Beyond tactical applications: Exploring AI's role in creativity and strategy 

Published

Five people sit onstage at AI Deciphered

AI continues to be one of the hottest topics in communications and marketing.

 

And the conversation has been dominated by AI’s tactical applications, completely overlooking the opportunities AI generates for creativity, problem-solving, and business strategy – and how we can leverage these opportunities in our day-to-day work.

So, leaders from Weber Shandwick and our clients joined Haymarket Media outlets PRWeek, Campaign, and MM+M at the AI Deciphered conference in NYC to unpack the untapped potential of AI – shifting the narrative from AI as a tool to actions communicators can take to transition to AI as an enabler.

 

Weber Shandwick’s North America CEO Jim O’Leary was joined by:

  • Sarah Larsen, CMO/VP at Samsung Home Entertainment
  • Casey DePalma, Chief Brand Communications Officer at Unilever US
  • Lisa DiCarlucci, Director of Corporate Reputation at Pernod Ricard
  • Chris Perry, Chair of Weber Shandwick Futures

 

The panel discussed AI’s implications across a variety of industries – from PR to CPG products – and how consumers and business leaders alike are responding to AI.

 

For tech companies, communicators are noticing that while consumers are excited about the possibilities of AI, there is a lack of understanding regarding the benefits consumers are already seeing.

 

To help curb this, Sarah Larsen shared, “We have to break it [AI] down in a very simplistic way. Can I explain this to you in a way that my grandmother would understand it? What we found is it led to showing, not telling,” she said. “We have to show consumers what the benefit of our AI capabilities is.”

 

Additionally, the panelists discussed how communicators have a unique opportunity to be one of the first industries to truly understand AI and its capabilities.

 

Chris Perry says “AI has many different meanings, for many different people. Generative AI is a communications technology. The disruptions that come from Gen AI are going to hit our desks before they hit anyone else’s – and this might be one of the biggest opportunities ever to hit this field.”

Check out more of our panelists’ takeaways from the session, below and here to learn more here about Futures, our AI Accelerator.

Image of Sarah on stage at AI Deciphered. Quote reads: "We have to break it [AI] down in a very simplistic way. Can I explain this to you in a way that my grandmother would understand it? What we found is it led to showing, not telling. We have to show consumers what the benefit of our AI capabilities is."
Image of Chris on stage at AI Deciphered. Quote reads: "AI has many different meanings, for many different people. Generative AI is a communications technology, the disruptions that come from Gen AI are going to hit our desks [as communicators] before they hit anyone else's - and this might be one of the biggest opportunities ever to hit this field."
Image of Jim on stage at AI Deciphered. Quote reads: "I think conversations around AI have been borderline meaningless or trite, and part of the reason is they go in one of two very different directions - either esoteric, maybe even apocalyptic, or about tools, and neither really matches what leaders care about, which is what those tools enable."
Image of Casey on stage at AI Deciphered. Quote reads: "Communicators are uniquely placed in organizations to help enable the adoption process [of AI] and to connect the dots for folks to solve problems."
Image of Lisa on stage at AI Deciphered. Quote reads: "You can't really expect your teams and your leadership to embrace AI if they don't feel empowered by it, so making sure that they're exposed and understand how AI is less of a tool for efficiency, but more of a tool to help enable creativity."