Putting people first: our approach to using AI
The last five years have been an interesting and challenging time to lead a communications team. Change is a constant feature.
Against the backdrop of global and economic uncertainty, AI’s advance into so many parts of our lives adds to the disruption.
Like many writers and comms professionals, I’ve been on a journey with AI since ChatGPT burst into the mainstream three years ago.
It looked exciting at first: my God, this thing can write novels and op eds in the style of Boris Johnson!
That felt unsettling, but emotions quickly morphed into a sense of ‘meh’ when realising the limitations of various tools.
Today, as we invest time and energy in harnessing AI, I see its potential to positively support our work and we are making some advances as a team. At the same time, the wider context feels less clear, more challenging and even more threatening in places than it did a year ago.
I share some live examples here to highlight the reasons for this.
Climate impact
AI is energy hungry and increased public demand challenges Net Zero and climate ambitions. Responsible use matters in this context.
Fake business scandals
Casey Newton wrote about an AI-generated fake scandal created by a ‘whistleblower’ whose posts about Uber Eats caused an online stir and gained media attention. It’s an astonishing read and a vivid reminder that things aren’t always what they seem at first that that you should verify sources to avoid spreading misinformation.
Fake business scandals
This isn’t just affecting big tech companies. Press Gazette regularly reports on fake news sites and dodgy practice, some of which risks misleading residents on plans for their area.
This is happening as AI tools help campaigners object at scale to schemes they oppose.
Flooding the internet with slop
Regular LinkedIn users will regularly see posts from would-be gurus pushing a hot take. They’re breathless, excitable and – ultimately – vapid. People using AI to create posts in their dash for engagement add no real insight and are often inaccurate.
Stephen Waddington writes about this in his post on why critical thinking is a differentiating feature for serious comms people in 2026. It’s also true that genuinely interesting content must work harder to cut through the noise.
Unsafe spaces for women and girls
Grimmest of all, Elon Musk’s Grok AI is being used to create sexualised images of women and underage girls without their consent. The regulator Ofcom says it’s contacted Musk’s company xAI and UK Ministers have intervened. His jocular response to the outrage (which we won’t share here) does little to instil confidence that he’s taking the abuse seriously.
Using tech for good
Although AI has formed part of our work for many years, the pace of change and these examples show why it matters to establish standards on how we use it in ways which match our values – and how we won’t use it.
Since last summer, we’ve dedicated time each week to explore possibilities, invested in training, upgraded tools, and shared experiences to learn together.
This has shaped our first policy on generative AI, published on our website this week.
It builds on something we hold dear and that I’ve spoken about for years, as someone who’s optimistic about tech but regularly frustrated by its bad implementation. Any tech we use should put people at the heart of our work, and not act as a barrier.
It feels nerve-wracking to share this policy publicly, because of how much we don’t know. But transparency matters to us. And, as we continue learning, we can make this promise.
We will always
- Be open about our use of AI in projects and processes and disclose how we use it to clients.
- Own the outcome. If information comes from us, it’s our responsibility.
- Protect our clients’ and our own confidentiality by not sharing sensitive information with AI tools.
- Work ethically and purposefully.
That means putting in the hard yards, learning from mistakes, taking time to think and not passing off a bot’s ramblings as our own.
At a time when people are increasingly saying the same things, we want to stay distinctive. It’s where the growth will come from this year.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on how you’re managing this and am happy to chat about how we created this policy as a team. Please contact me with any questions or comments on it.
Download a copy of our AI policy (PDF).
A version of this post originally appeared in our monthly Distinctive Dispatch newsletter. Sign up for future editions.
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