Tag Archives: pyschology

Perfect AI Headshots Are Killing Trust

April 25, 2026 The Silo Leave a comment

AI generated headshots are rapidly becoming the default across LinkedIn, company websites, and professional profiles. The appeal is obvious. Faster, cheaper, and visually flawless. But a growing backlash is emerging across industries where trust is not optional.

Visual Handshake

Professionals are discovering that the more polished and “perfect” their image appears, the less credible it may feel to the people viewing it. Subtle inconsistencies in lighting, facial structure, and expression are triggering skepticism, even when the viewer cannot immediately identify why.

This is the Authenticity Paradox.

How I see it (pun intended) is that the issue is not whether AI can create a better image. It is whether that image creates a believable human connection. The goal of a professional headshot is not perfection. It is trust. The moment something feels off, even slightly, people question the person behind the image.

I’ve worked helping executives, founders, and professionals develop what I call a “visual handshake,” because the rise of AI imagery is creating a new layer of risk in how professionals present themselves. The face is often the first point of contact in business. If that moment creates doubt instead of connection, you have already lost ground before a conversation even begins.

Drawing from a broader conversation around AI generated imagery and professional perception , the issue is not simply visual quality. It is psychological response. When people sense artificiality, even subconsciously, it can disrupt the trust signals that strong first impressions rely on.

For the Silo, Famed headshot photographer and expression coach Chris Gillett .

Culture

Spooky Missing Persons Stories

October 6, 2025 The Silo 1 Comment

David Paulides is an ex-cop on a mission. After years of investigating missing persons and studying thousands of missing persons reports he has discovered strange coincidences and similarities that he has documented clearly and factually in several of his books including Missing 411.

When pushed for a theory on what is causing these events David is reluctant to offer one and instead maintains that his role is to continue to collect and organize the vast numbers of cases and wait for an answer to come from an external source.

Perhaps even from someone like you or me…..

Historical records reveal that missing persons have occurred in North America for hundreds of years and what connects these cases is both frightening and confusing. David has discovered geographical connections that include- national park locations, urban locations near bodies of water, boulder fields, mountain elevations and other seemingly ‘safe’ locations.

He has found that there are vast differences in distance between reported disappearance and body discovery (or in rare cases when the missing person is found alive). Often mysterious events occur prior to the disappearance such as indications of strange behaviors or distress. In one case a man had reported repeatedly via cell phone that “people were outside” and in another case a man had fired a weapon as if in self defense.

Many times personal items such as clothing are found but not bodies or not complete bodies.

In some cases clothes are found in organized piles- as if they have been left behind carefully folded. Even more confusing is that this may occur during the Winter or at an elevated location where the idea of removing clothing simply does not make sense.

David’s research has shown that oddly, many missing persons in these cases are highly intelligent and healthy individuals that include doctors, scientists and marathon runners. In other cases the victims are hunters or seasoned hikers- people who would actually be most likely to prevent outdoor mishaps.

David is quick to rebuff any suggestion of paranormal causes such as ‘alien abductions’ or ‘bigfoot’.

He works hard to ensure that his research is taken very seriously and shows absolute respect for surviving family members and that’s when the eerie reality set in: there does not seem to be any explanation as to what is happening and families are being torn apart with no hope of closure.

Check out David on YouTube or pick up one of his books from Toronto Book Shop conspiracyculture.com to learn much more. For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.

Culture

Shakespeare’s Star Wars. A mash-up play in a pub, this is.

November 7, 2013 The Silo Leave a comment

Not so long ago, in a pub not so far, far away......... — Not so long ago, in a pub not so far, far away………

A long time ago, in 1977, Star Wars started its quick and never-ending ascent to the top of the science fiction film genre. How many people alive when the original Star Wars: A New Hope was released thought that our children (and for some, grandchildren) would still be wanting to be Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker for Halloween? It is a rare child in Canada who has not owned a lightsaber.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Shakespeare.

There are people who look forward to watching or reading Shakespeare about as much as they look forward to car repairs. Shakespeare can be seen as highbrow art which does not make sense. Why would someone watch a movie or play in an almost different language?

This is where Driftwood Theatre Group brilliantly played their hand. Using a book by Ian Doescher called, “William Shakespeare’s Star Wars,” Driftwood brought Star Wars geeks to play with Shakespeare lovers.

Everyone on both sides of the fence was blown away (no pun intended, poor Alderaan and Death Star).

Lines from Star Wars plays were eagerly anticipated, by some who were on the edge of their seats (One thing’s for certain, we’ll all be a lot thinner). But when those infamous lines were said, it had dramatic and, yes, Shakespearean flair (One thing is certain, we shall thinner be).

And there was laughter – from everyone!

There were also famous lines from Shakespeare plays which made Shakespeare lovers happy, (I bite my thumb at you, sir! Alas, poor stormtrooper, I never knew thee. Friends. Rebels, Starfighters, lend me your ears!)

Purse? check. Comfortable shoes? check. Inflatable lightsaber? check.

It was also the formidable acting in the show which raised the play to mountainous heights. It was performed as a reading, with all actors reading directly from the book. It was enticing, enthralling, and highly entertaining. Dion Johnstone, who played a fantastic Han Solo, withheld laughter to the point where he looked like he would lose it, but never really did.

This play was a fundraiser for Driftwood Theatre. The evening included the reading, a silent auction, costume contest (sad point of the night, there were very few people in costume – it is Halloween time, people!).

The highlight of the night, for very lucky people, was the auctioning off of 3 walk-on role, Rebel, Imperial, or Interesting Creatures in the play. We (yes, I was a lucky one) were able to say such lines as, “UTINI!” and “This is a consular ship…” and, “Why aren’t you at your post?” I was Jawa #2 and the Innkeeper at Mos Eisley.

It was a truly incredible experience, watching Star Wars and Shakespeare geeks unite for 3 hours of Shakespeare/Star Wars bliss. For the Silo, Stephanie MacDonald. @mytimeatlast