Posted in Top tips, Tools & Advice, Learning, Events,
By Madeleine Weightman
AI isn’t replacing communicators — but it is reshaping how we work. To take a closer look, I recently chaired a LinkedIn Live discussion in collaboration with the PRCA, joined by Stuart Bruce and Ben Mitchell, alongside research from over 30 senior in-house leaders across communications, public affairs and marketing.
The consensus? AI should be seen as a productivity partner. Used well, it frees time for creativity, strategic thinking and stakeholder engagement. Misused, it risks over-reliance, data breaches and homogenised content.
Here’s a practical look at the biggest challenges facing comms professionals — and how AI can help.
The Issue:
Professionals lose hours to inboxes, meeting prep and first-draft writing. In our research, leaders pointed to routine work as the biggest barrier to efficiency, with one estimating AI makes them “20–30% more efficient.”
The Solution:
AI tools like Microsoft Copilot or Google Gemini can summarise email threads, generate briefings, or create audio recaps of reports. Stuart Bruce noted these “mundane day-to-day” uses deliver two to four hours of time back each week, a powerful gain for stretched teams and independents alike.
The Issue:
From analysing reports to researching journalists, research tasks can quickly consume billable time.
The Solution:
Paid AI models such as Perplexity or ChatGPT can provide fast, accurate desk research and help identify unconscious bias. They can even check compliance, for example, testing a crisis comms plan against ISO standards. But never use free versions for client-sensitive information, which risk breaching GDPR.
The Issue:
There’s a temptation to outsource too much to AI, risking bland copy and loss of originality.
The Solution:
Use AI to speed up the basics: structuring articles, generating campaign ideas, or repurposing transcripts into blogs or video scripts. Then apply human judgement, creativity and subject expertise to polish the result. AI can make the day-to-day lighter, “fewer decks, fewer reports” as one Head of Corporate Affairs put it, but the spark of originality still comes from people.
The Issue:
Tracking media, parliamentary debates, or customer engagement is complex and resource-intensive.
The Solution:
AI-powered monitoring services and platforms such as Make, Defy or n8n are now common in comms teams. They can track sentiment, pull real-time data, or map stakeholders more quickly. In the US, AI is even being used to analyse earnings call transcripts to identify the market impact of every word spoken by CEOs and CFOs.
The Issue:
Uploading confidential client material into open-source AI is a GDPR risk and a reputational hazard.
The Solution:
Always use enterprise or paid models, or develop in-house AI platforms where sensitive data is involved. Several organisations are already building secure corporate AI chatbots for drafting content, speeches and media briefings. For freelancers, our guide covers safe, practical options.
The Issue:
Social content often requires fast turnaround, but not every team has an in-house designer.
The Solution:
Tools such as Canva now integrate AI to generate graphics, imagery and SEO-friendly assets. More advanced platforms like Albert.AI allow campaign testing and optimisation at a level previously out of reach for smaller teams. Results still require human review, but they expand what’s possible with limited budgets.
The Issue:
Many leaders say the biggest barrier isn’t technology, but culture. One senior public affairs director told us: “90% of companies that have invested in AI have not seen significant financial benefits and more than 80% of AI projects fail to deliver business value.”
The Solution:
Successful adoption requires leadership by example. Too many executives hand their teams AI tools and expect instant results, the “AI adoption illusion.” Stuart Bruce stresses the need for training and role modelling.
AI isn’t the enemy of communications professionals. It’s a tool to help us deliver more impact with less effort. But success depends on using it thoughtfully: experiment, stay curious, and always apply your critical judgement.
For a deeper dive, you can download the full AI in In-House Communications Report 2025.
You can also explore safe tools in our blog on AI Tools for Freelancers 2025.
Madeleine Weightman is Co-Founder and COO at The Work Crowd, working with businesses to find flexible solutions and helping consultants build rewarding portfolio careers.
Whether you need interim, fractional or freelance expertise for a project, to plug a gap or upskill your team, or you are exploring new opportunities as an independent consultant, The Work Crowd can help you connect.
The Work Crowd is an award-winning platform connecting organisations with vetted freelance and interim experts in Marketing, Communications, Digital, Events & Public Affairs. With a global network and local industry expertise, we make finding the very best freelance, fractional and interim talent fast, simple and effective.