The Reports of the Death of Communications are Greatly Exaggerated

By Rob Trewartha

“Now, more than ever before, there is a critical need for effective, strategic communications professionals.” Rob Trewartha discusses the unique skills communications professionals have that AI can’t replace, and how they can thrive in the AI age.

“AI is coming for your job!”

“The communications profession will be irrelevant in the next five years, thanks to AI.”

“I can write a press release with ChatGPT, so why do I need communicators?”

Raise your hand if you’ve heard a variation of these sentiments.

Keep your hand up if you think they’re true.

I hope you put your hand down for the second question. But, if you kept it raised, I’d like to convince you to lower it.

Now, more than ever before, there is a critical need for effective, strategic communications professionals. The rapid adoption of AI, seemingly unchecked by policy or ethical guidance, will create issues that communications professionals are uniquely equipped to deal with.

We all know that AI hallucinates and will outright lie rather than say it doesn’t know. It’s filled with bias because it’s pulling from unfettered human content. It also brings with it a host of ethical issues, privacy concerns, environmental destruction, reputational risks and so much more.

AI doesn’t think like a human being because it’s not human. Its rebranding from machine learning to “artificial intelligence,” suggesting that it is sentient and will soon replace human beings, was clever. But the reality is it’s not intelligent. And it’s still learning. Which means we all have to deal with its mistakes, despite the hype.

When it comes to new technologies, human beings have demonstrated time and again our propensity to leap first and look for the parachute second. We don’t always land safely – case in point, social media. But it’s precisely at these pivotal moments where communications professionals are poised to play an important role because of our skill set and vantage point.

AI can’t read the room, but you can

As a communicator, you see issues before others and are attuned to the political and social environment around you, because frankly, your job depends on it. If you can’t read the room, you can’t reach people. At the same time, you work with almost every part of your organization, understanding their business deeply. Over time, you’ve developed a strong moral and ethical compass because you’ve had to advise leadership on thorny issues, and as a result, you’re a primary defender of your organization, its brand and most importantly, its reputation. Who else thinks this way and can see the whole picture? Certainly not AI!

Moving beyond tactics

As a communicator, you are uniquely positioned to handle the issues that come with AI and the threat they pose to your organization and to society. That is, if you see yourself as playing a strategic, rather than a tactical role.

For those who raised their hands to both questions at the beginning, I will agree with you that AI can craft a press release, develop social media copy and write an email from the CEO. But those are just the basics.

Communications professionals survived the print to internet transition, and the onslaught of social media. In the last 20 years we’ve constantly adapted and I’m confident that we will do so again, not only surviving the AI revolution, but thriving through it. Of course, that is if we carve out our own space and define our value.

The term ‘storytelling’ is overused these days, but one of the biggest assets we have as communicators is the ability to tell stories. AI can generate audience data and metrics, but we know how to craft a compelling, authentic story to reach people.

Authenticity is our superpower. In a marketplace increasingly filled by AI slop, communicators can create something truly new and genuine. We can tell a human story in a way AI never can because AI lacks humanity. Authenticity will separate our craft in a world of sameness and mediocrity. Those that can craft something real and unique will get noticed in a world of boring and bland.

Trust and connection are currency

At the same time, those who can connect with people, be they customers or strategic publics, through actual two-way, genuine communication, will build stronger bonds between their organization and their publics, boosting brand and reputation. Edelman’s recent Trust Barometer makes clear the dire need for trust-building.

So too does new research from Burson, which shows that as an asset class, organizational reputation has a global value of over $7 trillion. Companies with strong reputations can see an uplift of 4.78% in shareholder returns above standard expectations, known as “reputational” return.

Communicators can thrive in a reputation economy. In a world where AI imperils reputation through misinformation, deepfakes and disingenuous voice, communicators bring value.

I cringe when I see my fellow communicators giving away their strategic advantage to AI. You have spent years honing your writing abilities, finding your unique voice and demonstrating your value to your organization. So, why would you trade this away for a small amount of convenience? Let AI do the boring work, but save the high value work for yourself.

Safeguarding the future

As the saying goes, AI won’t take your job, but people who know how to use AI will. As a profession, communications needs to define how, why and when we will use AI in our work. We need to create guardrails and guidelines, especially for those new in their careers or studying to enter the profession. They need a chance to hone their strategic acumen and understand their value, just as those of us with more experience have.

As a communications professional, I know I’m being selfish in writing this because I don’t want to lose my job. But more than that, I don’t want the pursuit of the bottom line to come at the cost of real stories and real people. It’s up to all of us to make the case for our profession, its value and its importance in a volatile and unpredictable world.

Now, raise your hand if you believe communicators have value in an AI world.