PR Futurist | Stuart Bruce | Purposeful Relations

Welcome

Should a cabinet minister use AI?

The reaction by some commentators to the fact that the minister responsible for AI actually uses AI was ridiculous. It should be a given that they do, and that they use it a lot. What I'd really like to know is which ministers don't use AI and what their justification is.

Time is running out to book if you're thinking of coming to the Davos Communications Summit and Awards. There's a fantastic line-up of speakers. The latest to be announced is Baron Evans of Seeland - David Evans - who will share insider insights from last year's general election in the UK. I'll be speaking on and chairing a panel discussion about AI and its impact on public relations and communications around the world.

While we're in Switzerland, a Swiss law firm has published a detailed guide to the privacy and security agreements for different AI tools.

And finally we've found a new AI tool to help you tell stories.

Stuart Bruce

News

How a UK cabinet minister uses ChatGPT for policy advice

The story about how UK technology secretary, Peter Kyle, has used ChatGPT caused a bizarre furore in mainstream media and social media chat. The Telegraph ran with the alarmist headline "Cabinet minister caught using AI to come up with policy ideas".

Peter Kyle appears to have simply used AI as an aide, which is exactly what you would expect the minister responsible for AI to be doing. It would really be terrifying and alarming if he wasn't. Peter's research included asking for advice on AI adoption barriers for SMEs in the UK and which podcasts he should appear on to reach relevant stakeholders.

One big benefit of using AI that the articles didn't touch on is that Peter is dyslexic, so AI is particularly useful.

The alarming part of the story was actually that it was the result of an FOI request by Chris Stokel-Walker for New Scientist. This sets a dangerous precedent as could act as a significant barrier to the effective adoption of AI across the public sector.

Hopefully, the government can move quickly to ensure AI use can't be subject to FOI requests. Good governance means transparency about what AI is used and for what, but absolutely shouldn't drill down into detail. The lack of public knowledge and understanding of AI means it could actually erode public understanding and trust, rather than improve it.

Stuart Bruce

In Davos discover how to turn failure into victory

I'm getting excited for my trip to Switzerland next month for the Davos Communications Summit and Awards. There's a fantastic line-up of speakers and panels. One of the latest to be announced is Baron Evans of Seeland - David Evans, until recently the general secretary of the UK Labour Party.

David will share exclusive insider insights on transforming a failing political party into an incredible election-winning machine. His keynote will provide valuable insights into leadership and management that can be applied to help every company and organisation be more successful.

The Davos Communications Summit is on 9-11 April and you still have time to book.

Stuart Bruce

AI

Which AI tool is the safest for your data?

Interesting analysis by a Swiss law firm on the legal privacy and security agreements for different AI services. The TL;DR is don't use personal tools for work, paid business tools are safe for most circumstances. The research needs the caveat that it sets a much higher bar than many companies and public sector organisations we're working with and talking to actually need.

AI image via Plugger "A data centre built next to a lake and just below a mountain in Switzerland."

Stuart Bruce

How AI helps managers solve problems

Far too much of the Gen AI focus is on simple productivity tasks and content creation. The reality is that for many this isn't where the most gains are to be made. If you're already a great writer (as many PR and comms people are) then AI isn't going to create content as great as your content. It is able to improve your writing and help you do it faster.

Many of the real benefits are using AI for more advanced management tasks, including creativity, strategy and planning. Used properly, AI should be an aid to better thinking and understanding.

Stuart Bruce

You won't believe what happened when I stopped saying thanks to ChatGPT

I don't know about you, but I often say please and thank you when interacting with AI. Especially if I'm using the ChatGPT or Copilot Voice mode. It's automatic. I've spent my entire life saying please and thank you. This fascinating article by Becca Caddy delves into why two-thirds of AI users say they're polite to AI and if it makes a difference to how AI responds.

The author, Becca Caddy, is a member of Purposeful Relations’ global advisory board.

Stuart Bruce

Deloitte Digital insights into AI for marketing

We're now beginning to see more examples of real-life uses of AI rather than just hype. Deloitte Digital shares insight into working with clients on generative AI. It identifies some of the main challenges as:

Skills scarcity - providing AI tools is easy; training staff to use them effectively is the key.
Complexity - technology is moving so quickly it's hard for people to keep up without expert advice.
ROI goals - often hinder progress from pilot projects as they aren't long-term enough.
Change management - AI technology is only part of the equation; cultural change is crucial for success.

Stuart Bruce

Microsoft Copilot now helps you with gaming

Just in case you thought AI was all work and no fun, Microsoft has announced Copilot for Gaming. It describe it as "the ultimate gaming sidekick that helps players get to play faster, sharpen skills with expert coaching, and enjoy a more social gaming experience."

Stuart Bruce

Why is the internet overrun with AI slop?

AI slop is "AI-generated content that’s pointless, lazy, misleading, or just really, really bad – think of it as the spam of the AI age."

We've all seen the rise of AI-generated content on social media. I'm not talking about where it's useful, informative or serves a real purpose. But the content that wouldn't have existed if it wasn't so easy to generate it at scale using AI.

This TechRadar article questions why social media companies aren't doing something about it.

The author, Becca Caddy, is on Purposeful Relations's global advisory board.

Stuart Bruce

Get in touch

Microsoft CoPilot support

If Microsoft productivity tools power your business, Copilot’s seamless integration makes it your ideal AI solution. At Purposeful Relations, we’re experts at designing and deploying Copilot across organisations. Ready to test-drive Copilot or roll it out company-wide? Book a call with us today to discover how we can supercharge your implementation.

CommTech tools

Microsoft's new resources for internal comms and employee engagement

Microsoft is continuing to make improvements to Copilot and has now added new resources for corporate communications. It has launched a new Employee Communications adoption site to help explain how Microsoft technology can assist communicators in driving AI business transformation.

The Modern Employee Comms playbook provides guidance on how to modernise campaigns, brand experiences, drive leadership engagement, and how to manage and measure campaigns.

Stuart Bruce

AI crafted stories

This week's shiny new AI tool is Storynest.ai. It not only helps you to bring your imagination to life and create stories, but can also enhance existing stories you've created. Its features include turning your story into an interactive adventure, converting stories into audiobooks, and even speaking to characters in your stories.

It also enables you to share your creations as well as explore and interact with stories and adventures created by others.

Thanks to Phullippe Borremans for sharing this new tool and for his example of using it to create a story about introducing AI into a PR agency (we can help you with that 🙂).

Stuart Bruce

Research and reports

How an AI chatbot reduces belief in conspiracy theories

The artificial intelligence-powered “DebunkBot” reduced individuals’ beliefs in conspiracy theories and lessened their conspiratorial mindset. This is a similar idea to our story last May about AI already being 82% more persuasive than humans.

Often when I discuss AI with PR and communication professionals, I hear arguments about how it can't replace the 'human' elements of what we do. It can't be creative or emotional and win hearts and minds in the same way as an expert human communicator.

The reality is AI can be more persuasive than a human. Success lies in an expert human using AI to do it even better.

Stuart Bruce

What does the UK tech sector really think?

Public First has published research it did for techUK exploring the views of the UK tech sector. Couple of nuggets that caught my attention were that SMBs and businesses outside of the south of England are much more likely to think it's much more difficult or more difficult to operate in the UK than other countries in Europe or North America.

The second was that for AI technology addressing security and privacy concerns as well as improving the level of training and support was seen as key.