USC Annenberg Relevance Report

I saw this headline the other day: “A boy saw 17 doctors over 3 years for chronic pain. ChatGPT found the diagnosis” (Source: Today.com ). After a frustrating three-year journey trying unsuccessfully to diagnose a series of mysterious symptoms for her son, the boy’s mother turned to AI. “I went line by line of...

In the 90s, a company called Netscape launched a web browser that acted as the first portal to the internet for the public. Like Netscape did for the internet, the generative AI hype has made AI “real” for consumers, at least at a base level. They understand AI is behind the voice assistant playing their favorite song or a chatbot giving restaurant recommendations. These applications are...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has swiftly moved from the realm of science fiction to become an invaluable tool in many industries, including public relations. As we enter an era of "symbiotic intelligence," the key is to view AI not as a replacement but as a strategic partner. Here's how this relationship is shaping what lies ahead for the communications field broadly:

Augmenting Human...

Caleb Ward, a media industry professional, gained visibility in Spring 2023 for his production of two mock trailers — one of Star Wars, one of Lord of the Rings — which mimicked the recognizable style of Wes Anderson (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”, “Asteroid City”) using the generative visual AI program, Midjourney.

As a Polygram critic noted of Anderson, “Most cinephiles immediately...

November 30, 2022, will be remembered as the date of “first contact” for many of us in the field of communication. That was the day ChatGPT launched and as many of us played with the service, I suspect we had similar reactions. What have we encountered here? A species of sorts that can communicate and produce words with alarming speed and alacrity. Isn’t that our profession we asked each other...

AI critics argue that computers can never be as creative as human beings. Even at its smartest, AI is a predictive instrument that rearranges the information it receives. Surely, if AI can come up with an idea for a viral new product or an engaging marketing campaign then a human would be able to come up with it as well.

However, Karl Ulrich and Christian...

Much like the pairing of cybersecurity and technology, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into marketing and communications has been revolutionary. As a powerful and evolving tool, AI holds unprecedented potential to advance our profession — from enhancing the ability to connect with target audiences and uncover data insights, to fast-tracking the creation of persuasive messaging...

We stand at the nexus of an information glut and an action deficit — particularly when it comes to defining the crisis of our time: climate change. Despite an excessive amount of data, a disconnect persists. According to the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, 72% of Americans claim climate change stokes their anxieties, yet only 33% actually bring it up in conversations, even with...