Losing My Digital Footprint: How AI Made Me Reassess My Online Identity

When I recently asked ChatGPT, “Who is Hilary Lewis and what does she do?”, I didn’t expect a minor identity crisis to follow.

The AI’s answer was flattering! it referenced my Accountex speaking sessions, articles, and even my masterclass appearances BUT every single one listed my old job title and previous company.

In that moment, my point was perfectly proven and painfully personal: your digital footprint doesn’t always move when you do.

The AI Shift. From Google to “Who Are You, Really?”

We’ve spent years learning how to make Google love us. SEO, keywords, backlinks, we mastered them all. But with AI now increasingly being used to search for people, not just websites, the rules have changed.

Tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other generative platforms don’t just index; they interpret. They pull from credible, contextual, human-sourced content (press, interviews, reputable mentions) to build a picture of who you are.

That’s when it hit me: if AI is the new search engine, PR is the new SEO.

Why PR and Visibility Matter More Than Ever

Credibility can’t be coded. Algorithms can only amplify what already exists. If your name is attached to nothing but outdated bios or salesy posts, that’s what AI will see and share.

Thought leadership, media mentions, and authentic storytelling are now the assets that feed AI. The raw data that defines how the world (and machines) perceive your expertise.

A few days before this little “identity crisis,” we hosted a webinar at The Digital Accountants Club with Samantha Harman, all about PR and building credibility, and it really stuck with me.

Samantha spoke about how your story is your strongest asset, and how if you don’t tell it, someone (or something) else will. That line echoed in my mind later when I started making some demo content for the community about how AI pulls together your digital footprint.

I hit record, typed into ChatGPT: “Who is Hilary Lewis and what does she do?”

Within seconds, up popped a list of Accountex features, talks, and masterclasses BUT every single one still said “Marketing Director at WCF.” It was like being haunted by my old LinkedIn profile!

It was funny at first, the demo worked perfectly! But it also hit a nerve. I realised that while I’d been busy shouting about everyone else’s story, I hadn’t updated my own.

And that’s exactly what the webinar had warned about: if you don’t own your digital narrative, AI (and everyone else) will fill in the blanks for you.

My Move to the Digital Accountants Club

When I joined The Digital Accountants Club (DAC) as Community Manager, I didn’t just change my job title, I changed my mission.

I first met Jeri Williams three years ago, and we hit it off immediately (even if she did rudely move to Dubai soon after!). When she returned to the UK, we started putting on events together, and when she asked me to officially manage the DAC community, I couldn’t say no.

Community-building is in my DNA. As a twice-exited business owner, I understand the pressures accountants and finance professionals face… the isolation, the marketing overwhelm, the struggle to keep up with tech. My passion is bringing people together to share, learn, and grow.

Now, alongside Jeri’s accounting expertise and Luke Farren’s technical consulting skills, DAC has become something genuinely different! Its a place where business, marketing, and technology meet human connection.

Every webinar, from AI automation to PR and marketing, reminds me why this work matters: accountants don’t just need tools! They need a trusted community to help them navigate change, get their time back, and scale their business.

The irony isn’t lost on me: while teaching others about AI and visibility, I’d neglected my own.

So this article, and even the content that inspired it, is part of my own rebuilding process.
I’m now shouting a little louder about who I am and what I do, because in 2026, credibility isn’t just about being good at your job, it’s about being findable for the right reasons.

The post Losing My Digital Footprint: How AI Made Me Reassess My Online Identity appeared first on Accounting Insight News.