Izzy Lewis is Client Manager at DATA³, with a career built across client services, account management and marketing leadership. Before joining DATA³, she held senior roles at HH Global and Runway Growth Consulting, working closely with clients on CRM, engagement and brand strategy: giving her a close-up view of how people actually respond to the tools put in front of them, not just how those tools are supposed to work. In this piece, Izzy makes the case that the most useful AI tools aren’t the most neutral ones: they’re the ones with a bit of personality, and why she thinks “beige AI” is a bug, not a feature.
For those of you who have watched the Spike Jonze movie, Her (2013), this could’ve been the first time you saw a glimpse of what the future of automation and AI ‘Assistants’ (agents) could be, right? I know it was for me, and I even wrote a blog post about it in my first job out of University, predicting pretty much where we are now with AI and our relationship with it!
More recently, starting at DATA3 introduced a whole new level of utilising AI in my personal and work life. It’s not just grown: it’s exploded. It’s my researcher, my sounding board, and my draft-writer and editor. But the more I use it, the more I realise that efficiency isn’t enough. I’m officially bored of “As an AI language model…” and the polite, robotic neutrality that has become the industry default.
I don’t want a digital manual. I want a partner with a pulse.
We are entering the era of the Personality Layer, where the most effective tools aren’t just the fastest—they’re the ones that make us smile.
The “Aha” Moment with Claude
I was recently looking at a gut-health plan (attached below) and noticed something in the footer that actually made me stop and smile:
“No sweeteners were harmed in the making of this plan.”
It was unprompted. It was unnecessary. It didn’t make the eggs taste better, or the omega-3s work faster. But it changed my entire relationship with the content. Suddenly, I wasn’t just reading data; I was engaging with it; it felt like I was reading a funny Guardian column written by a human.
Why “Beige” is a Bug, Not a Feature
For years, we’ve been told that AI should be a blank slate—neutral, invisible, and “safe.” But working at DATA3, we see that the most effective tools are the ones people actually want to use. My belief is that when AI is beige, it’s forgettable and can be frustrating.
When AI has wit, it becomes:
- Memorable: You remember the advice because the delivery had “spice.”
- Human: It bridges the gap between a cold algorithm and a collaborative teammate.
- Intuitive: Handling nuance and humour requires a higher level of “understanding” than just spitting out facts
Wit Should Be the Standard
I’m a firm believer that wit should be a default setting, not an optional toggle. If we are building “Artificial Intelligence,” we shouldn’t be stripping away the most intelligent part of communication: the ability to be funny, self-aware, and slightly cheeky.
The “Office Colleague” Test.
Think about your favourite people to work with. Are they the ones who only speak in formatted bullet points and never crack a joke? Probably not. You want the colleague who gets the job done but also knows how to read the room.
Why should our AI be any different? We’re looking at it starting to break that “4th wall” between it and us (the audience), giving a completely different user experience.
My Takeaway
The future of work isn’t just about how much data we can process; it’s about the quality of the interface. We’re moving past the era of “utility” and into the era of “experience.”
If your AI isn’t giving you a bit of sass or making you chuckle while you’re grinding through a spreadsheet, you’re missing out on half the potential of the tech.
Let’s kill the robotic response. Give me the “No sweeteners harmed” footer every single time.
What’s the most “human” thing an AI has ever said to you?
Did it make you trust the tool more, or did it catch you off guard?
Something to think about…
If the AI tools in your business feel forgettable, that’s not a small thing: it’s the difference between a tool your team actually uses and one that quietly gets ignored. What would it take to make yours the kind people trust? Book a consultation with DATA³ and let’s find out.
