Communications Teams and AI: Changes are Coming Fast

Approximately three‑quarters of corporate communications team are using AI tools in their work and it’s growing every day. From research to ideation, AI tools are helping teams speed up processes and increase productivity – with the understanding that all the materials produced need a human review to catch misinformation, poor writing, and hallucinations.

Current Focus: AI as Productivity Assistant

AI assists with both strategic and tactical tasks. According to Cision’s 2025 communications survey, teams regularly use AI to support development all types of content from articles to videos. They’re also using it improve targeting and analytics leading to better performance and reporting. The ability to create written materials, images, video, audio, and other media without the need for outsourcing or copyright issues can rapidly speed up production exponentially.

Source: Cision 2025 Communications Survey

What’s Next? A Focus on Public Relations

Public relations are going to become a bigger focus, if how the model algorithms continue to emphasize high‑quality, recent, non‑paid content. Muck Rack’s Generative Pulse 2025 report found that more than 95 % of AI citations come from non‑paid media and 89 % are earned coverage. In a recent study, half of citations were from journalistic sources. How will communications team need to respond?

• Teams will focus on a consistent cadence of newsworthy stories through press releases and bylined articles, since earned media to drive citations.

• The emphasis will increase on authoritative outlets in the company’s niche—AI rewards topical authority over general interest according to recent analyses.

• Website will promote third party articles and information, and the information will be clearly indexed with topic headings, quotes, and citations to drive AI pickup.

Where are Companies Behind? AI Policy and Training

Two areas where many corporations overall are behind, including communications teams, are the development of clear, actionable policies and ongoing training. As of now, only 38 % of companies have established AI guidelines and roughly 35 % provide formal AI training.

·      AI Policy Will Be Backed by Internal Data Access

While most companies are now able to offer a secure platform for AI use at work, the “shadow” use of AI tools people like or are most comfortable with continues to go on leading to potential security risks. Over time, this will likely fall off as all the models develop better, simpler interfaces and company data is integrated into the secure models offering more tailored information search and outcomes.

·      Training Will Increase as Use Cases Become More Complex

Training continues to lag at many companies as leaders often believe the models are intuitive and therefore don’t offer dedicated, structured training programs. Others offer outsourced training and certifications, but most often it’s to existing programs that are online and not tailored to a specific company, its objectives, and policies. This will change as AI becomes a compelling productivity advantage, it uses, and integrations become more complex, and as workers demand better support from their employers.

Communication Teams Need to be Proactive

Generative AI is reshaping the communications landscape. Teams that embrace the technology while investing in skills, ethics and strategic oversight will be best positioned to influence how AI portrays their brands and to thrive in a rapidly evolving media ecosystem.