There’s so much noise around AI right now. Everyone’s got a hot take. Every company is rushing to create policies about how they will, or won’t, use it.

The truth? AI isn’t inherently evil. It isn’t a miracle, either. It’s a tool. A shiny and impressive new tool. But a tool nonetheless.

The problem is, a lot of people are using that tool badly.

Take Will Smith’s recent Instagram post, for example. The one with AI-generated crowds that somehow look too real and not real enough. The internet quickly pounced. Within hours, people were calling out the plastic skin, the gibberish signs, the extra limbs. It all felt just a little bit... off.

Moments like these say a lot about how people feel about fake imagery. Even when it looks convincing, it doesn’t feel good. It misses something - something human.

That’s why we feel strongly here at Employer Branding Australia, that AI-generated imagery, no matter how realistic, should never be used in employer branding.

We get it - AI is tempting

Budgets are tight. Teams are stretched. Generative image tools offer fast, polished visuals at a fraction of the cost. For lean organisations, that’s a shortcut that’s hard to resist.

But here’s the thing - people notice. And when they do, it doesn’t say “smart use of tech”, it says “lazy” and “inauthentic”. You end up showcasing a world of fake perfection, flawless smiles and skin textures that don’t exist. Candidates can spot it a mile away. And so can your team. And it hurts your employer brand.

When your people see AI-generated faces representing their workplace, it chips away at pride and belonging. It says, quietly but clearly, that you either don’t have time to show your real team, or worse, that you don’t think they are good enough to represent your brand.

And that hurts culture. People want to see themselves, their work, their effort, their impact, reflected in the story that you as an organisation tell about yourself.

Two paths forward - both real, both valid

You’ve got options.

Option one: lean all the way in. Own the AI. Be transparent about it. Do what Heinz did with their “Heinz A.I. Ketchup” campaign - a smart, self-aware ad that poked fun at the very idea of artificial creativity. It worked because we knew it was fake, and Heinz made that the story.

The other option? Keep it real.

“Authenticity” is an overused word in employer branding. But it still matters. In practice, it means showing who you really are - warts and all. It’s about knowing your unique market position, your voice and your truth, and having the courage to show it.

Your people are your brand

Think about it this way: if a candidate sent in a cover letter clearly written by AI, with no human touch, how seriously would you take them? That’s exactly how candidates feel when they see AI-generated brand visuals without being transparent.

It tells them you value convenience over connection. It tells them your “people brand” doesn’t actually feature any people.

By filling your brand visuals with perfect, unfeeling, algorithmic faces, that’s what you’ll attract: surface-level engagement and shallow connection.

Instead, showcase your best people to attract more people like them. The high performers, the culture-shapers, the steady hands and big thinkers. They’re your magnets. Use them.

So, what now?

Next time you’re tempted to open an AI image generator, pause.

Look around your organisation. See the people who make it what it is. The ones who quietly show up, who bring bold ideas and the ones who carry your values without being asked. Capture them. Show their images and tell their stories.

If your real people aren’t in the picture, your brand isn’t either.