🔎 AI costs $20, soon it's $20k

This post weaponised one of our most powerful emotional triggers… the fear of being deceived… again. The Uber analogy creates instant recognition of a betrayal pattern we've all lived through, triggering both anger at past manipulation and anxiety about the future.

Key points:

• It activated "betrayal recall" through pattern recognition - Our brains are evolutionarily wired to remember and share warnings about deception. The Uber example instantly transported readers back to that specific feeling of realising they'd been manipulated.

• It triggered anxiety about financial security - Fear is one of the most viral emotions because it mobilises our survival instincts. By connecting AI pricing to job displacement and economic threat, it activated our deep-seated fear of losing resources and status - emotions so powerful they override rational skepticism.

• It provided social proof for "insider knowledge" - The post satisfied our need to feel cognitively superior while giving us valuable social currency. Sharing this makes people feel like they're protecting their network from a scam, which generates the warm glow of altruistic behaviour mixed with the status boost of being "in the know."

Steal this tactic…

Use the "pattern interrupt" technique. Take a widely accepted behaviour your audience participates in, reveal the hidden manipulation behind it, then draw a parallel to something happening right now.

This post weaponised FOMO and financial anxiety by connecting two things people already understand… getting screwed by Uber's pricing and the current AI boom everyone's experiencing. The post basically said "You're about to get played again, and here's exactly how" which triggers massive urgency.

Key points:

• Hook grabbed people instantly - "AI's biggest lie" + the Uber visual immediately made people think "Oh sh**, I fell for this before" - that recognition creates instant engagement because everyone remembers when their £3 Uber became £25

• Structured as a revelation journey - Started with a relatable story (startup founder bragging), escalated to the big revelation (we're in Uber 2015 moment), then provided the "insider knowledge" solution - classic fear → education → empowerment structure that keeps people reading

• Shared because it made people feel smart - This post made readers feel like they were getting "behind the scenes" insight that most people don't have. People love sharing content that positions them as the person who "saw it coming"

Steal this tactic…

Pattern recognition content goes viral because it makes people feel like prophets. Show them the pattern, make them the hero who "gets it" before everyone else does. Everyone wants to feel smart and say “I told you so”.

It's a perfect "hidden truth" post that makes people feel smart for seeing through a massive con job. Everyone using AI daily suddenly realises they're the frog being slowly boiled, and the Uber comparison makes it visceral and personal.

Key points:

• Immediate pattern recognition hook - "Every time I call an Uber" instantly triggers a universal pain point - we've all felt that price shock. The brain immediately connects this familiar betrayal to the AI promise we're living through right now.

• The "conspiracy reveal" structure - This follows the classic viral format of "You think X, but actually Y" with social proof layered in. The startup founder anecdote makes readers feel like insiders getting privileged information, then the numbered evidence points make them feel clever for connecting the dots.

• Fear-based shareability - This taps into loss aversion and status anxiety. People share it to look prescient and protect their network from being caught off-guard. The bold predictions give it "screenshot and save" energy.

Steal this tactic…

The "Historical Betrayal → Current Warning" format:

"Every time I [experience current pain point], I'm reminded of [past widespread betrayal]. Here's the exact same playbook happening with [current trend]..."

The repeatable structure: Trigger pain → Historical parallel → Pattern evidence → Smart people are doing this instead.