Raising AI Communication Professionals

As much as the next generation of work requires a “raising of AI,” it will also include raising the next generation of workers. In the era of artificial intelligence (AI), bringing along young professionals without losing core competencies may be the biggest challenge of all in the next five to 10 years.

Today, AI requires extensive human oversight for everything from ethics to responsible use, fact-checking, regulation and law compliance, security, research, copyrights, strategic implementation and more. Unlike when social media platforms were launched, where the answer seemed to be “get a college kid to do it,” the skills needed for AI implementation and human oversight are not required for entry-level positions. In many cases, AI is instead set to overtake what is now considered entry-level work. But the future of the communication profession — frankly all professions — requires us to catch young professionals up with the skills needed to oversee AI's future. We need to raise AI and AI professionals simultaneously.

As an experiment, we worked with ChatGPT to interview us about this dilemma, prompting the platform to choose the questions that were pertinent to the situation. What follows is our conversation.

ChatGPT: What are some of the key reasons behind the decline in entry-level communication roles?

Bonnie Caver (BC): Many factors beyond AI are contributing to the decline in entry-level communication roles, but AI will continue to impact what jobs are available. The pandemic did two things for the communication profession. First, the sheer need for organizations to be nimble, communicate fluidly with internal and external stakeholders, communicate complex topics and create trust, further elevated the role of communication in most organizations as trusted advisors.

Second, with increased exposure, the demands and breadth of expertise are also elevated. Those demands require broader experience than what one gets from the university system. There is a need for deep critical thinking and understanding of how to utilize experience and knowledge to uncover misinformation and disinformation.

When you factor in that many experienced journalists have lost their jobs and entered the marketplace, employers can fill their expanding communication needs with experienced communicators. With AI added to the mix, too, tactical work that was once given to entry-level positions is being tested with AI.

ChatGPT: How is the elimination of entry-level positions going to impact the development of young professionals entering the communication field?

BC: The future of our profession depends on bringing our young professionals along, so skipping those formative years of experiential learning, testing and having a safe place to fail will leave gaps in core competencies.

Organizations like IABC play a crucial role in teaching communication strategy. With so much noise around training, it's easy to focus on learning the latest tools, but those tools are often tactical and constantly evolving. I’ve always believed that IABC’s real value lies not in training on the newest trends, but in providing deeper expertise in communication strategy — both internally and externally. This is best reflected in IABC’s Global Standard, which clearly defines the role of a communication professional through six core principles: strategy, context, ethics, consistency, analysis and engagement. These principles emphasize the strategic perspective communication professionals need to adopt, moving beyond short-term tactics to focus on lasting impact. By following this framework, professionals can better align their communication efforts with broader organizational goals, ensuring they contribute to sustainable, long-term success.

ChatGPT: From a strategic perspective, how do you believe organizations should adapt their talent development strategies in response to the changes in entry-level roles?

Adrian Cropley (AC): I am chair of the Industry Advisory Committee (AIC) at RMIT University in Melbourne. As a team of industry professionals, we work with academia so that programs align with the evolving skills required in business. Advisory bodies are crucial for understanding organizational needs. Still, companies must adapt talent development strategies to meet new demands, such as microlearning for AI-related skills like prompt writing and content development. However, the focus should also be on building strategic, advisory and business skills, alongside ethics and governance.

I've championed the establishment of Communication Academies — centers of learning and development for communication professionals — at IABC and with global clients that emphasize the importance of defined capabilities, career roadmaps and comprehensive communication management training programs. As part of these academies, I see a real need to build a suite of micro-learning opportunities to keep up with the speed of change in skill development because of AI.

ChatGPT: How do you see the shift in entry-level roles affecting the broader communication profession?

AC: Within the next five years, we will see the streamlining of communication tasks and basic writing, editing and content creation distributed to everyone’s job. This will allow communication professionals to focus on strategic work, ultimately elevating their role and requiring advanced skills in stakeholder and relationship management, leadership and ethical decision-making. The increased focus on data and analytics will also demand proficiency in critical thinking and psychology. As a result, the profession may see a reduced need for traditional roles while expanding opportunities for those adept in strategic thinking, ethical AI use and relationship building​​​.

ChatGPT: How can the communication profession better prepare graduates to meet the complex demands of strategic communication in a world increasingly influenced by AI?

BC: Universities must expand their collaboration with industry professionals, similar to the approach RMIT has taken with the advisory group where Adrian serves. What I am hearing from educators is that they are teaching the tools, preparing their students to operate in a world of generative AI, learning how to write prompts and more. However, we must find ways to close that gap by evolving academic curriculums and going beyond the tools.

Ethical decision-making, change management, risk and reputation mitigation, research and economics are examples. Essentially, the Global Standard should be taught in college. There must also be more opportunities for on-the-job learning, through different types of internships that provide supplemental training, mentorships and even ethical AI scenario training.

Matt Tidwell, Ph.D., APR, director of Professional Graduate Studies at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas, highlights the importance of young professionals developing and demonstrating their strategy skills more quickly. “If you can demonstrate, for instance, in an internship, that you bring a valuable perspective or insight that can be helpful in planning, you’ll set yourself apart," Tidwell says.

Ross Monaghan, lecturer at Deakin University School of Communication and Creative Arts agrees with Tidwell as he, too, emphasizes the importance of developing strategic and tactical skills when it comes to utilizing AI. He adds his thoughts around the collaboration between educators and industry. “What educators need from industry is continuous feedback on how AI is transforming the workplace,” Monaghan says. “While this can be achieved through one-on-one interactions, fortunately, many practitioners are sharing their AI experiences on platforms like LinkedIn. [This] greatly aids academics in emphasizing the importance of professional skills to students.”

ChatGPT: How do career path guides address communication professionals' current and future training needs? 

AC: The IABC Career Roadmap, established in 2011, has been designed to be robust and future-proof. It clearly outlines the expectations for communication professionals at different levels: foundation, generalist/specialist, strategic advisor and business leader. While AI will impact various tasks across these career paths, our roles are increasingly moving towards the strategic advisor and business leader levels. Therefore, we must focus on developing the core skills required for these advanced paths as part of our career planning.

ChatGPT: What is your vision for the future of communication as AI evolves?

BC: Communication professionals must be futurists, continuous learners, change leaders and strategic advisors. Though the tactics and tools will continually evolve and be great assistants for our work, we must look beyond the tactics and focus on Global Standards.

AC: Simply put, AI has given us the kick in the butt we need to change from working in communication to working on communication. Our future as professionals is at a crossroads; we must decide if we want to be a communicator — which thanks to AI gives everyone the ability to be — or a communication professional who leads the organization’s communication practices.