In his essay collection, Languages of Truth, Salman Rushdie proposed that there are “hinge moments” in history, when everything is in flux, and the future is ‘up for grabs.’ Given the speed at which technology has moved over the last 12 months in our communications industry alone, this moment is upon us. Indeed, it is possible the most significant ‘influencer’ of 2024 and beyond is AI. Key to our success is not only how we understand and leverage its benefits but also how we mitigate its limitations.
To that end, consultancies and communications teams need to accelerate their thinking about and utilisation of AI or risk getting left behind. What are the immediate applications? What should we know about the benefits and limitations of tools such as ChatGPT and Copilot? In my work in the regulated healthcare industry, for example, I often utilise AI for predictive analytics and message targeting while being especially attuned to data integrity and transparency.
What should communicators know to prepare themselves to support brands keen to ‘flex the muscle’ of AI? For answers, I spoke to Tejas Totade, Chief Technology Officer at Ruder Finn. Tejas received his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from the University of Mumbai before beginning his career with Tata Consulting Services. While at TCS, he became enamored with “the power of technology to move mountains and solve real-world problems,” and moved to Indiana University to earn a master’s degree in computer science. For his next move, he realised he wanted to progress technology and harness its capabilities for communications. Over the last two years, Tejas and his TechLab team have audited more than 50 new AI tools and built a complex analytics suite to support the consultancy’s clients.
Here are Tejas’s top tips for managing the pace of new technologies:
Embrace the value for the everyday
New tools can help communicators boost efficiency and productivity. It can remove the ‘grunt work.’ For example, AI technology can turn a written document into a PowerPoint presentation. It can record a meeting or an interview and immediately provide a summary. AI can also help unlock creativity – it can be used to develop avatars and even virtual influencers, often within just an hour or two. If applied correctly, AI can get many day-to-day tasks out of the gate quickly.
Experiment
Take every training course offered and integrate them into your everyday work. But don’t stop there. Carve out an hour or so of your own time to keep learning, for example, the technologies used by other companies such as your competitors. Even if you don’t understand everything at first, making this effort will familiarise you with the concepts and jargon. A good starting point are podcasts at the intersection of business and technology. Check out Hard Fork, Pivot, and Vergecast hosted by Nilay Patel.
Learn when- – and when not — to trust technology
While new tools make getting from point A to point B a lot easier, the information they spit out often include ‘hallucinations’ — inaccuracies and misinformation. These tools will get ‘smarter’ over time. But for now, it is still necessary to take AI-generated content with a grain of salt. Do your own research so you begin with good information. Always fact-check the output.
Opportunities right now
While the field develops, there are many ways to gain valuable assistance from AI immediately. For example, communications professionals can use AI to generate media lists and datasets to reveal patterns and trends, identify influencers, track positive and negative sentiment in online conversations and media, and more. Further, the predictive analytics AI provides can empower communicators to uncover insights for strategy development. Always remember, the more specific information you provide in the ‘ask,’ the better the information in the output.
To be sure, new technologies and the resulting tools are game changing and there is a sense of relentlessness in their utilisation in our work. Equally, keep in mind that emotional intelligence, critical thinking and complex problem-solving are innately human attributes. Even the smartest machines cannot inspire or lead. As communications embraces new technologies, it will be up to us to leverage the benefits while maintaining our long-standing commitments to authenticity, trust, and relationships.
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Sandra Stahl has created and led communications solutions for many of the world’s leading pharma, biotech, diagnostic, device and consumer healthcare brands over a 30+ year career. Her skills as a strategist and developer of compelling narratives have enabled organizational-and market- readiness, powered investment, enhanced profiles, amplified landmark data, built reputations and influenced opinion. She is a recognized thought leader regularly published in industry, national and international media, and author of the award-winning book, The Art & Craft of PR (LID 2018). Additionally, Sandra is founding faculty in the PR track in the Branding + Integrated Communications master’s degree program at The City College of New York, now in its 10th year, has delivered lectures at university communications programs around the world including Columbia University in New York and Xavier Institute of Communications in Mumbai, India.
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