Authenticity
In the Age of Artificial Intelligence
December 9, 2023
Cite as: Coleman, Anita S. (2023, December ). Authenticity: In the age of Artificial Intelligence. Infophilia, a positive psychology of information, 1.
All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts. Shakespeare
Authenticity, like information, is a paradox.
Throughout history, authenticity has generally been prized by societies worldwide. Be true to yourself. Authenticity includes values such as trustworthiness, celebrating individuality, and maintaining consistency in actions and words. Then, in the 1950s Erving Goffman’s book The Presentation of Self in Everyday Reality was published. Goffman observed people’s social interactions and reported his findings using the metaphor of the theatrical stage.
Goffman’s concept of the presentation of self in everyday life revolves around the idea that everybody engages in a form of social performance to manage the impressions they make on others. Social face-to-face interactions are like a theatrical stage where individuals play roles, wear masks, and perform to convey a particular image. Goffman introduced the concepts of "front stage" and "back stage" behaviors. The front stage is the public realm where individuals present themselves to others, and the back stage is the private space where they can be more authentic.
Goffman emphasized the strategic nature of social interactions. People carefully crafted and managed their self-presentation. They wanted to influence the perceptions others had of them. Their performative acts are still guided by values such as trustworthiness and individuality.
Perceptions are reality.
Impression management, performative acts, and the notion that perception is reality, soon became common knowledge. Despite this, authenticity continued to be valued both in face to face and Internet communications. Netiquette, a portmanteau of internet and etiquette, emphasized polite, respectful, and authentic online interactions. People were encouraged to present themselves transparently and honestly. It was recognized that perceptions are reality for a majority of the world.
With the rise of social media, however, impression management reached extreme levels. Influencers became experts in crafting online persona detached from their real selves, turning authenticity from a valued to a nice to have but not necessarily an essential trait to one that was considered laughable and ludicrous for many. This transformation, for most people not just for influencers, is captured poignantly in Cobb’s introduction in The Paradox of Authenticity in a Globalized World.