What communicators must get right as AI reshapes messaging

AI can write an internal memo for you or sum up a town hall meeting. But it can’t do uniquely human things like making employees feel seen and heard on the job. That’s where internal communicators come into play.

During the opening keynote address of Ragan’s Employee Communications and Culture Conference this week in Boston’s Seaport District, Marta Ravin, Emmy-nominated showrunner and founder of Marta Ravin Productions, said that connection is where comms pros prove their true value.

“AI can distribute information, but it can’t foster a sense of belonging,” she told the audience. “It doesn’t know how to recognize someone for a job well done. It can’t look your boss in the eye and say, ‘Don’t worry, I’ve got this.’”

Ravin added that communicators can intentionally develop their people-facing messaging skills. She pointed to a recent high-pressure internal video shoot for Salesforce, where she had just minutes to direct a room full of senior executives. Some were comfortable on camera while others were visibly uneasy.

“My job in that moment is to figure out who needs clearer direction, who needs a joke and who needs me to take their part and reduce it to just one word,” she said. “Some people are naturals  and some people are completely out of their comfort zone, and you have to meet them where they are. By the time we wrapped, I felt like we had brought out the very best of every person in that room.”

Ravin outlined the human instincts communicators can lean on as AI becomes more and more prominent in comms workflows.

As AI adoption increases, trust matters even more

Ravin said that as AI-generated content becomes more prominent in communication workflows, employees are becoming much more discerning about what feels authentic. This puts pressure on internal comms pros to deliver messaging that goes beyond surface polish and focuses on credibility and trust.

“We’re living in this digital world, but we’re constantly asking, ‘Is this real?’’ Ravin said. “People are looking for content that feels homemade, where you can see emotion and imperfections, visible effort. Employees who feel they can be authentic experience lower levels of stress and burnout. AI can mimic voice, but it can’t earn trust.”

She called back to her career in producing live events, where authenticity directly affects how the audience views its value, even making a local Boston reference.

“A football signed by Tom Brady has value, but you know what has real value?” Ravin said. “Watching Tom Brady sign that football right in front of you, because you trust it. You feel it. You know it’s real. That’s authenticity.”

For internal communicators, that means prioritizing messages that feel real over ones that simply sound right in the moment. In an increasingly AI-heavy environment, trust is a cultural cornerstone. And it’s really hard to replicate.

The timing of the message is key in an AI-centric comms world

Ravin added that timing is one of the most overlooked skills a communicator possesses. She told the audience that speed is the easy part when you’ve got an AI-assisted workflow, but judgment is still important, and only a human being can make it happen.

“Timing is your strategic advantage,” he said. “It can maximize your impact, it engages your audience and it demonstrates your agility. AI can be fast, but it can’t feel the moment. It can’t read the room or sense an energy shift, and it has no inherent sense of urgency.”

Ravin said that instinct shows up in small but critical moments, like when communicators are about to push a message out the door.

“Before you hit send, pause and ask yourself if this is the right message at the right time,” she said. “That’s how you maximize your impact. That’s how you show up for your audience in a way that actually resonates.”

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications.