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What Companies Must Consider When Using AI for Press & Communications

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Using AI in Corporate Press and Communications: What You Need to Know

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming how companies create press releases and communicate with the public. AI tools can speed up drafting, editing, and brainstorming, making communications more efficient. However, relying solely on AI comes with risks that companies must carefully manage.

Why Human Oversight Matters

AI can sometimes produce inaccurate information, known as "AI hallucinations," including made-up facts or quotes. These errors can harm a company’s reputation and lead to legal trouble. That’s why human experts must review all AI-generated content to verify facts and ensure accuracy before anything is published.

Keeping Your Brand Voice Consistent

Every company has a unique brand voice—the tone and style that reflect its identity. AI-generated content may not always match this voice, resulting in messages that feel off or inconsistent. To avoid this, companies should create clear brand voice guidelines tailored for AI use and have humans check that AI outputs align with these standards.

Protecting Confidential Information

Many AI platforms do not guarantee data privacy, so companies must be cautious about what information they input. Sensitive details like unreleased product plans or financial data should never be shared with public AI tools. Instead, use secure, privacy-focused AI systems and classify content carefully before using AI.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

AI-generated communications must comply with industry regulations and legal standards. This is especially important in regulated sectors like finance or healthcare. Legal teams should review AI-assisted content to ensure it meets all requirements and avoids unsubstantiated claims. Additionally, companies need to check AI outputs for bias to prevent unethical messaging.

Establishing Clear Policies and Training

Successful AI integration requires clear internal policies defining how AI can be used, who is responsible for reviewing content, and how data should be handled. Training communications teams on AI’s capabilities and limitations helps maintain quality and accountability.

Conclusion

AI offers exciting opportunities to improve corporate communications, but it must be used responsibly. By combining AI’s efficiency with human expertise, companies can produce accurate, consistent, and trustworthy messages that protect their reputation and comply with legal standards.

Key steps

Understand and Mitigate AI Risks
Recognize the key risks associated with AI-generated communications, including inaccuracies, brand misalignment, confidentiality breaches, legal violations, and ethical concerns. Companies should be aware that AI can produce fabricated facts or biased content, which can harm reputation and trust. Taking proactive steps to identify and mitigate these risks is essential before integrating AI into press and communications workflows.
Establish Clear Internal Policies and Governance
Develop and implement comprehensive internal policies that define acceptable AI use in communications. These policies should specify who is responsible for AI content creation and review, outline approval processes, and set rules for handling sensitive data. A strong governance framework ensures consistent, secure, and compliant use of AI tools across the organization.
Ensure Rigorous Human Oversight and Review
Use AI strictly as a drafting and ideation assistant, never as the final author. All AI-generated content must undergo thorough human review to verify factual accuracy, brand consistency, legal compliance, and ethical standards. This step is critical to prevent errors, maintain authenticity, and uphold the company’s reputation.
Protect Confidentiality and Data Privacy
Safeguard sensitive information by restricting AI use to secure, privacy-focused platforms and avoiding input of unreleased or proprietary data into public AI models. Classify content carefully before AI interaction and ensure compliance with data protection laws and nondisclosure agreements to prevent leaks and legal exposure.
Maintain Brand Voice and Quality
Provide AI with detailed brand voice guidelines and style instructions to ensure outputs align with the company’s tone, messaging, and values. This helps prevent inconsistent or off-brand communications and preserves the quality and authenticity of public-facing materials.
Train Teams and Foster Transparency
Educate communications teams on responsible AI use, including recognizing AI limitations, detecting errors, and understanding ethical implications. Promote internal transparency about AI integration to build accountability and informed usage, even if external disclosure is not legally required.

FAQ

What are the primary risks companies face when using AI in press and communications?

Key risks include AI hallucinations (fabricated or incorrect information), brand voice misalignment, accidental disclosure of confidential data, embedded biases, legal non-compliance, and damage to media relationships. These can harm credibility, lead to legal penalties, and erode trust. Rigorous human oversight and clear policies are essential to mitigate these risks.

Why is human oversight essential when using AI-generated content in communications?

Human oversight ensures factual accuracy, brand consistency, ethical standards, and legal compliance. Since AI can produce errors or biased content, humans must verify and approve all AI-generated materials before publication to maintain credibility and trust.

How can companies maintain brand voice consistency when using AI tools?

Companies should create detailed brand voice guidelines specifying tone, vocabulary, and key messages for AI use. Providing these to AI tools and incorporating brand voice checks in human reviews helps keep content aligned and authentic.

What measures should companies take to protect confidential information when using AI?

Avoid inputting sensitive data into public or unsecured AI platforms. Use privacy-focused, enterprise-grade AI tools, classify content before AI use, train teams on protocols, and monitor AI interactions to prevent leaks and ensure compliance.

How do legal and regulatory compliance considerations impact AI use in corporate communications?

AI-generated content must meet industry-specific regulations, avoid unsubstantiated claims, and include required disclaimers. Legal counsel should review communications to prevent penalties and maintain trust, with transparency about AI use when legally required.