For many, AI is becoming one of their tools for crisis communication planning. At Rockford Gray, the guidance we give clients on how to use it has evolved quickly. Here’s the latest on where AI helps, where it hurts, and how to keep your crisis response grounded in human judgment.
We recently responded to a reporter’s query asking how companies and organizations can use AI in their crisis management planning. While responding to the reporter’s prompt, we realized it wasn’t that long ago that Rockford Gray began inserting guidance on how to use AI into our crisis communication plans. When we saw how rapidly clients were turning to AI for answers, we shared some of that guidance in our previous blog, Is AI Changing Crisis Communication Planning and Response? But so much has already changed. Here is some of the latest guidance for using AI in your crisis planning and crisis communication response.
Tips for using AI in your crisis communication response
- Keep data private. Before a crisis, review the privacy policy of the AI platform you are using. Choose platforms that prioritize privacy and security. Look for sections on data collection, usage, and retention.
- Check with legal. There is no expectation of privacy in communications, written or oral. Any communication could potentially be subject to discovery if whatever prompted the crisis ends up sending you to court. Be thoughtful about the content, context, and method of your AI queries.
- Use clear prompts.
- Tell AI what voice or knowledge it should bring.
- Give AI a clear goal you want to accomplish.
- Tell AI your intended audiences.
- Provide a sample template of what you’d like it to create or direct AI to match the tone of past work for brand consistency.
- Don’t Use AI to Write Your Press Release. Newsrooms rely on a variety of software to screen for AI-generated content, and an AI press release can undermine your credibility with the reporters you’re trying to reach. Have a human write your press releases and public statements. Put human guardrails on any AI work product.
When to Be Cautious About Using AI in a Crisis
AI is great for synthesizing vast amounts of information. It can easily organize the data, draft initial messaging, and create a task list. AI may even generate a prompt you had not considered, but it lacks judgment. AI cannot yet replace the personal touch needed in a crisis.
- Social media monitoring is a key part of crisis response. While AI can be great for scanning the internet, monitoring chatter and finding misinformation posted online, it is not a perfect solution. AI can miss websites that block LLMs (large language models). You still need to do your due diligence to make sure you are monitoring crises through multiple sources.
- AI tends to say too much. It can organize the facts, but it will share too much information (to the point of getting you in trouble) while also missing the important message.
Why AI Still Lacks Judgment in a Crisis
When a construction company called to say that one of their workers suffered a fatal injury on the jobsite, AI could have easily written a press release with the details that we plugged into it, but AI would have said way too much. AI doesn’t know not to share the nature of the injury, which is private; the name of the hospital or the injured employee’s prognosis or status, which comes from emergency responders and health care workers.
Additionally, AI does not always communicate with a human touch, such as suggesting a handwritten note, financial support, or scripting company-wide emails with the necessary sensitivity and connection. AI would not have navigated the relationship between the two general contractors and the owner/client or be trusted for phrasing statements to tamp down on speculation while protecting people’s privacy and being forthright.
AI is a great tool, but it is only one tool. It is imperfect. It can jump to conclusions, and it lacks judgment.
To learn more about how we can update your crisis communication plan with tools for using AI, or for help navigating a crisis, schedule a crisis communication planning session. Our Crisis Communication Team and Crisis Communication Training programs are customized to prepare your organization and work with you in good times and in bad.
About the author: A seasoned crisis communication advisor, media trainer and public speaking coach, Jennifer Miller has been helping Rockford Gray clients for nearly 20 years. She brings more than 15 years of journalism experience, including seven years at CBS News. Jennifer has reported on major events like the Olympics, 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina. Her firsthand understanding of how reporters think makes her an exceptional crisis communication counselor. At Rockford Gray, she coaches clients on media, presentation, and crisis response. Jennifer holds a master’s in organizational leadership from the University of Denver and a journalism degree from the University of Minnesota. She is certified in crisis communication and is a sought-after conference speaker.