Sinceerly: the AI that brings charm back to spelling mistakes

In the current context where AI-assisted writing has become the norm, a new tool stands out for its original approach: Sinceerly. This Chrome plugin, developed by Ben Horwitz, is designed to add typos to your emails, simulating manual writing. While the use of tools like ChatGPT is often associated with flawless messages, Sinceerly aims to reintroduce a touch of humanity into our digital communications.

Typos, once considered mistakes to avoid, are now becoming a status symbol, proving that the email was written by hand. In an era where grammatical perfection is suspected to be the result of AI, these intentional imperfections are seen as a sign of authenticity. Sinceerly capitalizes on this trend by offering three distinct modes to customize the addition of errors: "Subtle," "Human," and "CEO."

The "Subtle" mode simplifies the text by eliminating unnecessary words and transforming certain phrases into contractions. The "Subtle" and "Human" modes generally add a typo in the first sentence, reinforcing the impression of human writing. The "Human" mode goes even further by adding a more conversational tone. As for the "CEO" mode, it is characterized by the exclusive use of lowercase letters and marked brevity, sometimes accompanied by a signature "sent from my iPhone" to enhance the illusion of a spontaneous message.

Horwitz, who is set to graduate from Harvard Business School in May, was inspired by his own experience of laborious typing and slight dyslexia. He developed Sinceerly using Claude, an AI tool, to transform email writing into a more human experience. In his first job after college, Horwitz found Grammarly to be a valuable aid for writing error-free emails. However, he now observes that his inbox is flooded with messages generated by AI, prompting him to create Sinceerly to add a human touch to these communications.

Although he created the plugin primarily for fun, Horwitz does not expect Sinceerly to become a significant source of revenue. After a few free trials, the app requires a payment of $4.99 to continue using it. Horwitz emphasizes that the perceived authenticity of typos could become a new status symbol as standards around AI evolve. It is more of a joke about professional life and the new norms of digital communication than a serious commercial venture.

The evolution of digital communication norms has transformed the perception of typos, which are now viewed in a positive light. In a world where AI is omnipresent, these intentional errors have become a way to stand out and claim an authenticity that AI-generated messages cannot offer.