As AI adoption increases, many IC pros lean on emotional intelligence

Internal comms pros are already aboard the AI train — over the last three years, it’s been the big conversation on most communicators’ minds. A report from Ruder Finn, titled Harnessing AI and Emotional Intelligence to Shape the Future of Work, stated that 66% of internal comms and HR pros felt optimistic about AI. In addition, the data found that more than half of the respondents felt that their emotional quotient, including creative and innovative pursuits, was more likely to help them succeed in the future than technical skills.

Additionally, the data stated that 73% of respondents reported that their organizations were either somewhat or not at all effective in managing change related to AI adoption. This suggests that while AI adoption continues to accelerate, the communication structures to make adoption effective are lagging. This can result in communicators being asked to explain evolving AI strategies and employee expectations as shifts happen. Erosion of trust among employees is a risk if communication is unclear during times of change.

The survey also found that 18% of respondents had low training satisfaction — this grouping of respondents also reported feeling more worried than optimistic about AI at a rate of 48%. Conversely, the 55% of respondents with high training satisfaction were more optimistic than worried about AI at a rate of 40%. The data indicates that AI optimism isn’t about the technology itself, but is instead rooted in an employee’s deep understanding of its capabilities. Proper training can reduce uncertainties through clarifying expectations and explaining guardrails, all things internal communicators can spearhead. When training misses the mark, internal comms is faced with filling gaps in understanding rooted in a lack of clarity.

There are a few additional internal comms takeaways in the data:

• Emotional intelligence matters for growth, not just technical competence. The survey found that 58% of respondents reported that their emotional quotient (including skills like creativity and innovative thinking) was a more important factor in future success than technical on-the-job expertise. While AI might take over some tasks off an internal communicator’s plate, there is still value placed on the skills automation can’t replicate, like interpreting nuance and creatively positioning company messaging. The numbers indicate that AI isn’t going to diminish the importance of internal comms, but may instead shift expectations toward more human-centric capabilities.
• AI messaging should focus on operational clarity. With two-thirds of respondents feeling optimistic about AI, but 73% of respondents also reporting that their companies aren’t especially effective at managing AI-related change, the numbers reveal a gap — enthusiasm is outpacing structure. Internal comms pros should focus on more detailed parts of the conversation, including how the company decides what tools to use and clear AI use principles from leadership. Optimism is great, but without the right structure, it can create expectation gaps and uncertainty. It’s up to internal communicators to close these gaps with clear guidance so employees aren’t filling them in with speculation.
• Training creates optimism and agency. The data shows that the better trained an employee is, the more optimistic they are about AI. This suggests that when employees have a deep understanding of how AI figures into their role, they’re more likely to feel in control of automation-related change. For internal comms, this emphasizes the importance of messaging about training not just as a way to boost capabilities, but confidence as well.

As AI use becomes more routine, internal comms pros will play a major part in how the technology is viewed by employees — not just how it’s widely announced. Now is the time to instill strong AI comms best practices while optimism is still strong and anxiety remains low. Once that balance shifts, rebuilding trust is much more difficult.

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications.