Harnessing Generative AI: Our Journey into Its Future Role in Digital Strategy
In the ever-changing world of digital strategy, it’s crucial to distinguish between fleeting trends and transformative shifts. One such shift that’s often misunderstood is Artificial Intelligence (AI), specifically generative AI. Generative AI is not a fleeting trend. It is the beginning of a transformative shift.
As digital communicators, our command of language, ability to weigh different scenarios, analyze data, and crafting of messages make this a natural ecosystem for us to navigate and experiment with. This part tinkering, part collaborative style isn’t a new approach; it aligns with how we’ve always thought and communicated.
Welcome to the first installment of our blog series, where we’ll explore generative AI through the lens of digital strategy. We’ll cover everything from data analysis and campaign optimization to best practices and ethical considerations in upcoming posts. First, let’s start by demystifying what generative AI is and why digital strategists are uniquely positioned to harness its potential.
What is Generative AI and Why Should You Care?
According to Google, “Generative AI is a category of artificial intelligence that can create new text, images, video, audio, or code.” Put simply, users give the AI a starting point or some instructions, commonly known as a “prompt” that can range from simple (e.g., “check this sentence for typos”) to complex (e.g., “provide SEO recommendations for this blog to reach small business owners in greater Seattle) and the AI generates content that is mostly coherent and contextually relevant. However, it’s not a complete picture or always factually correct. I’ll elaborate on this point a little later in the post.
There are many generative AI tools and for the purpose of this blog, we’ll focus on one in particular called Chat GPT which is what we’re using on C+C’s Digital Team.
Prompt Engineering: A Natural Fit for Digital Strategy & Communications?
You might have come across the term ‘prompt engineering’ if you’ve explored generative AI. This concept is about guiding the AI’s output by providing it with specific instructions, or, ‘prompts.’ The more information you include in your prompt, the more specific or tailored your response can be. Once you understand what prompt engineering entails, you’ll find it’s not too far from the kind of role-playing we, as digital communications professionals, are already skilled at. So, don’t be intimidated; you’re already equipped with the skills to test generative AI for yourself.
As digital communicators, our command of language, ability to weigh different scenarios, analyze data, and crafting of messages make this a natural ecosystem for us to navigate and experiment with. This part tinkering, part collaborative style isn’t a new approach; it aligns with how we’ve always thought and communicated.
If that makes you nervous, we’d suggest reviewing PR Council’s Guidelines on Generative AI Tools, contributed by our very own General Manager of C+C, Mark McClennan. There you’ll find best practices for experimenting with generative AI internally within an ethical and legal framework. We’ve established AI guidelines at C+C, ensuring that we take a responsible, thoughtful approach to using it as a jumping off point and just one piece of our larger mix of strategies and best practices.
Currently, we’re experimenting with generative to assist with everything from metrics analysis to campaign optimization.
Generative AI is a helpful assistant, not a replacement. While it can generate content that seems coherent and relevant, it’s not always 100% accurate and generative AI bias is real. For example, it might reference outdated data or cite an old article that’s no longer relevant. As a best practice, always double-check the information it provides. Think of it as a tool that can offer fresh perspectives and insights, but doesn’t replace the collective expertise and experience we have as a team.
If you’re curious to hear more about how we’re leveraging generative AI for digital strategies and learn how to leverage it for your programs, reach out through our Contact Us page.
Image Credit: Steve Johnson, Unsplash
