What now for AI in communications?
Ragan research points to continued growth but also growing concern.
It’s no longer a question of if communicators use generative AI. It’s how.
As part of the 2024 Communications Benchmark Survey, Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council surveyed leaders on a range of topics, including their use of generative AI. That survey, conducted in late 2023, found one in five communicators using AI tools, with a little over half (57%) expecting increased use over the next three years.
Fast forward one year, and it’s clear communicators underestimated. Ragan’s 2024 CommTech Report released in December 2024, found that about 9 in 10 communicators plan to use gen AI more in 2025.
Three years in, gen AI is proving transformative for communications. But some still struggle to determine how best to use the technology, and a growing chorus is adding a note of concern.
Take the 2025 Communications Benchmark Report Survey by Jan. 10
Good vibes ahead
Given gen AI’s ability to streamline and automate mundane tasks, CEOs and communications leaders from large organizations are feeling pretty optimistic about the technology.
According to the Ragan/HarrisX 2024 Survey of Communications Leaders, 81 percent of CEOs surveyed and 79 percent of communications leaders have a favorable opinion.
They see increased efficiency, automation of repetitive tasks, idea generation and predictive analytics as the top four benefits for communications teams (chart below).
Source: Ragan/HarrisX Communications Leaders Survey, 2024.
Bad vibes possible
There are, however, a few notes of concern coming into focus.
A significant number of communications leaders and executives at smaller organizations are worried that AI will replace jobs. More than a quarter (28%) of communications leaders say AI will replace jobs and 41% of leaders from smaller companies feel the same.
Then there’s the misinformation problem. Across the board, from large organizations to small ones, a large majority of communications leaders (72%) are concerned that AI will spread misinformation. More than half worry about the potential effect on the organization’s reputation (chart below).
Source: Ragan/HarrisX Communications Leaders Survey, 2024.
Beyond misinformation, communicators’ concerns include unethical use of AI, security, lack of regulation and privacy.
What’s next
Three years into the rise of gen AI, Ragan research shows the use cases becoming clearer but also a growing set of concerns.
How will 2025 stack up? If anything is clear, it’s that the blistering pace of change looks set to continue, if not accelerate.
How can communicators stay on top of it? Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council is currently fielding the 2025 Communications Benchmark survey to assess the state of communications and identify needs and challenges on a range of topics, including generative AI.
The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. All answers are confidential and results will be aggregated and anonymized. Anyone who completes the survey by Jan. 10 will receive the full survey findings to inform your decisions and navigate what’s ahead in 2025.
