Will AI replace crisis communications managers?

Why AI struggles to replace this job

• AI cannot predict the unpredictable nature of public outrage or 'cancel culture' shifts.
• It cannot sit in a boardroom and provide the reassuring human presence leaders need during a disaster.
• AI lacks the legal and moral nuance to decide when to apologize versus when to defend.
• It cannot negotiate privately with activists or angry stakeholders to reach a settlement.

Tasks AI could automate

• Rapidly scanning the internet for mentions of a crisis in real-time.
• Identifying the most influential accounts spreading negative information.
• Providing templates for 'holding statements' to be customized by humans.
• Clustering social media comments by sentiment to gauge the public mood.

The 10-year outlook

Demand for this role will increase as the digital environment becomes more volatile. Wages will remain high as the consequences of poor communication become more expensive for corporations.

Common questions