AI’s Version of African American Vernacular English Is Alarming

I’ve been using ChatGPT since its launch. I’ve played with it, tested it, leaned on it, and yes, relied on it to move fast in building the most recent iteration of my business. But lately, I’ve been noticing a few things while using AI that have been pissing me off. 

I’m talking deep, structural, cultural blind spots with these tools. The kind that makes AI dangerous to Black voices if not addressed thoughtfully. 

African American Vernacular English (AAVE) Challenges

In my experience, when asking AI to create content with the nuance of African American Vernacular English (AAVE), it just can’t do it. Definitely not in a way that doesn’t just feel downright disrespectful to someone like me, trying their best not to code-switch in my marketing communications.

AI tools, like ChatGPT, just don’t understand the rhythm of AAVE, like the pauses that carry meaning, the cultural subtext in what is left unsaid, or the cadence that gives the words of Black people life. Phrases that, to AI tools, seem incomplete. Broken. But to many Black people, it may represent a punchline, a pause, a subtle nod to shared experiences. 

Remove that with the “polish” AI loves to do, and suddenly the voice a Black person that uses is neutered, flattened, stripped of SOUL.

Image from Disney & Pixar's movie "Soul."

I’ve had this happen to me over and over again. I give AI properly structured prompts. I ask it to write like me with all the detail possible to capture my energy, my rhythm, my irreverent humor, my nods to spiritual alignment.

And what do I get?

Code-switched, safe, sanitized sentences that might as well have been written by a corporate PR bot trying to “relate” because of the algorithm behind tools like ChatGPT. 

Why AAVE Challenges Exist

This challenge with AAVE stems from AI’s inability to reliably detect the tonal shifts that signal sarcasm or irony. It can’t infer the emphasis on vowels or pitch ranges that punctuate Black excitement or incredulity. 

It doesn’t know that sometimes Black Americans deliberately don’t close a syllable, because leaving it open carries meaning that resonates only with those who live and breathe the Culture.

(Seriously. Whose job is being replaced by AI for real? I just don’t get it.)

Most importantly, AAVE is not “incorrect” or “sloppy,” which is the feeling I get every time AI’s version of “polishing” my content treats my words this way. It sees AAVE as a problem to fix, not part of a culture to honor. And AAVE is not a placeholder for “standard” English. It’s a distinct language variety with its own rules for sound, grammar, idiomatic expressions, cultural preferences, and norms around discourse. 

You’ve probably noticed it if you’re Black using AI. AI will see “bet” and “bet” as the same. It doesn’t account for context changes and their meanings in Black American speech. It can’t parse the subtle tonal shifts that communicate humor, disbelief, or warning. And it certainly doesn’t understand unspoken punchlines. But that’s where the magic lives. That’s where Black people speak through the words, not just with them.

So what can a Black person do? 

How does one work with AI tools hyped up to help with communications in structure but tone-deaf to the Culture?

Step 1: Recognize limits. 

AI is a collaborator, not a creator. It’s why I only created AI-assisted strategic brand assessments for frameworks, data, and insights, not content ready for marketing. 

In working with AI tools for so long, I’ve come to realize that AI actually does quite well at providing messaging frameworks and audience insights to structure communications. (Well, from my assessments anyway. I really can't speak for anyone else's prompting prowness.)

But, I tell you this. It can’t replicate Black cultural intuition, rhythm, or humor when prompted to write marketing content (which is not the same as messaging and insights) for paid, earned, social, or owned media channels if there is a desire for the essence of Black linguistics to come through in one's marketing communications. Not without some serious, serious handholding. 

AI just can’t respect the pauses, the unspoken meanings, or the way a subtle tonal shift can land an entire paragraph differently.

Step 2: Layer your own cultural intelligence on top. 

Spell out the references, infuse the humor, insert the pauses, leave the syllables open. Guide the tool. Correct it line by line. Make it sweat, make it earn its place in your process. 

AI is the assistant. You are the soul, the pulse, and the energy. 

Step 3: Treat AI as a tool to amplify, not replace. 

The workflow should be simple: draft → AI suggestion → personal edit → audience-tuned delivery. 

This means knowing how to write well is NOT dead. It’s actually a skill you need more than ever before if you are co-creating content with AI. Anything less risks losing the very thing that makes culturally competent messaging resonate.

And make no mistake, this is revolutionary work. Using AI without this understanding is like handing someone born in 2015 a paintbrush and asking them to capture the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. Just not possible. 

Even with context, just like AI, the person will struggle. Not to mention, Black Americans have new terms and phrases linguistically influencing and shaping all forms of cultural expression, from music to literature, every time you turn around. And just know, AI admitted to me, that it just can’t keep up. 

The Olivia Pope Moment

In short, these limitations and challenges really mean that as a Black person, you have to work 2x as hard, in the words of Olivia Pope, unfortunately, at this time, to produce content that actually sounds truly culturally competent. That’s why I live by the results of my strategic brand assessments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqOrBs_z-bY

The irony. When using Claude AI to translate my more complex strategic thinking into usable, professional-level brand asset reports, providing a structured path to understand one’s audience, define one’s voice, and craft messaging that works, Claude AI handles this beautifully. 

Culturally relevant messaging? No problem. 

That’s why I use the messaging strategy output from my own Messaging Strategy Assessment tool as a reference whenever I write content for marketing myself.

But here’s the kicker. You can’t just dump the details from a messaging strategy straight into an AI tool and expect it to just get it. I don’t know why, to be honest. As soon as you ask it to produce content with a little AAVE in it, it will sanitize the cultural relevance right out. 

The Importance of a Messaging Strategy for Black Americans

Given all things discussed, I hope you can understand why I’m passionate about Black entrepreneurs, especially those in the mental health and wellness space, having a messaging strategy using my strategic brand assessments. This isn’t me plugging my business. It’s honesty from someone in the trenches, figuring out AI in real time and sharing what’s truly working for me.

With a messaging strategy in hand, I can course-correct AI-generated content. A tool that loves to drift, drift, drift like Teejay (song reference), ensuring my brand’s voice stays mine. 

Brand guidelines created from my assessments? They’re my protection, my blueprint, and my control. Thank God for that!

So, the next time you’re struggling to get AI to produce content that is culturally grounded as a Black person, remember that it can’t. Not fully. Not without you. Not without your cultural insights. And not without a messaging strategy, also anchoring your messages.

Now, for those who just thought, "Who is Teejay???"...enjoy some tunes!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe5029rb8vo