Simplicity as a superpower in the age of AI
by Miguel Lucas
The superpower that will make you desirable in AI’s eyes is simplicity.
54% of ChatGPT users rely on it for its ability to explain complex concepts in a straightforward way 1. An interesting paradox. One of the most sophisticated and complex tools ever developed by human beings has made its name by explaining things as simply as possible. And that virtue is the number one reason it became the fastest-growing technology adoption phenomenon in history. Not even TikTok — built from the ground up to entertain and addict — reached 100 million users as quickly 2 (it took nine months; ChatGPT took two).
Users want simple explanations. And to give us simple explanations, LLMs will lean heavily on sources that explain things with extreme clarity. There it is. If you want your narrative to be visible in AI, if you want your brand to be cited by AI, forget elaborate, convoluted explanations. Forget polished language loaded with jargon — the kind you once used as a signal of expertise.
The superpower that will make you desirable in AI’s eyes is simplicity: the ability to communicate with precision and clarity. Simple as that. Or maybe not — because explaining complex things simply is anything but simple. That is exactly why it is a superpower. “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” Leonardo da Vinci said.
A couple of decades ago, in the golden age of search engines, when SEO was among the most coveted skills and disciplines, optimizing content for machines meant pushing it to the edge of dehumanization: use this keyword in the title, repeat that phrase at the right frequency. Optimizing for humans and optimizing for machines were not the same thing. That era is over.
Today, in an age where machines have definitively mastered human language, optimizing for machines and optimizing for humans converges at a single point: elegant simplicity. “Can I say this more simply?” should be the mantra guiding every piece of content we create. And when you think you’ve reached the limit of simplicity, remember Einstein’s words: “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
In a world where AI rewards clarity, those who master the art of simplicity will not just be more visible — they will be indispensable. The real revolution is not in the technology we use, but in how it forces us to communicate better what truly matters.