We are all aware of how Artificial Intelligence is entering or at least touching virtually all areas and phases of industry. In the medical field, in automotive and in communications.
A good thing? Not necessarily.
In recent days a radio station in Poland, attempting to “go” entirely AI while firing its staff ended its artificial “experiment” in a matter of mere days. Official statements from station management somehow deemed the project a “success” while vaguely citing “backlash” as the reason for the turnabout. It appears communications regulators might have also been involved. This went well beyond voicetracking and cloning (ala Al Michael’s AI reports during the Olympics), marking a “next step” that others are sure to follow in time.
I recently spoke to several PR and communications classes at Central Michigan University where we discussed a wide range of topics and subjects related to the field. When asked about AI, my answer did not mince words: “I’m not a fan” I told the students. I did concede that it has its place albeit when utilized with a system of careful checks and balances. If you’re using AI to do research for example, best to double-check source materials. That’s an extra step.
It’s also far from the “end all be all.” Our firm utilizes a media monitoring platform that appears to be relying more and more on AI for transcriptions and identifying search terms to find media stories of interest. Far too often this AI is not transcribing words properly and key words are being misspelled with media placements then missed. Again, extra steps often need to be taken by a human (me) to find what exactly I am looking for. Of course, we have used necessary and useful AI-like analytic tools for many years including for determining “sentiment,” “share of voice” and other tangibles/intangibles in media coverage reporting.
I may be old school but I will always maintain that you can never replace the human factor in putting a “best foot (or word) forward” in PR, communications or media. It is this “humanity” us practitioners possess that serves as a necessary and differentiating “connector” for truly effective, accurate and authentic discourse. That’s vital in setting us apart from what we often find to be the proverbial “ghost in the machine.”