Hearts & Minds: Is 2025 the year that comms fully embraces AI?

There is no doubt that in the year ahead, we will see more of AI. The technology is developing in leaps and bounds, leading to predictions that major advertisers will soon hand over the entire creative and production process to AI and it will go mainstream in comms. The recent holiday season Coca-Cola ad was fully AI-generated, others are on the way. Companies must prepare themselves comms-wise, not so much because AI generates content but because AI is steering the conversations based on that content. People’s opinions will be governed by what AI makes of the available material. What companies and their comms professionals must do is to influence the outcome of AI searches.

Asking an AI tool what this means in practice produced the following answer: ‘AI is set to revolutionize corporate reputation management strategies. By 2025, AI-powered tools will enable real-time monitoring of social media sentiment, allowing companies to proactively address negative feedback before it escalates. This capability will be crucial in a world where AI-generated conversations shape public opinion.’

There, you have it: AI says AI is set to take over our world, so it must be true. It is, of course. In their crisis comms, companies will become more pre-emptive and less reactive – AI will analyse historical data, social media trends and market signals to warn of a potential issue which can be headed off before it arises. ‘This shift from reactive to pre-emptive crisis communications will fundamentally change how PR teams operate.’

As far as possible, companies must try and ensure that the content AI is relying upon is to their liking. They ‘will need to focus on guiding AI to craft authentic, bias-free narratives that resonate with audiences. The rise of AI-powered personalization will enable hyper-targeted messaging, requiring PR experts to strategically leverage these tools for maximum impact.’ That entails getting across the technology, and fast, ‘optimizing content for AI consumption, understanding AI algorithms, and ensuring high-quality, authoritative content is readily available for AI systems to process.’

Humans, intones the machine, will continue to have a vital role. ‘As AI handles routine tasks, PR professionals will need to shift their focus to strategic initiatives and relationship building. The human touch will remain crucial in ensuring messaging aligns with brand values and resonates authentically with audiences.’

Time, though, is of the essence. ‘The PR profession will need to adapt rapidly, focusing on strategic guidance, ethical considerations, and the nuanced aspects of communication that AI cannot replicate.’  The clock is ticking.

Chris Blackhurst is one of the UK’s foremost business journalists. He was previously Editor of The Independent and City Editor of the Evening Standard.