we now live in an era where artificial intelligence is advancing at a pace few could have predicted. Photos are enhanced, voicemails generated, emails auto-written—entire video chats can now be convincingly faked. You can’t always trust your eyes—or your ears. So what do we trust?

What we’ve always trusted: the power of real, human relationships.

People have spent entire careers building, protecting, and nurturing relationships. Traders, artisans, the Fuller Brush salesman, the Avon Lady, the milkman, the local catalog rep—they brought more than products. They brought presence, personality, and trust. Whether it was a vacuum cleaner demonstration in the living room, a catalog left at the kitchen table, or a familiar face behind a longtime Elmwood Avenue storefront, these interactions were built on familiarity and connection. That legacy of human interaction is back at center stage. The handshake still matters. A face-to-face still wins the room. A coffee chat, a raised eyebrow, an offhand comment—all of those tiny, unprogrammed moments build rapport in ways no machine can replicate.

AI might be getting better at sounding human. But it’s still not being human.

AI-generated content—especially video and audio—will soon be so realistic, we won’t be able to tell what’s real and what’s fake. We’re on the brink of a new era of false perception and digital deception. For those who remember, Milli Vanilli was the Grammy-winning duo exposed for lip-syncing the songs that made them famous. When the truth came out, their careers collapsed.

In that spirit, an old advertising slogan feels more relevant than ever: Is it live, or is it Memorex?

That question is now front and center. Is what you’re seeing real—or just programmed to feel real?

There’s no question that AI has its place. It can process data, sketch ideas, and help refine language. But a tool is not a substitute for the talent—or the truth—behind it. What makes writing powerful, and work meaningful, is the human experience at its core.

We’re just a few years removed from the pandemic, when the world retreated into screens and home offices. For many, loneliness, mental fatigue, and isolation left lasting scars. In this post-COVID era, something powerful is reemerging: a hunger for authentic, in-person connection.

It’s showing up in meetings, networking events, and even casual run-ins at the grocery store. People want to reconnect—not just via a screen, but face to face. They want to see your smile, shake your hand, hear your voice. As trust in digital reality fades, trust in real relationships grows stronger.

This shift is also reshaping the workplace. Not long ago, many believed remote everything was the future. But now? Companies are calling people back—not just for productivity, but for connection. Culture doesn’t live in Slack messages. Loyalty isn’t built on Zoom. On Zoom, you can wear a tie and gym shorts; in real life, you wear the whole suit. Mentorship doesn’t happen in emoji reactions. Human presence matters.

Young professionals—those just starting out—are learning that what you know is important, but who you know—and how you treat them—matters just as much. Every relationship opens a door. Every meaningful connection leads to more. And the beauty of that principle? It never goes out of style.

No robot will ever replicate the nuance of a first impression or the feeling of being seen. No one walks away from a great meeting saying, “Wow, that Zoom background really moved me.” But plenty walk away thinking, “That person just gets it.”

As we enter an age of digital doubt—where even voices and videos may be faked—something simple is becoming rare again: authenticity. Cybercrime is rising fast, and trust is being exploited in new ways. Don’t hit “send” on that wire transfer until you’re certain the voice, face, or email on the other end is who they say they are.

That’s why the relationship economy is entering a renaissance. People will increasingly place value on realness. They’ll hire for it. Vote with it. Partner because of it.

If you’re fortunate enough to have strong relationships in your life, tend to them. And if you’ve been hiding behind screens or texts, show up. Shake hands. Ask questions. Listen closely. Connect deeply.

And the next time a perfectly polished message or AI-generated voice crosses your screen, ask yourself:Is it live—or is it Memorex?
If it’s real, you’ll know.