As artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly pervades our digital lives, companies are turning to serif fonts in a bid to project warmth and authenticity. But is this new trend simply an effort to make us feel more comfortable with technology or just a return to the past?

The San Francisco Bay Area writer and designer Keya Vadgama suggests that AI-native firms are embracing serifs not out of aesthetic preference, but as a strategic move to appear more human. She argues that serif fonts carry connotations of scholarship and authority, which can help build trust with users.

‘Serifs have an origin in calligraphy,’ explains graphic design professor Ali S. Qadeer from the Ontario College of Art and Design. ‘They connote a very human, fluid way of making letterforms.’ Other AI companies like Perplexity and Manus are following suit, adopting serif typefaces to signal both their own human-like qualities and their commitment to sophistication.

However, not everyone is convinced. Designer Yitong Zhang sees the transition to serifs as a pragmatic response rather than a genuine effort to soften tech’s image. He suggests that AI is still in its experimental phase, much like teenagers trying out different fonts on their devices.

Regardless of intent, this shift towards serif fonts highlights the ongoing tension between technology and humanity. As AI becomes more integrated into our daily lives, will companies continue to rely on visual cues to bridge the gap or will they find other ways to build trust?