What comms pros need to know about making AI a storytelling assistant

A big part of what makes comms pros so valuable is their ability to draw the heart of the story out of any situation they find themselves presented with. During Ragan’s AI Certificate Course, attendees heard how generative AI is changing and how comms pros weave narratives and adjust the emphasis in certain parts of their roles.

Dr. Alexandre Sevigny, associate professor of communication studies and communication management at McMaster University, told the audience that generative AI is the first technology that’s capable of storytelling.

“It’s a technology that can create stories that can move us as communicators and marketers,” Sevigny said. “Gen AI is our technology. And that’s something to internalize and to think about because it’s rapidly changing how all of us as organizations and individuals communicate, think and adapt.”

He added that communicators need to harness AI to ensure that they maintain the voice and values of organizational storytelling.

“We need to learn how to use it to tell our stories and represent us,” Sevigny said. “And here’s the key element — we must determine how the tech changes our workflows, or else someone else will use it to automate us.”