How is AI Affecting Jobs in Corporate Communications?

Artificial intelligence (AI) has come a long way since the infamous Will Smith video. With its progression, it’s not surprising that many people are wondering what the future of corporate communications holds since the release of generative text tools, such as ChatGPT from OpenAI. 

There have been many implications for the field of corporate communications that have been noted since AI started truly making waves – both great and not-so-great. In this article, our aim is to dive into just how AI has been affecting jobs in corporate communications, and we’ll look at answering the question, “What does the future of corporate communications look like?”. 

First off, what is corporate communications?

Corporate communications is a rather broad field and looks different in different companies. It can encompass everything from writing out the bios of executives or the people responsible for releasing different graphics, one of the more well-known roles of people in corporate communications is being involved in public relations (PR). Smaller companies may have one person involved in multiple tasks, while bigger, more established companies will have a whole team dedicated to communications. 

Essentially, the role of professionals in corporate communications is to best communicate the missions, values, agendas and more to other individuals, companies and the public at large. 

So, how has AI really impacted jobs in corporate communications?

When OpenAI first launched ChatGPT, it sent shockwaves through the world of communications. Professionals and communications students had mixed feelings about AI, as they could see all the positives as well as the negatives that came along with such a powerful tool. 

Reduced the amount of mundane tasks

One of the most positive ways that AI has improved corporate communications jobs is that it has almost eliminated the need to perform mundane tasks, as it has automated many of them. For example, some AI technologies are able to accurately transcribe and translate live broadcasts and recordings, which can save content producers and writers from hours of work. By removing mundane tasks, communications professionals and students have noted that AI may boost their performance and productivity by allowing them to focus more on their creative output. 

It can helps people fight off writer’s block

Writer’s block can happen to even the most proficient and creative writers. Previously, this could render you useless for hours, if not days, without the ability to form even the simplest of sentences. Those days are gone, thanks to the help of generated text models, which can be a valuable weapon in your arsenal as they can provide just that little bit of guidance to get you out of the creative rut. 

AI has enhanced public relations with the help of advanced tools

The advanced tools that have been developed have transformed and enhanced the jobs of those in public relations. These tools help people involved in PR conduct thorough brand sentiment analysis and media monitoring to help people in PR form better strategies that help them effectively manage brand risks.

AI-driven chatbots have boosted communication and engagement

With the help of AI-driven chatbots, companies now have an invaluable resource that allows them to attend to client queries all across different email and social media platforms within seconds. Previously, this would have had to be done manually, which opened up the possibility of delayed communication and a plethora of other potential crises. But no more!

There is a big space for inaccuracy

While artificial intelligence is blowing people’s minds with its abilities, it’s not perfect. AI models rely on copious amounts of data in order to make calculated decisions, some of which could be inaccurate or biased, which in turn can lead to inaccurate and biased content and various outcomes. This is why it’s so important for communications professionals to do their fact-checking and not just rely on AI.

AI opens up potential security risks

The reality of using and relying on artificial intelligence is that it opens up companies and individuals to security breaches. In 2023, 100,000 accounts on ChatGPT were hacked, and the credentials were put on sale on the dark web. Corporate communications experts who choose to utilise artificial intelligence need to be aware of the security risks.

Scales down on communications teams

While cutting down on mundane tasks has allowed professionals in communications to focus on enhancing their creativity, it also means there’s a reality that many people who once solely focused on those tasks are now out of a job for the most part. That being said, AI is not eliminating jobs, but it does mean that getting your bachelor’s degree is not going to cut it anymore and that students should pursue a Master’s in Communication to boost their knowledge and make themselves more marketable and invaluable to the company as they navigate the new world of corporate communications alongside AI.

Final Thoughts

It’s safe to say that artificial intelligence is here to stay, and it’s important for current and future corporate communications professionals to develop a symbiotic relationship with it in order to thrive in the industry. There are many benefits that have come with integrating AI into corporate communications, but you’ve got to also take the good with the bad. However, for those wondering if there is a future in corporate communications since the release of AI programs, don’t worry; the industry still needs humans because there are still things that even AI can’t do.