What AI is doing to your job (and your voice)
New research shows language models are changing how to speak
Hey there,
I had dinner with part of my team in Mexico City last week. It was one of those rare nights that reminded me why we do all of this. The work, the hiring, the conversations. It’s so we can build relationships with people we actually like. People we believe in.
We talked about everything — what’s working, what’s not, what we’re proud of, what still needs building. And sitting there, hearing how much thought and care this team puts into every decision, I felt something that’s been hard to come by lately: clarity.
Clarity that what we’re doing matters.
Clarity that it’s not just about growing. It’s about growing right. About paying attention to the things that actually shape how we work, think, and build.
That’s the lens I brought into this week’s edition.
It’s a little different. The first two stories come from academic research I fell into and couldn’t stop thinking about. One’s about how AI is quietly taking over tasks most of us don’t even realize we’re handing off. The other’s about how it’s already changing the way we speak — and maybe even the way we think.
And then there’s a bright spot from Brazil, where one startup is actually using AI to make life easier for real people, not just add another layer of nonsense.
So yeah, this one is AI-heavy. But not in the “robots are coming” way. More in the “we should probably be paying closer attention” way.
Let’s get into it.
🌐 News Shortlist
1. AI overlaps with your job more than you think
Recap: A new academic study from Microsoft, Princeton, and UPenn used real GitHub Copilot logs to see which jobs have the most overlap with tasks AI is already doing. They looked at actual prompts—then mapped them to job categories. The most exposed roles are interpreters, journalists, writers, and customer service reps. Jobs that rely on processing and generating information. The least were nurses, roofers, and firefighters. Jobs rooted in human presence and physical skill.
This isn’t a future forecast. It’s a snapshot of what’s already happening.
And for some knowledge workers, it’s a little frightening.
I’m used to thinking AI won’t replace jobs. That its best use is to take care of the boring, repetitive, time-consuming, inefficient parts.
But if all you do is those boring parts, that starts to sound like a layoff.
The interesting part isn’t that this study says you’ll be replaced, but that it shows how invisible that replacement already is.
Task by task. Prompt by prompt. One tiny handoff at a time.
Advice:
If you want to future-proof yourself, go one of two ways:
Get a niche or get human.
Either master something so specific AI can’t touch it.
Or focus on the kind of work that still needs trust, emotion, and presence.
Because this isn’t just a skills question anymore.
It’s an identity one.
What’s the part of your work only you can do?
2. AI is already changing how humans talk
Recap: New research shows that large language models like GPT-4 are quietly changing how people write and speak. Scientists tracked billions of words from YouTube and podcast transcripts, before and after ChatGPT launched. The result is that people are now using specific words and phrases way more since the bots are available.
It’s not just “delve” and “meticulous.”
It’s sentence structures, rhythm, and tone. All of it is slowly shifting to mirror the way AI writes.
And it’s happening faster than anyone expected.
Think about it: we trained the model on us. Now we’re training ourselves on it.
We talked about this and just laughed. Because it’s everywhere. Sales emails, LinkedIn posts, even press releases. All dripping in GPT-voice. That perfect, polished, vaguely inspiring tone that makes everything sound the same.
But the weirder part is that some people don’t even notice they’re doing it.
It’s not just a style shift. It’s cultural. If AI changes language, and language shapes thought, then yeah — the way we think might be next.
Advice:
Don’t let a model tell your story.
Use tools, sure. But don’t let them replace your voice.
The best founders, writers, and leaders aren’t optimizing for polish. They’re optimizing for trust.
And trust sounds like a real human being. Not a service desk article.
3. Finally, an AI use in HR we actually like
Recap: Brazilian startup Tako raised $18 million more to tackle one of the messiest problems in Latin America: payroll and compliance. The round was led by Ribbit Capital and Andreessen Horowitz, with leadership from Fernando Gadotti (DogHero) and Sebastián Mejía (Rappi).
Their approach here is AI agents that actually do the work—calculating, flagging, interpreting, and updating with every new regulation.
It’s not a chatbot, but a real system built for Brazil’s real complexity.
This is refreshing.
We’ve spent a lot of time calling out bad uses of AI in HR—automated interviews, keyword-matching hiring tools, the kind of stuff that dehumanizes people and pretends it’s efficient.
But this is different.
Tako isn’t using AI to replace connection. They’re using it to remove the consuming parts of bureaucracy—so real people can spend time on better work.
As Sebastián put it, “We want AI that amplifies the human spirit and eliminates the work that suffocates the soul.”
That’s the kind of HR tech we can get behind.
Advice:
If you're building for Latin America, start with respect for how complex it really is.
The future of software here isn’t simplification. It’s smart tools that meet complexity head-on—and turn it into leverage.
Congrats to the Tako team. This is infrastructure that matters.
🔎 Remote Jobs Shortlist
These are the new openings my clients have this week.
Even if you’re not hiring, it’s worth seeing what roles great companies are opening and what that says about where things are headed. Check out the full list here.
1. Head of Revenue
This ecommerce infrastructure startup already leads fulfillment in Mexico. Now they’re looking for someone to lead revenue—and eventually run the whole country operation.
You’ll start with customer success. Then take over acquisition. And if you perform, you’ll step into the Country Manager role within 12 months.
You’ve probably sold SaaS or logistics solutions to enterprise clients. You know how to close with operators, manage a team, and grow fast without breaking things.
If you’ve led revenue at a startup and want real ownership, this is your shot.
💵 $8,000 - $10,000 USD/month
📍Mexico City
2. AI Engineer
This healthtech startup is building the AI Doctor for Latin America. They’re looking for an AI Engineer who can move fast, ship messy, and turn fuzzy ideas into working products. You’ll be working with FastAPI, LangChain, CrewAI, and building on top of large models with real users in the loop.
It’s not a research role. It’s a builder role. You’ll go from prompt to production in 24 hours, and you’ll help create the AI layer that powers clinical decision support.
If you’ve got startup instincts, Python/LangChain experience, and a bias for action—this is one of the most exciting early-stage AI opportunities in Latin America.
💵 $5,000 - $7,000 USD/month
📍Brazil or Colombia
3. Senior DevOps Engineer
This fintech infra startup is building a low-code platform for U.S. banks and financial institutions—and they’re looking for a DevOps lead to own infrastructure from the ground up.
You’ll run the full AWS setup, improve observability, and keep things fast, stable, and scalable. The founders want someone who ships with ownership, thinks in systems, and doesn't need a playbook to improve one.
It’s not a contractor role. You’ll be part of the core team, collaborating closely with engineering and leadership. If you’ve worked in high-stakes infra, know how to optimize developer workflows, and want to build something that matters, this is the one.
💵$6,000 - $7,000 USD/month
📍Latin America
That’s it for this week.
As always, I’d love to hear what stood out — whether it’s something you’re seeing inside your team, or something that made you think differently.
And if you’re building in Latin America, or trying to figure out how to hire and grow across borders, I’m around.
Until next time,
Joseph Burns
CEO & Founder, Lupa