Why We Need to Embrace AI in Communications

The Hype is Real

You may be apprehensive about why everyone suddenly is so concerned with the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The concern is a legitimate one. AI is indeed creating a seismic shift in the way we think, work, and live. But should we be anxious about this brand-new avalanche of apps, extensions, articles, videos, blogs, talks et al? Well, yes! AI is here to revolutionize the state of world order and work order and communicators are right at the forefront. They say: change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and gorgeous at the end. Is there a gorgeous light at the end of this programmed tunnel? Let’s find out.

Advanced use-case scenarios reveal marketing and communications as a major field where AI will contribute the greatest value. A 2020 Deloitte Global Survey revealed that organizations using AI are looking to leverage its power to boost their marketing efforts. AI can help communicators build data-driven communication strategies, curate and produce content, improve copywriting, advance content research, enhance social listening and so much more. Take for example services such as Adobe Sensei, which uses AI to automate tasks in Photoshop, Illustrator, and other Adobe programs; or Jasper, an AI-powered copywriter and content writer that helps communicators write digital ads, website copy, or blog content based on their user data.

We are witnessing a daily influx of AI tools aimed at task automation. For communicators, it’s pretty much all across the spectrum: from audio to copywriting, design, search, visuals, video, etc. Although advanced apps with machine learning embeds have yet to prove their nobility, they are still coveted for their potential to make the most impact. For example, you can write a copy and use an AI tool to convert it into an audio file, which is absolutely possible. However, suppose you want that copy to be modified considering the demographics, behavioral attributes, and specifying cultural vantage points of a hypersegmented target audience group — not possible at the moment. What a breakthrough that would be!

But Values First!

As communicators come to terms with AI’s potential, it is important to prioritize strategic decisions over any technological development. The effectiveness and integrity of a values-based communications strategy as well as staying on-brand should be paramount. By leveraging AI responsibly, communicators can unlock powerful advantages while ensuring they remain creative and adaptive. Moreover, decision-makers should be wary of putting too much trust in novel technologies, as they may not always be able to replace the need for humans. Therefore, there must be a proper balance between integrating technological advancements while keeping traditional methods within the equation.

If the story is not great or if the story is not human, no technology will save you. Not today. Not any time in the future. — Piyush Pandey, CCO Worldwide, Ogilvy

Dreaming on and marching forward, here are some ways to leverage AI in your daily communications work:

AI-Powered Storytelling:

Communicators can now develop stories with enhanced depth and realism. AI can be employed to generate entire narratives as well as create visually striking images and ascertain topics that are likely to grasp the reader’s attention. Additionally, AI-driven sentiment analysis can be used to determine the type of emotions the story should evoke, while AI-driven platforms enable writers to construct personalized storylines tailored to the needs, interests, and preferences of different audiences. For example, AI-driven natural language processing can help content creators swiftly devise ideas for stories and identify topics that are likely to captivate readers. Similarly, AI-driven recommendation systems can suggest relevant content that readers might find interesting and aid them in uncovering new stories.

AI-Powered Campaign Management:

AI-powered political campaign management offers many advantages, such as the ability to quickly analyze large datasets and target key regions, demographics, and individual voters. AI-driven tools can also generate targeted digital advertising and communication plans, apply deep learning and natural language processing to craft persuasive messages, and generate voter sentiment analysis to better understand voter attitudes. Moreover, AI-driven content creation tools can be used to generate dynamic visuals and videos to help campaigns reach wider audiences and make an impact at scale. The use of AI in campaign management is still in its infancy and it is yet to be seen how the introduction of these tools will shape the future of campaigns and politics in general.

AI-Powered Content Strategy:

AI helps identify what type of content users are interested in and which content elements work best for each user. AI can also optimize the way content is distributed, enabling organizations to personalize content across multiple channels and devices. Additionally, AI can streamline the content creation process, resulting in faster and more efficient content production. For example, AI-powered content recommendation engines can suggest related content to readers based on their reading trends and preferences, driving higher engagement. AI-powered voice search features can also improve user experience by providing users with relevant results quickly. Lastly, AI-enabled automation can be used to automate repetitive tasks such as content research, keyword analysis, and SEO optimization.

AI-Powered Content Writing:

The biggest use-case so far! AI-powered content writing solutions can enable brands to offer personalized and interactive experiences to their users. For example, AI-powered content writing can be used to generate targeted email campaigns based on a user’s past interactions with your website/app. Additionally, many AI-driven content writing solutions allow for automated social media content generation, from custom messaging to dynamic visuals. AI-driven content writing software can also be used to generate data-driven insights, helping brands better understand their user’s needs and preferences.

Bottom line

It is clear that AI is still in its nascent stage and is evolving, and it will remain the “new shiny thing” for a while. But AI poses a wide range of ethical and legal issues, from fairness and power to capital requirements, human rights, and privacy. AI-driven decision-making is subject to biases and misjudgments, potentially leading to outcomes that may not be equitable. AI poses a threat to privacy as it collects large amounts of data for personalized services and can perpetrate biases that unfairly disadvantage certain groups of people. Therefore, it is important to ensure that AI algorithms are designed with privacy, security, and fairness in mind. The impact of AI is a dichotomy between those with and without it, but its true importance lies in the philosophical implications it brings, discovering truths that affect more than just individuals.

Happy (responsible) experimenting!