AI’s Rapid Impact on the Communications Function
We recently collaborated with communications agency, Citypress to survey senior communications professionals working in UK tech organisations, exploring how their role is evolving and the growing impact of AI.
AI is undeniably reshaping the communications landscape. With this transformation comes a wave of concerns: fewer entry-level roles, succession planning challenges, and the pressing need for businesses to adopt AI with a clear strategy and risk assessment.
How Embedded Is AI in Comms Teams Today?
The results of our research have shown just how embedded AI has already become. Its use is now close to universal across comms teams, supporting content creation and editing, research and media monitoring, with a focus on trend spotting and sentiment analysis, and admin support such as report automation and presentation structuring. Only a small minority of our sample said they don’t use AI tools at all.
The immediate benefit is productivity. Teams are being asked to do more with fewer resources, and AI is helping them respond faster. Reflecting this shift, 58% of respondents have already seen a change in PR or communications budget allocation as a result of AI. However, while speed and efficiency are improving, only around one in three say AI has improved the quality or effectiveness of their output.
A Leadership Opportunity for Communications Professionals
But rather than retreating from AI, savvy communications professionals should view this moment as an opportunity to lead. This is a chance for the function to define best practices, set standards and demonstrate its strategic value.
AI can take on low-level content creation, freeing up teams to focus on higher-value strategic work. Junior team members, instead of being displaced, can pivot toward analytics, digital innovation and performance tracking. After all, producing endless content without measuring ROI is futile.
Trust, Risk & the Governance Gap
Trust and credibility are becoming increasingly central as AI adoption accelerates. As audiences increasingly turn to company websites for trustworthy information, communicators should seize this moment to reinforce authenticity and build digital trust.
At the same time, AI is adding complexity to the reputational risk landscape. More than half of our survey respondents believe AI has already increased reputational risk, yet only a small proportion of organisations currently have a fully operational AI policy for communications. This lack of governance is fuelling uncertainty around disclosure, brand voice and ethical standards, with little consensus on when or how AI use should be made transparent.
Reputation management will always require human oversight, especially in real-time crises. However, AI has already proven its worth in scenario planning and crisis simulations. Using AI to prepare leadership and spokespeople, such as demonstrating how easily a deepfake of a CEO could be weaponised, can be a powerful wake-up call.
Why Comms Leaders Should Shape AI Strategy
One often-overlooked opportunity is for communications leaders to spearhead their organisation’s AI adoption strategy. Surprisingly, many IT departments remain hesitant or overwhelmed by AI’s implications. They’re looking to comms leaders to help craft a business-wide implementation plan that’s grounded in clear governance and risk mitigation.
This mirrors the early 2000s, when social media entered the corporate world. IT teams were reluctant to engage, and communications and marketing professionals stepped up to lead the charge. They embraced digital channels and transformed them into engines of growth.
Perhaps it’s the creative mindset that draws people to comms and marketing, an openness to experimentation and new ideas. Or perhaps IT is simply stretched thin with cybersecurity demands. Whatever the reason, this is a pivotal moment for communications professionals to guide their organisations into the future of work.
