You Can’t Spell “Communicator” Without AI
Image courtesy of Boy Anthony via Shutterstock
Hype or help? That’s been the debate surrounding artificial intelligence the last few years as the revolutionary technology’s impact on our daily lives gradually begins to match expert predictions.
In the workplace, the change has created anxiety among employees and heightened expectations from investors. A new survey from LinkedIn found that 51% of professional say learning AI feels like another job, while Axios reported that Wall Street was rattled by an MIT study that said 95% of organizations have gotten zero return on their AI investments.
For communicators, though it appears 2025 may be the seminal year in which promise matches reality as more and more pros begin incorporating AI – however reluctantly – in their workflows and processes.
Count me among the converted. After a couple years of passive AI use – essentially as an elevated search engine – I recently built a tool to conduct a form of earned media measurement called Relative Share of Voice. By indexing a company’s share of voice according to its size in the marketplace (as measured by sales, number of employees, number of locations, etc.) we’re able to deliver more meaningful metrics on campaign impact for small to mid-sized competitors. The tool is totally customizable and fully automated, saving significant time while enhancing overall measurement effectiveness.
Over the past year or so I’ve cataloged a number of ways communicators are experimenting with AI, including:
Drafts and templates. This is low-stakes stuff, the kind of content you could also find using your favorite search engine. The important watch out here is to avoid the cut-and-paste trap – not only could you be illegally using copyrighted material, but the content delivered could, at best, not be suited for the task at hand or, at worst, be riddled with errors and inaccuracies.
Measurement reports. I think of AI as a digital assistant, and in this capacity it’s ideally suited for tedious tasks like monitoring and reporting on earned and social media – especially when multiple data sources are involved. Because of its customizability, you can empower AI to build a tool for virtually any output – from summary reports to detailed coverage analysis evaluating tonality, message pull-through and number of other criteria.
Administrative tasks. Routine, repetitive duties loke scheduling, automated responses and other time-consuming jobs can easily be “outsourced” to AI, freeing up communicators’ time for far more valuable and impactful uses.
Dashboards. AI can also help create effective ways to visually present your measurement findings by correlating information and devising representations that, like the speedometer in your car, are updated in real time. Dashboards can even include widgets that are campaign or issue specific alongside or broader metrics like share of voice or brand health.
Interview prep. One of the most compelling AI applications I’ve heard of is using the tool to anticipate questions from a reporter. By inputting earlier stories by the journalist alongside a description of the subject matter for an upcoming interview, you can get a loose idea of where the interview may go and ensure your spokesperson is well prepared.
Language simulators. Some organizations are building their own Large Language Models (LLMs) to develop potential messaging, media pitches and other forms of content. The key here is having a large enough proprietary database upon which to train the bots so that their outputs have a higher degree of success.
Historical archive. Larger companies may find it beneficial to use AI for accessing information that may exist across multiple data sources – company websites, intranets, and third-party resources like media sites or trade associations. By asking AI to categorize vast troves of information ahead of time, users can reduce the frustration of searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack.
Some of these I’ve tried and others I haven’t, but I invite you to share your own experiences by adding a comment to this post or emailing me at barry@startwithtruth.com.