At its heart (if you can call it that) Artificial Intelligence is just a communications platform. Except that it’s not. You’ve never lived in an era where machines had such powerful self learning capacities until now.
This may sound dystopian, but the difference between any other communications tool and AI is its capacity to combine large data sets with intuitive processing. It can manipulate algorithms by learning behaviour patterns within that data set. This is crucial: it is important to understand that AI is not a one-track algorithm that churns out the same thing. It grows more powerful the more it’s used. Which, depending on your standpoint, puts each of us in a position of enormous responsibility.
To reference industry commentator Kunle Barker in the Architects’ Journal recently “AI is already here, so architects must embrace it. There may be job losses, but there will also be efficiencies and the opportunities to use this technology to advance the industry.”
The same goes for communications specialists.*
Here’s a 3 minute follow-up from our recent BuildUp event Is AI Your Ally? This is part one of a two-part webinar series in which we look at how AI is or could be affecting our communications roles.
On Monday 23 October 2023, we focussed on how AI affects the media — what we read and how news is made. For this discussion, Dominique Staindl was joined by guest speakers Alys Bryan, editor, Design Insider and Helen Parton, journalist and communications strategist.
Here are some of Dom’s takeaways from the discussion:
The Role of AI in the Editorial Process: While AI tools like ChatGPT can generate written content, the consensus is that AI should be used thoughtfully as a collaborative tool, not a replacement for human creativity and connection. AI can help in the editorial process by condensing text, changing tone, generating initial draft structures and sparking new phrase ideas. But human error or oversight is still needed for accuracy, fact-checking and to ensure the final output has personality.
Transparency with Readers: As publications start to use AI tools more in their workflow, transparency with readers becomes critical. Smaller publications may have more agility to experiment with AI and update their policies frequently as the technology evolves. Being upfront about if/how AI was used shows readers they can still trust the content.
The Risks of AI: Who controls and owns AI technology is an issue, as large tech companies tend to lack diversity. This means the data and information we receive may include biases. While stunt PR using AI-generated concepts could increase, credibility still matters. Images also have huge potential for misuse and manipulation through AI, so image credits and captions will be increasingly important.
Adapting to the Pace of Change: The speed of emerging AI technologies brings pressures around adopting it quickly. However, quality work still requires time, skill and human nuance. With training, younger team members can use AI tools as part of learning on the job. But AI cannot entirely replace good management and mentorship. It’s wise to stay educated on AI possibilities, even if not using it, to differentiate your skills.
AI as a Collaborator: Rather than viewing AI only as a threat to writing jobs, it can enhance productivity and idea generation. AI tools help creatives by transcribing interviews, providing soundboards for concepts, generating social media hashtags and summarising technical bullet points. With proper editing, AI can stimulate thinking and allow humans more time for strategic work.
So, the all important question. Are we out of a job?
The bottom line is AI tools have arrived and are evolving rapidly in built environment communications. Being informed, thoughtful and transparent about how AI gets used will be critical for PR, marketing and media professionals to maintain trust and value as they shape stories. While AI aids the process, creative thinking, relationships and editorial guidance remain distinctly human skills. It appears we’re safe, for now…
You can watch a replay of the session here.
Part 2 with AI specialists Jesslyn Guntur, founder of WellWell, and AI expert Ali Parandah Head of Engineering - at Applied Data Science Partners will be held 4.30 pm on Monday 27 November. In the fireside chat, we’ll ask how AI can free up communications processes so we can spend more time being human.
*This article was partially written using AI capabilities.