🚀 PR Futurist #108 🌏 Global study into trust in AI 📊 New research into trust in AI

Welcome

Research reinforces trust and adoption as critical AI issues

In this issue we look at research into the use of AI, what it's used for and levels of public trust. Taken together we think it reinforces some of the key points we've been making.

Social licence for AI is critical and PR and communications professionals are fundamental to the education that's needed to improve understanding and trust. They can only do this effectively if they've already learnt about it and are using it well themselves.

The second important point is that if PR and communications professionals don't, then others will. The big management consultants are rapidly adopting AI internally and aggressively promoting their AI services. Some of what they are claiming to be capable of should really be done by PR professionals.

News

PRCA launches AI consultation

The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) has launched a consultation of agency and in-house practitioners as the first step towards developing a green paper to support the industry in the responsible and effective use of AI.

Stuart sits on the PRCA's PR and Communications Board and leads its AI working group. The survey was initiated by the PRCA's interim CEO Sarah Waddington.

Tim Bailey

Independent Impact 50 winners announced

I recently had the privilege and honour of being one of the judges for the inaugural Independent Impact 50 – the first listing of the top freelance and independent PR practitioners in the UK. The 'winners' were revealed at an amazing event in the balcony room of The Swan at The Globe where many of those on the list and judges attended.

The Independent Impact 50 were the brain child of independent practitioner Rod Cartwright and Nigel Sarbutts, founder of freelance PR matchmaking platform, The PR Cavalry. It was supported by the PRCA, CIPR, PRovoke Media and sponsored by the 72Point Group (client).

Check out the video of the event made by PinPep, 72Point's photography and video division.

Stuart Bruce

AI

The impact of AI on directors

This article examines if AI could potentially eventually have an impact on the fiduciary duties of directors. There is already a practical need for directors to have competence and understanding of artificial intelligence risks and opportunities. Although the answer to how many actually do have a sufficient understanding of AI is probably alarming.

Stuart Bruce

Is your use of ChatGPT really bad for the environment?

One of the criticisms often thrown at AI is the amount of energy and water (for cooling) it uses. The reality is the industry is aware of this and taking massive steps to tackle it. It's a solvable problem that is being solved. In the meantime, it's hard to get reliable data from credible, independent sources. This article explains how individual use of AI perhaps doesn't have as big an impact as some people think it does.

Stuart Bruce

How AI can boost sustainability performance

The flip side of AI's impact on the environment is when companies use AI to improve sustainability. A report by the Project Management Institute finds companies integrating AI into sustainability strategies are three times more likely to be successful.

Stuart Bruce

Why are people refusing to use AI?

Amidst the AI hype, there are many sceptics, but there are also some refuseniks. The BBC interviews some of them working in a variety of industries, from communications and public affairs to digital marketing and a yoga retreat. Reasons include fear of a doomed AI circle where AI reads content created by AI, environmental impact, potential job losses, impact on critical thinking, and because "it's lazy".

Stuart Bruce

New Scientist sensationalises UK government use of AI

"Is Keir Starmer being advised by AI? The UK government won’t tell us" is the sensationalist headline in the New Scientist. It's disappointing that a respected title is running sensationalist stories about how politicians and civil servants in the UK are using AI. It would be far more alarming if they weren't using it as an aid. The headline implies AI is the primary advice, when in reality all it means is AI is being used by various people to help them offer more informed and useful advice.

Stuart Bruce

Secret study reveals AI is more persuasive than humans

A team of researchers at the University of Zurich ran an “unauthorised”, large-scale experiment in which they secretly deployed AI-powered bots on Reddit. The way they did it raises big questions about their ethical approach. But this doesn't detract from the findings, which are similar to other academic research, that AI can be far more persuasive than human experts.

Stuart Bruce

Case studies

Google shares 101 real-world gen AI case studies

Google has shared some interesting examples of real-world generative AI use. Examples include:

Formula E using AI to summarise a two-hour long race commentary into a two-minute podcast in any language.
Kraft Heinz using AI to help with marketing images and videos.
US News improving click-through-rates and time spent on page by using AI search.
Adwise a Dutch marketing agency, using AI to improve how they connect with clients; they outline new documents, summarise existing documents, and reply to emails.
The World Bank is developing a tool to extract key information from research literature on the causal impact of development interventions, with the ultimate goal to empower decision-makers to allocate $220 billion in annual aid and trillions in annual impact investing more effectively.

Stuart Bruce

Research and reports

New global study into trust in artificial intelligence

KPMG partnered with the University of Melbourne to produce a comprehensive global study into the public’s trust, use and attitudes towards AI. This is a critical issue for everyone in PR and communications as it's not enough just to start using AI ourselves as we need to be able to advise on social licence issues and help win public trust.

The surge in AI adoption, coupled with low AI literacy and weak governance, is creating a complex risk environment, with many organisations deploying AI without proper consideration to what is needed to ensure transparency, accountability and ethical oversight.

Stuart Bruce

How many Britons use AI and what do they think it's good at?

YouGov research shows a nation split between the half that have used AI (47%) and the half that haven't (53%). It also shows lots of confusion about what AI is good at and isn't good at. More than half (55%) think AI is good at "complicated mathematics", which is actually one of the things it's worst at. The clue is in the full name: they are large LANGUAGE models.

Stuart Bruce

People trust legal advice by AI more than a lawyer

Another piece of research reveals that people who aren’t legal experts are more willing to rely on legal advice provided by ChatGPT than by real lawyers – at least, when they don’t know which of the two provided the advice.

Stuart Bruce

AI misuse is one of the most severe reputational risks says new report

The latest Reputation Risk Index reveals recent reputational risks rated as the most severe were AI misuse, association with or criticism from Elon Musk and DEI backtracking. The Reputation Risk Index is a quarterly barometer of emerging and evolving reputational threats to companies and organisations.

Stuart Bruce

Professional practice

AI is transforming how consultants work at McKinsey, BCG, and Deloitte

Business Insider covers how management consultants are rapidly adapting to use AI. One of the issues we sometimes come across is big management consultants being hired by large companies or public sector organisations to advise on AI. While they provide excellent counsel they don't have enough knowledge, expertise and experience of AI as it applies to PR and communications, which leaves teams disappointed and missing the full potential of AI.

Stuart Bruce