Depending on who you ask, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is somewhere between the technology that will usher in the most significant era in human history and the technology that will end it. The fear that surrounds this technology exists on a spectrum ranging from FOMO about not using it for everything to panic at the thought of being replaced by it.
As communication professionals, we need to guide our peers and colleagues away from both extremes. The reality of GenAI’s influence is much more nuanced, differing on a case-by-case basis. We most certainly cannot ignore it, as it is disrupting our job function, but it is far from ending it. On the contrary, it can be a significant enhancement if we keep our end goals in mind and don’t get distracted by every new flavor of the technology.
While we do not have to become data scientists overnight, understanding how it works is the first step in using GenAI effectively. The Large Language Models (LLMs) powering GenAI are a subset of Natural Language Processing (NLP) – the ability of a computer to understand and generate human language. Every LLM includes billions of data points and parameters the machine culls before responding to a prompt.
Organizations are grappling with what to make of GenAI – how to pay for it, what employees need to know, what risks exist, etc. And Communication is the function tasked with articulating all this. This strategic position us considerable freedom in leveraging GenAI.
Here are three common ways to start:
Synthesizing information
One of the significant upsides of an LLM is the sheer amount of data involved all potential source material. Synthesizing this amount of information manually would be impossible, but with GenAI, we can dramatically reduce the time required to ideate a written deliverable. In some cases, we can automate most of it completely. We need to be diligent about reallocating some of this time we save to vet information, and the writing and editing processes remain, but the dreaded writer’s block with the nightmarish blank page and the blinking cursor should be no more.
Summarizing existing materials
Sometimes we start from scratch, but other times we are tasked with producing an article from existing content. In this scenario, GenAI can be incredibly useful in summarizing text. Especially if the source material is a report, white paper, or other dense, technical document, having GenAI take a first pass at a target word count can be incredibly helpful. It is on us as writers to know the source material and, thus, be able to vet what the LLM has produced. But it gives us an incredible starting point for our writing process.
Notating and recapping meetings to improve record-keeping
The final – and probably simplest – use case for GenAI is record keeping. We have all been in meetings during which we are scribbling notes furiously so as not to forget anything that was said…to the point at which our note-taking precludes us from hearing what was said. The right GenAI tool will listen to the meeting and provide as detailed – or as summarized – a transcript as you ask. We need to be sure that none of the information entered into the tool is confidential.
As GenAI continues to develop and add new flavors of technology, it is easy to get caught up in the hype and feel like you need to use every new feature for everything. The key to deriving value from GenAI is maintaining focus on the business goal and ensuring your use of the technology takes a step – however small – toward that goal. Starting small and specific to gain positive results is smart, intelligent approach that puts you on the right path. After all, success breeds success, so that the bigger victories will come.
Dale Legaspi is a USC Annenberg adjunct instructor and public relations professional with more than a decade of experience in both agency and in-house positions across B2B tech. At Zeno Group, he leads the day-to-day client programs for multiple accounts across corporate technology and healthcare.