Plus: American Eagle finally addresses Sydney Sweeney controversy; Huda Beauty founder shares antisemitic video.
Consultants like McKinsey say AI is causing an “existential” shift in their operations. Rental cars and hotel rooms are using AI to find damage – and facing angry customers. Delta Airlines promised lawmakers it isn’t using AI to set prices based on individual customer data and demand. Apple is fighting to prove it isn’t falling behind its tech brethren on AI.
And that’s just a handful of headlines found from scrolling the front pages of news sites on a random Monday.
Every industry is struggling right now. Not only are they trying to understand how to implement AI in responsible, profitable ways, they also have to figure out how to talk about these changes.
That’s where you come in.
And it’s hard! You have to learn this technology too. You have to figure out how to deal with it when the media catches wind of an experiment that wasn’t ready for primetime – and may never have been. You have to soothe employees’ worries about being replaced by AI even as you hype up the technology’s promise to investors. And all that while worrying about your own job being replaced with AI.
Deep breath.
As someone who’s analyzed a lot of statements about AI – the good, the bad and the ugly – here are a few things the best have in common:
- They’re clear about knowns and unknowns. Right now, there are as many of the former as the latter. And that’s OK! That’s to be expected at this point in the technology cycle. People will trust you more if you tell them straight up what you’re still figuring out.
- They acknowledge the human impacts. AI can take away human jobs and human judgment. Those are both frightening things. Whether it’s a worker who is afraid they’ll be out of work or a customer who feels they’re at the mercy of a robot deciding what they’ll pay, humans need reassurance. Yes, these things might lead to higher profits, which are good for business. By discussing the people who are affected, trust is built.
- They explain oversights, checks and fail safes. Adding people back into the AI process eases fears. Humans can be reasoned with, they can fact check and they simply exist in the physical plane. Discussing how people will be incorporated into the process eases fear and boosts confidence.
Today’s flurry of AI headlines is a reminder to start having these internal conversations now. Draft those talking points, be ready and stay human.
To connect with other communicators navigating AI, learn more about Ragan’s Center for AI Strategy.
Editor’s Top Reads:
- After nearly a week of controversy, American Eagle finally released a statement on its controversial “Sydney Sweeney has great genes/jeans” campaign. In an Instagram post, AE said the campaign “is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story.” It goes on to say that “Great jeans look good on everyone” in a bid for inclusivity. Since the statement was posted, the Instagram account has continued to shareimages from the campaign. Ultimately, they waited so long to make the statement, everyone’s mind is already made up about the campaign. Comments were divided between people saying they’d gone out of their way to buy the jeans and those questioning why they involved discussions about genetics in the first place. This late statement ultimately proves the old PR maxim: if you don’t tell your own story, everyone else will tell it for you.
- Huda Kattan, founder of Huda Beauty, posted an anti-Semitic video on TikTok that blamed Israel for everything from 9/11 to both World Wars (Israel did not become a state until after World War II). TikTok removed the video, saying they “do not allow misinformation that may cause significant harm to individuals or society, regardless of intent,” CNN reported. Some Jewish groups are now putting pressure on stores like Sephora to stop selling Huda Beauty products. As the founder of her own company, Kattan can make statements that represent her own company. But as a product that is sold through other retailers, those stores must now decide: Stay quiet and hope everything blows over? Cut ties on a major product line? Or issue a statement of neutrality? Whatever they choose, large portions of their audiences will be unhappy.
- President Donald Trump on Friday fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, claiming, with no evidence, that unfavorable numbers were “rigged.” Experts tell the New York Times that it’s unlikely we’ll see a sudden fall off in the trusted data provided by BLS and other government agencies. Taking over the top interim spot is a respected bureau official. But cautionary tales from nations such as Greece, China and Argentina show what can happen when government data can no longer be relied on: debt crises and a need to find alternative methods of traditional measurement. Data is vital to making good decisions. Ensure that what you rely on is as accurate as possible, and work with both internal stakeholders and external experts to get the best available – wherever that may come from.
Allison Carter is editorial director of PR Daily and Ragan.com. Follow her on LinkedIn.
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