AI keeps coming up in our team meetings.
A couple weeks ago, we were talking about the ways each of us has been tinkering with ChatGPT and other AI tools.
It was an interesting conversation. And even though we were all talking about different uses, there’s one opinion we all shared.
There are just some things that AI tools can’t do well (we’ll explain why)—but there are some ways that it can help communicators accomplish more.
The AI Arms Race: Why Communicators Like Us Feel the Pressure
Professionals are all feeling pressure to do more at work with less. We can vouch for that from the communications and marketing side of things.
The popularity of ChatGPT (to mention just one AI tool) definitely made things worse when it came to doing more.
It promised quick solutions. Instantly-generated images. Convincing-looking writing (not this one, though—we promise!).
And all of that flooded digital channels. Basically overnight, any one of us trying to get attention for what a client had to say had to deal with a nauseating amount of competition.
So in this situation… many folks turned to AI themselves to generate more content quickly.
AI’s Limitations: Why It Can’t Replace Human Connection
Here’s the rub, though, and it’s something all communicators and anyone looking for an effective communication strategy needs to know.
AI tools can generate words and images to fill your screens, yes.
But it can’t change hearts and minds.
AI tools that generate text do so by predicting the next most likely word or phrase. These tools don’t understand context, nuance or emotion the way that we do.
Back to what we said about social media and email being flooded with AI-generated content. On our screens, most content is transient. Attention is fleeting. So something that’s mediocre, lacks original thought or doesn’t speak to us doesn’t matter because we’ve already moved on to the next thing.
But that’s why AI-generated content is about quantity, not quality.
How do we get something to matter? To capture the attention that sparks action and changes perspectives?
We do so by knowing what makes hearts beat and minds race. We crave unique points of view. Real stories about real people and real communities. Powerful photos from down the street or halfway around the world. Compelling voices.
We don’t use AI tools to write our content, and we advise our clients against it too. It might be fine for a quick social media post. But when you’re trying to convince your audience of something, responding to a reporter’s question, giving a presentation—that’s when the lack of expert thought and a genuine voice becomes glaringly obvious.
Strategic AI: How We Actually Use AI for Our Clients
OK, so we don’t let AI write what we or our partners have to say. But we do think it’s useful.
We use technology strategically, and AI tools are just that—tools.
“We used to work on typewriters. Then, computers made us so much faster. Then, the internet came along and we were able to work everywhere. AI is an evolution of that. It makes us more efficient. We can do more for clients in less time, focusing on the important things and not the tactical execution or tedious tasks.” – Sonya Schweitzer
We can do more for our partners by adapting new technologies so that they don’t get left behind.
Large language models (like ChatGPT) help us organize research and summarize information. We can quickly reframe complex ideas so that we can help audiences understand those ideas.
“It’s about a change in technology and benefitting from that evolution. We can do more for our clients and focus on the important things for them so that they’re not left behind.” – Julie Rosenthal
As communicators, that’s how we can best use AI to serve our client’s missions.
The heart of our work remains the same. Quality and impact come from the soul—strategic thinking, deep audience understanding, and compelling stories.