What us Comms people actually need to know about AI

Ankeeta Munsi:

I’ve been working in strategic communications for 20 years, and I’ve noticed something lately: my colleagues are genuinely apprehensive about AI. Not in a “this is interesting” way, but in a “what should I actually be doing?” way. The answers out there are either breathless excitement or vague dismissals, and neither helps when you’re trying to figure out how this applies to your actual work.

So I asked Paul Armstrong, who’s been tracking emerging tech for decades, to talk it through with me. Not the theory, but the practical reality for people in our profession.

We’re all becoming a bit boring

Paul did a poll that stopped me in my tracks. Half his audience said if they suspected someone was using AI to write their posts, they’d stop reading them entirely. The other half didn’t care at all.

What struck me wasn’t the split – it was what Paul said next: “I want to know about the person’s brain, not what ChatGPT can do.”

This is the bit we’re missing in all the excitement about efficiency. Yes, AI can help you bash out an email or a social post. But if everyone’s using the same tools in the same way, we’re all starting to sound identical. Those emoji bullets, that particular cadence – you can spot it a mile off.

The craft of communications has always been about asking “why?” before “what?” AI can tell you what to say. It cannot tell you whether you should say anything at all.

We’re sitting on data we’ve never properly used

One of the most interesting parts of our conversation was about measurement. Paul pointed out something obvious that I’d somehow missed: we think we don’t have data, but we’ve got documents everywhere. Every media mention, every stakeholder survey, every piece of feedback.

“You can put that in and ask for analysis,” he said. “Did we succeed in getting our key message into target media? What stories did we miss?”

But then he asked the uncomfortable question: “Are we scared about pointing ourselves out? Do we just not have enough impact and we don’t want to hold up that mirror?”

That landed. Because I think he’s right. We’ve built careers on gut instinct and qualitative judgment. Actually interrogating whether our work created the outcomes we claimed feels exposing.

Yet this is precisely where we could demonstrate real value. Leadership doesn’t want another campaign update. They want to know if communications is moving the dial on business objectives.

It’s about foresight, not just the nowness

Paul made a distinction that resonated with my infrastructure work. Some people are brilliant at responding to the crisis in front of them. Others anticipate the crisis three months out.

“Some people relish in the nowness,” he said. “That’s great, but it won’t be right in three, six, 12 months. Having that eye on the future makes you a better practitioner and will keep you employed longer.”

This is where I think AI literacy becomes genuinely strategic. It’s not about knowing how to write prompts. It’s about understanding where media power is shifting, which platforms are gaining influence, how tools like computer vision or machine learning might change how we demonstrate impact.

When I was leading communications for Lower Thames Crossing, we spent enormous effort on community engagement. Imagine if we’d had tools to analyse genuine concern versus performative objection at public events. That technology exists now. But you won’t spot these opportunities if you only see AI as a writing assistant.

The bit nobody wants to say out loud

Paul was frank about what’s happening: entry-level communications jobs are disappearing. Organisations are cutting roles based on what AI can now handle.

For younger people trying to break in, the traditional path – join an agency, learn the craft, build your portfolio – assumes work that may no longer exist at volume.

For those of us established in the field, it’s different but equally challenging. If your value proposition is execution – “I can write a good press release” – you’re vulnerable. If it’s judgment – “I help you navigate complexity and make decisions under uncertainty” – you’re not.

Where I’m taking this

This conversation clarified something for me. The practitioners who’ll succeed aren’t resisting AI or embracing it uncritically. They’re developing a clear view of what these tools enable and what they cannot replace.

They’re asking better questions. They’re building foresight, not just responding to the nowness. They’re comfortable holding up the mirror to their own impact. And they remain visibly human in their work, even as they use technology to amplify their thinking.

That’s the conversation our profession needs. Not “will AI replace us?” but “how do we provide value AI cannot replicate?”

Watch the full conversation to hear Paul’s insights on platform dynamics, the AI landscape beyond ChatGPT, and why being generous with your time matters more than ever.

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Ankeeta Munsi is Founder and Director of Story Weaver, specialising in strategic communications for complex infrastructure projects. With 20 years leading communications for Crossrail, Lower Thames Crossing, and Deloitte, she helps leaders navigate high-stakes environments through authentic storytelling.