Communications teams were among the first to sprint towards AI. We championed it, experimented with it and confidently told our organisations this technology would transform how we work. And it has, just not entirely in the ways we expected.
Now that the dust is beginning to settle, the comms industry is staring down a new set of dilemmas: ethical complexity, cultural tension, recruitment challenges and a growing realisation that AI isn’t just a tool, but a disruptor. One that is forcing us to rethink the fundamentals of trust, talent and truth.
It is time to address the uncomfortable realities many teams are experiencing but not always saying out loud.
Ethics: The New PR Crisis Is AI-Generated PR
AI has introduced a credibility challenge that communicators can no longer ignore and one we are increasingly seeing play out across organisations.
- Employees are pushing back, questioning or refusing to use AI-generated content because it feels inauthentic or reputationally risky
- Journalists are becoming more sceptical, running press releases through AI-detection tools and rejecting anything that appears overly synthetic
- Organisations are unsure about transparency and whether to disclose AI involvement, creating clear reputational risk
We have spent decades building trust through clarity, consistency and accountability. Now, we are navigating a landscape where even a well-written paragraph can be questioned simply because a machine helped shape it.
The irony is hard to ignore: the profession built on trust is now grappling with whether its own tools undermine it.
Generational Attitudes: The Myth of “Digital Natives” Loving AI
There is a common assumption that younger professionals are leading the charge on AI adoption. In reality, the picture is far more nuanced.
Many Gen Z employees are not embracing AI uncritically. Some see it as a threat to creativity. Others question its accuracy. Many are, as they should be, cautious about being associated with tools that feel like they blur the line between support and shortcuts.
At the same time, mid-career professionals who have already navigated multiple waves of digital transformation are adopting AI more pragmatically. They see it as an efficiency tool that can enhance, rather than replace, their expertise.
This divide isn’t generational. It’s behavioural, driven by mindset. And mindset is shaped by experience, not birth year.
Recruitment: AI Has Turned Hiring into a Guessing Game
AI is changing how candidates prepare for interviews, and that’s fine. However, if you’ve hired for a communications role recently, you’ll already recognise both the positive and negative impacts this is having.
- CVs and cover letters are increasingly polished to the point of sameness
- Candidates are using AI to support interview responses in real time
- Tasks and presentations are becoming harder to differentiate, often because they’ve been AI-assisted
The result is a growing challenge of distinguishing candidates who can genuinely think, write and strategise from those who can simply prompt effectively.
In communications, that distinction matters. Originality, judgement and voice remain critical.
So, How Do We Fix the Candidate Process?
The answer isn’t to ban AI. That approach is neither realistic nor reflective of how the role is evolving.
Instead, organisations need to design smarter assessments that evaluate both human capability and AI literacy.
1. Run live, timed tasks
Real-time writing or strategic exercises, whether online or in person, help cut through the AI polish. They reveal how candidates think and respond under pressure.
2. Be explicit about AI rules
Set clear expectations upfront on whether AI use is allowed, restricted or prohibited at each stage. Ambiguity risks creating an uneven playing field.
3. Use dual tasks: one AI-enabled, one human-only
This approach recognises that both skill sets are now relevant:
- AI-enabled tasks demonstrate how well candidates can prompt, refine and apply AI outputs. This is an increasingly essential capability
- Human-only tasks reveal raw judgement, creativity, tone and strategic thinking
4. Use a Specialist Recruiter
The most valuable insights come from relationships, not algorithms. As specialist recruiters, we don’t just meet candidates. We know them. We’ve watched their careers unfold, seen how they respond to setbacks and heard the feedback from their leaders and their teams.
We understand the person behind the polished presentation. That depth of understanding can’t be automated.
When AI makes everyone look similar on paper, utilising a recruiter who truly knows their candidates can make the difference between a good hire and a great one. Technology can support hiring, but trust, context and human judgement still drive it.
The Bottom Line: AI Is Not the Problem. Our Systems Are.
Communications professionals were among the first to lead the AI charge. Now we must lead the governance, too.
That means setting clear ethical standards, creating transparent and consistent content policies and designing fair, future-proof recruitment processes. It is integral we build a culture where AI enhances work, rather than replaces thinking.
The organisations that succeed won’t simply be the ones using AI the most. They will be the ones using it most thoughtfully, balancing efficiency with integrity and innovation with trust.
Because in a world increasingly shaped by AI, credibility is no longer assumed. It must be actively earned.
