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It is no secret that AI models started appearing from the western countries. They’re mostly trained with Western data, articles, books, forums, and content that is written in English for corporates that is specifically made for Western audiences. The result, however, was something that led to a general AI voice that is shaped by top Silicon Valley values along with some European business norms and an American-based style of communication.
That is why when a founder for a certain startup in Cairo asks for a “sales pitch for Egyptian SMEs,” the tool tends to respond in a polite, professional tone that is completely out of tune. The structure? It is perfect. Grammar too is flawless as well. However, the tone of voice feels off. It feels too foreign. And even if it didn’t, it feels forced.
Based on a personal experience, I once typed for an AI tool to describe how an Egyptian woman would normally look (out of scope), and all it provided was a weird Bedouin stereotype that was more Arab than Egyptian. AI tools are most of the time considered technically correct yet are socially off or wrong.
Organized Doesn’t Mean Persuasive
If we take a look at AI-generated content, you’ll often have to check all algorithm boxes. For example, how it provides you with clear headlines, confident language, and a format that is neat. However, with limited databases or ones that could be biased or limited, AI tools can sometimes miss some deeper layers that actually move decisions in the MENA markets.
Some could include missing out on correct information, trust, relationships, tones, local humor and the underlying meaning behind words that shouldn’t be literally translated, cultural references, and the unspoken rules of business etiquette.
Use AI as a Tool, Not a Compass
I think we all feel tired when we say that AI should always be used as a tool that assists and not as a compass towards certain knowledge. Because after all, these are all systems that get fed with data by humans. Faulty? I’d always bet on it. For founders in the region, AI could be incredibly useful. However, that only applies when it is used correctly. Want a practical way of implementation? Here’s how you can work with it
- Let AI organize your thoughts and create first drafts
- Feed it real language from your customers’ emails and chats
- Add examples from your own country and industry
- Replace global clichés with local stories and references
- Edit aggressively. This means that you delete anything that sounds like a generic business influencer
This will allow you to treat AI as an initial starting point rather than the final voice that has a say and that you believe blindly. This is when AI becomes powerful instead of simply risky or misinforming.
Your Market Still Needs You
Negotiations and more happen in different places in the world when you’re a human being and not an algorithm. Like, for example, in Cairo, people negotiate and think differently than in Jeddah or in Saudi Arabia in general.
Each one has a different way of implementing their thinking and their terminologies. These ways of dealing unlock some insights that live in real conversations, meetings, and experiences from one human being to another. And AI? It would never know unless we humans dictate that to it.
The Bottom Line
Artificial intelligence is a brilliant assistant. However, it is culturally neutral in a very Western way. For businesses targeting MENA decision-makers, the human layer is not optional. It is the entire difference between content that looks good and content that actually works. And the moral of the story is that you should use AI to think faster. Not to think for you.
