Embracing The Changing AI And Communications Landscape
As I sit down to write this, there has been countless articles, research papers, musings, warnings even, about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is about to replace humans in about every aspect of life – except breathing almost!
There are the naysayers. And the AI fanatics who have “drunk too much of the Kool Aid”. Regardless of the camp, AI is inevitable. In fact, AI has been around for well over four decades now. In the early 1980’s programmes like XCON1 were rudimentary systems helping to configure computer systems. The intelligent web crawlers introduced by search engines evolved from machine learning.
Today with Alexa, Siri, AI powered vacuum cleaners and the ground-breaking Sophia the AI robot2, we are well and truly accepting the impact of AI. The productivity and efficiency of AI tools in delivering desired outcomes is undeniable – although there is a large section of the world that is mistrusting about technology.
As a communications and a content marketer3, I dare say, AI has intruded into my world in a more aggressive, domineering and overt way than most instance or sectors. Instead of reacting adversely or negatively, I wonder what would be the realised benefits of leaning into AI and integrating it in our daily work and missions.
Our communications and content development4 space has been deluged by a plethora of communications channels. As a result, all of us by virtue of technology including TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and X are publishers or purveyors or consumers of content.
As we seek the “nirvana” of becoming viral, we are looking to differentiate our content from the next person. However, we are limited not only by our limitations of creativity but by our knowledge, breadth of research and data assets. We are not all-powerful data repositories with boundless access to data and information. As such we tire, we compromise, and we ultimately fail to achieve nirvana.
It is an accepted reality that AI is transforming our communications and business landscape. I posit that it is a tool that senior executives should deploy strategically, especially those in marketing (Chief marketing officers), communications, public relations, human resources, and indeed chief executives who should be communicating strategically.
The emancipation from mundane, repetitive tasks enables more creative, fulfilling and productive outcomes from work for senior professionals.
Crucially though, the senior executive has to make the decision or recommend a course of action – but she/he now has a body of valuable insights from which to make informed decisions.
AI in communications enables us as marketers to gauge with analysis public sentiment towards a brand or issue or messaging, enabling senior professionals to anticipate and respond to potential reactions – adverse or favourable.
Similarly, AI enables the forecasting of emerging trends through access to vast pools of multiple data sets to predict future needs.
Ultimately, the decision to respond or react is one the senior professional needs to make. AI is only a tool that collates and suggests trends. Staying ahead of the curve is a human decision.
Enhancing the customer experience (CX) seems to be the buzzword in marketing nowadays. This is where AI-powered tools and virtual assistants come into their own providing invaluable support and identifying instantaneous responses to customer engagement.
Additionally, AI tools monitor social media and news for early signs of negative responses to potential issues, allowing organizations time to react and mitigate damage.
In providing visibility to potential blowbacks AI has enable the senior professional, the time, the quietude to make an informed and measured decision in drafting crisis communication messages and engaging their stakeholders effectively and with empathy.
While AI offers us numerous benefits, it’s critical to remember that it’s only a tool. Human existence has been shaped by innovation throughout history.
From the advent of the industrial age to the introduction of television and motorised vehicles the world has become a more accessible place. Similarly, the computer age was an existential threat while social media was going to re-shape the publishing industry.
All of that was true and yet not. The threat is real but imagined as well. Ultimately, the consequential value from Artificial Intelligence is the time and creativity that it enables, to make meaningful decisions about how we impact the world and the value we derive from our work.
Artificial Intelligence cannot replace human judgment or creativity. It is a partner that we should deploy intelligently.
At Priority Consultants Group we have been working with AI tools to enhance our work by unlocking the time and productivity to enable us to focus on delivering value to our clients, partners and colleagues. By focusing on relationships with our clients and stakeholders we realise value to enable global standards of work.
Our senior professionals are experienced with well over three decades in communications and public relations domain. AI, frees us to be creative, partner with our clients; teach and train our younger colleagues to provide the quality of service that is calling card these last 40 years.
Please reach out to us to explore how we would work with you on your communications, public relations needs across Southeast Asia, India and Australia with our colleagues in the region.
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