A program focused on blazing a trail for AI in comms — together.
Leveling up your AI game can feel bewildering. From one day to the next, so much can change.
You need a real, human guide to help you navigate the twists and turns of tech, standing by your side as you evolve and grow right alongside artificial intelligence.
Ragan’s Center for AI Strategy helps communicators find their way through this new terrain with confidence and curiosity. This unique peer-to-peer network is powered by 19 advisors and AI experts from a diverse variety of disciplines to help communicators use AI to its utmost.
“CAIS is founded in a belief that people will lead the AI revolution,” said Diane Schwartz, CEO of Ragan Communications. “Whether it’s a cohort of peers or our team of experienced advisors, CAIS is dedicated to helping humans think smartly about how AI can change the way we work.”
Members receive exclusive access to upskilling events, AI resources and one ticket to Ragan’s AI Horizons Conference. The first member call for peer-to-peer knowledge exchange will be held Sept. 8.
The AI Brain Trust Advisors
The CAIS AI Brain Trust Advisors represent professionals from across the world of tech, PR, corporate, government, social media and more who will lead peer-to-peer meetings and offer direct counsel to members. The full list includes:
- Jonny Bentwood – Golin
- Ryan Brack – Stealth
- Brian Buchwald – Edelman
- Laura Gagliardi – Verizon
- Anika Gakovic – Phyusion
- Chris Gee – Chris Gee Consulting
- Paul Gennaro – New York Life
- Megan Hueter – Everywhere
- Amyn Jan – AJ Emtech LLC
- Paavana Kumar – Davis+Gilbert LLP
- Meiko S. Patton – United States Postal Service
- Brian Pittman – Ragan
- Katelyn Ringrose – McDermott Will & Emery
- Alex Sevigny, PhD, APR – McMaster University
- Brian Snyder – Axicom
- Samantha Stark – Phyusion
- Rowan Toffoli – Lockheed Martin
- Martin Waxman – LinkedIn Learning
A sneak peek at the kinds of resources available to CAIS members:
How to Build an AI Playbook to Empower Your Comms Shop, excerpt from Rowan Toffoli, innovation & technology communications manager and GenAI lead at Lockheed Martin:
Your playbook doesn’t need to be long or complex. It does need to be clear, actionable, and tailored to your team. I recommend starting with these core sections:
Dos & Don’ts: Your core guidelines
This section should outline expectations for responsible AI use. Make it easy for anyone on your team to follow.
Examples:
Do:
- Use AI for idea generation, content drafting, summarization, and brainstorming.
- Double check and validate sources generated by AI.
- Keep a human in the loop for oversight and final review.
Don’t:
- Publish raw generated output without validation and editing.
- Feed confidential, proprietary, or personal data into public tools.
- Assume outputs are factually accurate.
Most importantly, know you likely don’t have to create these guidelines on your own. Make sure to consult with relevant cross-functional teams like your IT, security, ethics, and legal team to ensure your guidelines are aligned to company policy and posture. And as you build your guidelines, don’t be afraid to share your drafts with your peers — or with me. We’re all on the GenAI journey together.
Harnessing the Impact of Agentic AI: The 3 Key Legal Considerations for Communications Professionals, from Paavana Kumar, Davis+Gilbert LLP
As the commercial potential of agentic AI accelerates, so too does the legal and ethical risk spectrum. Digital, compliance, and legal teams must evolve their AI governance frameworks to meet these emerging challenges. Key issues for company teams to contemplate include:
Data, Usage, and Ownership
Agentic AI thrives on expansive data access, enabling it to propose intelligent courses of action. But access to a wider universe of potentially sensitive data can come with heightened exposure to legal risk.
Companies must ensure that:
- They are not violating their existing data processing agreements;
- Agentic tools are not scraping or repurposing third-party platform data in violation of those third parties’ terms of service;
- Their access to personal data (if any) complies with stringent state privacy laws, including by obtaining proper consumer consents.
For instance, the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) has proposed amendments specifically regulating Automated Decision-Making Technology (ADMT). These rules would require businesses to conduct cybersecurity audits, perform risk assessments, and provide pre-use notices to consumers.
Globally, the EU AI Act is also poised to influence agentic AI deployment. Agentic systems that autonomously impact consumer-facing decisions may fall under high-risk classifications under the Act, triggering obligations around transparency, documentation, and human oversight for companies doing business in the EU.
The post Ragan’s new Center for AI Strategy puts people at the heart of AI for comms appeared first on PR Daily.
