Opinion: AI won’t solve the big comms problems
The world is awash with AI content. Some it by humans, some of it by AI, most of it exploring in some way how this rapidly accelerating technology might shape the future of communications.
It’s interesting to note that the communications industry appears to be feeling very positive about the potential of AI, with seven in 10 of those polled for the recent Global CommsTech report citing it as an ‘opportunity’ for the sector.
AI has been used in healthcare for many years and, indeed, at Evergreen PR, we’ve supported AI-driven health technology organisations like remote monitoring company Vtuls, who we helped secure an MOU (see what we did here) and mental health chatbot Limbic (see an example of recent press coverage here) to communicate complex messaging around the benefits of AI and the need for regulation in the space.
AI in healthcare shows us the direction for how it will be used in comms
The emergence of AI in communications is much more recent but the considerations will be largely the same. In healthcare, AI is being used to improve outcomes, support more expansive data analysis and increase speed and efficiencies - but expert clinicians are still required to set the parameters, interpret the data correctly and communicate it to the humans who it has been built to support. In public relations I suspect the requirement for expertise will be largely the same.
Yet in the Global CommsTech report (as you can see from the below table) there is a significant crossover between areas that practitioners describe as important ‘emerging skills’ for communicators - suggesting they do not see themselves as experts in them yet - and those activities where they believe technology will have a big impact.
A table built busing insights from the Global Comms report, showing a crossover between so-called emerging skills and areas where tech will drive a big impact
This data suggests to me that there is a worrying risk that many comms professionals are waiting for technology to fill their knowledge gaps - but that is a sure fire way to error.
If we are to make the most of technology then we need a level of subject expertise as well as an understanding of how to use technology, so that we can prompt, interrogate, understand and, ultimately, translate the insights we receive into excellent communications that will deliver the outcomes that organisations need.
AI and technology will not solve the biggest comms challenges
It’s thought that AI will have the biggest influence in areas connected to measurement, data analysis and content creation, but it won’t solve the biggest challenges in those areas.
Take measurement and evaluation. We already have access to more data sources and metrics than ever before and many comms professionals are delighted that they have the opportunity to use these numbers to justify the impact of their work. However, as my analysis for the CIPR showed, the biggest problem in evaluation is not a lack of metrics but a failure by many to do the up-front planning required to align communications objectives with organisational objectives, and to then design evaluation frameworks to measure to what extent they are achieved and what can be learned. If AI just becomes a route to more metrics - as it will if the industry isn’t focused on using it to make measurement more strategic - then it will not solve the primary problem.
Thinking about data analysis we have a similar problem. AI has enormous potential when it comes to both producing data and providing analysis, and a recent report by Wadds Inc outlines some interesting ways it is being used for modelling and trend-spotting. However, to truly utilise this potential, it will be necessary for practitioners to understand what they are looking for, so that they can prompt the technology effectively, understand the meaning behind what they are being told and be able to interpret how it fits into a wider human-based landscape. As the CIPR’s ‘Humans Still Needed’ research - which I studied for my CIPR Chartership - concludes: “Given the high human aspects associated with judgement, interpretation and experience, we don’t see much change in the future” [when it comes to data analysis]. Practitioners who believe they will just be able to ask ChatGPT a question, spit out a press release or social content and use that to drive tangible meaningful action and change are, I believe, very much mistaken.
The emergence of AI-driven tools that create text, image or video-based content based on prompts is triggering excitement as a means for the industry to be more efficient when it comes to content creation. However, there is an argument that communicators are already creating too much low value content and the advent of AI could worsen the issue. AMEC quotes Alex Aiken, UK head of Government Communications as describing the greatest challenge in communications as being “too much SOS… sending out stuff.” He was referring to both a lack of strategy and the issue of content saturation and there is a real danger that content creation on tap via AI tools could further encourage a tactical mindset that, ultimately, doesn’t deliver outcomes. Once again, the tools emerging to support content creation have potential but their existence is unlikely to replace excellent creative strategists.
Ethics and regulation
As my son’s second* favourite superhero, Spiderman, says: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
The UK Government seems to believe so (on this occasion) and has just announced the first global summit on AI to agree safety measures and evaluate the most significant risks posed by AI. There are big issues afoot and communicators will play a part too.
Public relations has long been described as the function best placed to act as the 'conscience’ of an organisation and Ann Gregory argues that, with the advent of AI, this will become even more important. She says: “Someone.. will need to ask those fundamental questions about the nature of the algorithms used, the biases in systems, the power they give to those who can buy and use them, the uses they are put to, and the intended and unintended effects they have. Make no mistake, stakeholders will ask these questions and many more about the authenticity of content and how trustworthy information sources are.”
This is absolutely the case and we are at the very beginning of seeing how these technologies will be used in practice. This week I judged some PR industry awards and one submission included a description of how, after successfully pitching a number of exclusive thought leadership articles to numerous media titles, the team asked AI to rewrite several versions of the same piece to ensure that the copy was ‘unique’. It wasn’t clear whether or not this was declared to the journalist.
Clearly AI and other technologies have great potential to enable excellent communications professionals to become even more effective and efficient. To make the most of it though, communicators still need to be experts in a wide variety of strategic areas, including objective setting, data analysis, behavioural insights and creative storytelling. The difference now, is that we also need to become experts in utilising these emerging technologies and to have a sound understanding of the risks and ethical dilemmas that they might present. Only then will we be able to maximise their value by combining them with expert knowledge to deliver tangible business outcomes, while protecting the organisation’s reputation and the interests of the people they serve. We at Evergreen are looking forward to delivering on this ourselves in the healthcare space.
Leigh Greenwood is the founder and managing director of Evergreen PR, a Chartered PR professional and a former PRCA Professional of the Year.
Notes
*My son’s favourite super hero character is Batman.
Here to advise
If you’re thinking about where your health organisation fits in all of this and how it may be possible to use data, analytics, technology, behavioural science and experience to drive audience behaviours that lead to tangible outcomes, why not get in contact.
We have a proven methodology - MERTO - that has driven tangible business impact for NHS organisations, health charities, health technology businesses, private healthcare providers and royal colleges. Just take a look at our campaign successes and client testimonials for proof - we’re certain that we can deliver a similar impact for you too.
You can contact me at leigh(at)evergreenpr.co.uk.