Podcast Summary
Discussing AI governance and Goldman Sachs' bullish predictions: World leaders agree on AI code of conduct, Goldman Sachs predicts significant AI impact on economy. Focus on developing unique skills to stay irreplaceable.
As AI continues to advance and become more prevalent in various industries, including communications, it's important for professionals to focus on developing skills that cannot be easily replicated by machines. This was the topic of discussion on the Everyday AI Show. Two major news items were covered in the AI news segment. First, world leaders are reportedly agreeing on a voluntary code of conduct for regulating advanced AI systems to mitigate risks and potential misuse. This is a significant step forward for AI governance among major countries. Second, Goldman Sachs is bullish on AI's impact on the economy, predicting that generative AI will contribute significantly to productivity and GDP growth rates. However, these advancements also highlight the importance of staying irreplaceable in the communications industry and other fields. To do this, professionals should focus on developing skills such as creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence, which are difficult for AI to replicate. Overall, the discussion emphasized the need for individuals and businesses to adapt to the changing technological landscape and focus on developing unique value propositions.
AI's Impact on the Communications Industry: Fear and Preparation: Despite US economic growth, professionals in the communications industry worldwide fear AI's impact on their roles. Australia is preparing with ethical guidelines, but concerns persist about AI taking over writing and design tasks.
The US economy is projected to experience significant growth due to increased productivity, with expansion rates of 2% by 2027 and 2.3% by 2034 according to a Goldman Sachs study. However, in the communications industry, there is a widespread fear among professionals in Australia and beyond about the impact of AI on their roles. Many are excited but also terrified, with concerns about AI taking over tasks such as writing and graphic design. These fears are heightened by news stories about job losses and the availability of AI for nearly 100% of communication roles. Australia, however, has been preparing for this shift with ethical guidelines around AI deployment put in place since 2018.
Exploring Generative AI with Curiosity and Excitement: Embrace new technologies with an open mind and a willingness to experiment, even as a communication professional. Understand the basics of Generative AI and take the initiative to learn and explore its capabilities.
Both the speaker and Megan, despite not being experts or having extensive technical backgrounds, have embraced the curiosity and excitement surrounding Generative AI, leading them to explore its capabilities and potential in various fields such as digital art, text generation, and communication. Their experiences highlight the importance of approaching new technologies with an open mind and a willingness to experiment, even for those in the communications industry who might be newer to the topic. The speaker's advice for those just starting to explore Generative AI is to first understand the basics of what a communication professional does and then take the initiative to learn and experiment with the technology. While there may be some element of luck in being early adopters, the true key to success lies in being curious and open to new possibilities.
The Role of Humans in Communication with AI: Communicators must adapt to utilize AI for data analysis and insights, while focusing on strategic and creative aspects requiring human touch.
The role of a communicator goes beyond just writing and content creation, and involves strategic elements such as understanding audiences and analyzing environments. While AI can assist in content creation and analysis, humans can supplement AI's capabilities by providing context, creativity, and emotional understanding. However, as AI's skill set continues to evolve and encroach on traditional communication roles, it's essential for communicators to adapt and not be scared. AI may not be able to fully understand context, be creative, or understand emotions like humans, but it's rapidly advancing in these areas. Communicators can get ahead by utilizing AI for data analysis and insights to craft effective messages, while focusing on strategic and creative aspects that require human touch. It's important to remember that AI is not a replacement for human communicators, but rather a tool to enhance their capabilities.
Understanding Human Behavior Requires a Human Touch: AI can analyze data efficiently, but humans bring cultural, political, and social context for effective communication. Combining AI and human intuition can supercharge communication efforts.
While AI can be an invaluable tool in analyzing data, understanding human behavior and culture is a task that requires a human touch. AI can help us better understand the people we're communicating with by analyzing data quickly and accurately, but it cannot replace the intuition and awareness of the cultural, political, and social contexts that humans bring to the table. For instance, a communicator once used a guilt-free way to say no campaign, which had nothing to do with a referendum, but the outcry that ensued required an apology. This situation highlights the importance of having someone who can think outside the data and understand the potential implications of communication in a given context. Moreover, understanding the people we're communicating with is crucial for creating effective messages. In the past, this would involve conducting employee engagement surveys and manually analyzing the data to identify themes and develop communication strategies. However, AI can now perform these tasks much more efficiently and accurately. Therefore, the combination of AI and human experience and intuition can help us supercharge our communication efforts and stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving world of communication. As humans, we need to upskill and adapt to this new reality while continuing to bring our unique perspective to the table.
Using AI creatively in communications: Communications pros can use AI for complex concept visuals, taglines, and social media content. Stay updated with AI tools and plug-ins, but remember, the human touch and creativity cannot be replicated.
Communications professionals can leverage AI to better resonate with their audience and stay irreplaceable by using it creatively and educationally. Megan, a communications expert, shared her experience of using AI in various ways, such as creating visual analogies for complex AI concepts using chat GPT and DALL E, and even generating taglines and social media content. She emphasized the importance of staying updated with the latest AI tools and plug-ins. However, despite all the advancements, Megan believes that communications professionals can stay irreplaceable by providing unique perspectives, building genuine relationships, and offering personalized experiences that AI cannot replicate. In essence, while AI can assist and automate certain tasks, it cannot replace the human touch and creativity that communications professionals bring to the table.
Principles of Effective Communication Remain Constant: Learn from AI in communication, enhance skills, don't replace them. Understand audience, be a great storyteller, maintain strategic communication.
While experimenting with new AI technologies in communication is important, the fundamental principles of effective communication remain constant. These principles include understanding your audience, being a great storyteller, and maintaining strategic communication. Megan's insights serve as a roadmap for professionals in the communications industry, and for everyone, to navigate the evolving landscape of AI in communication. The key is to learn from these technologies and use them to enhance our communication skills, not replace them. So, keep experimenting, stay strategic, and never stop learning. Don't forget to sign up for the free daily newsletter at everydayai.com for more insights on Megan's work and the conversation we had today. Until next time, keep breaking barriers!
