“Made entirely by humans” is becoming an important reminder of where ideas actually come from. In a world full of AI-generated content, the value sits in human insight, intention and identity, not in avoiding tools altogether. Digital work can never be completely human because technology always plays a role, so the real focus should be on authorship and purpose. For writing and learning design, AI can help refine and edit, but the ideas and direction should stay firmly human-led. When we label work as “made by a person”, we reinforce authenticity, trust and creative ownership while avoiding shallow, unreviewed AI generated content.
Table of contents
- What this phrase now means
- Why authenticity matters
- Why nothing digital can be “entirely” human
- A better approach: a reality stamp, not a purity claim
- Why this matters for learning experiences
- Benefits of embracing a “made by humans” approach
- Trade-offs and challenges
- Conclusion
What this phrase now means
Pushkin began adding “Made entirely by humans” to their podcasts as a small but powerful reminder of where the creative work came from. In the age of AI, this phrase carries new weight. It invites us to reflect on who is really behind the ideas we read, hear or watch. It also nudges us to ask what it means to create something with care, intention and identity.
This blog post is not “made entirely by humans” in the strictest sense. The ideas, examples, narrative and argument are all mine. However, the structure, spelling and message clarity have been refined with AI. Without that support, the post would be harder to read, slower to write, and much less effective. The author has decided that value comes from the combination, and this is a choice we must all make. A real human creates the meaning and direction, and AI helps shape it so it reads well.
This small example is an honest reflection of the world changing around us. It poses a larger question: what should “made entirely by humans” mean when almost all new digital work can include AI somewhere in the process?
Why authenticity matters
Humans are imperfect. We have quirks, rough edges, opinions and moments of clarity. These imperfections are often the things that make work feel alive. They carry voice, character and thought. A purely AI-generated piece of work will always lack this. It may be polished, fast and technically good, but it will rarely feel genuine.
Human work has context. It has purpose. It responds to lived experience. It carries a point of view shaped by culture, identity, history and emotion. When something is “made by a human”, it has fingerprints. These fingerprints matter because they allow the reader or learner to connect with the work, not just consume it.
Why nothing digital can be “entirely” human
There is a paradox at the centre of this topic. You cannot create something digital without a machine being involved. A document, webpage, podcast, elearning module or learning design always passes through a software layer. Even if no AI is involved, the medium itself is not entirely human. That is unavoidable.
So the question becomes: what exactly are we labelling?
We are not labelling the file, we are labelling the effort, the intent, the process.
“Made entirely by humans” becomes a stamp of origin. It signals that the thoughts, decisions, ideas and creative direction came from a person. It does not claim the absence of tools. Instead, it acknowledges that the human is the source.
A better approach: a reality stamp, not a purity claim
Rather than chasing the impossible idea of purely human digital creation, we can aim for something honest. A reality stamp that says:
“This work was created by a person. A real person with a name, context and intention. Tools assisted, but the ideas came from me.”
This is what readers, learners and collaborators value. When people know there is someone behind the work, it gains more credibility. It becomes easier to trust, challenge or respond to.
The simplest way to achieve this is to put the person in the work. Add the author’s name at the top. Carry their tone through the writing. Make their reasoning visible. Show their presence in the examples, the choices and the voice. This is how you ensure the work feels human, even when tools help refine it.
Why this matters for learning experiences
Learning designers face the same challenge. AI can generate content at a scale we have never seen before. It can summarise subject matter, rewrite descriptions, produce quiz questions and generate examples. However, if we publish AI content without reading or shaping it, we risk creating something that looks polished but has very little substance.
Learning experiences need human intention. They need a designer who understands the audience, the psychology, the sequencing and the purpose of each activity. AI can help edit or refine, but it cannot replace the human insight that makes learning meaningful.
The best experiences are not built from AI content. They are built from human-led design, where AI supports quality, speed and clarity. This is how we avoid filling the world with thoughtless, shallow material. We aim for a balance that keeps the experience grounded in human understanding, while using AI to reduce friction and improve craft.
Benefits of embracing a “made by humans” approach
- Authenticity that learners and readers can feel
- Stronger trust between creator and audience
- Clearer accountability for accuracy and quality
- Retention of human tone and character
- Better alignment with purpose and context
- Resistance to shallow or generic content
- A more thoughtful design process
- Higher creative ownership
Trade-offs and challenges
- Human-led creation takes more time
- It requires stronger editorial judgement
- It demands clarity over authorship and intention
- Work may not have the surface-level polish of pure AI
- It can feel slower when AI can produce instant outputs
- Requires ongoing choices about when and how AI is used
None of these trade-offs remove the value of human creation. They simply highlight the need to be intentional about where the human leads, and where the AI supports.
Conclusion
“Made entirely by humans” is not a purity test. It is a reminder. It tells us that behind the words, ideas and decisions there is a real person. Someone with a point of view. Someone who cares enough to create something for others.
AI can help us write, edit and shape our work, but it performs poorly if you ask it to replace original human insight. The lesson for writing and learning design is the same; AI can help with structure and clarity, but keep the thinking, the intention and the identity come from you, the human.
