AI can help draft, but humans need to draw connections in written comms

The uptake in automation in the world of communications has forced communicators do more than just produce content. They’ve got to ensure that their audiences trust it.

During Ragan’s Writing and Content Strategy Virtual Conference late last year, Jennifer Fickley-Baker, director of global editorial at Hilton Worldwide, said that even when they’re using AI to help them put together written messaging, comms pros need to remember that human connection is what makes good communications work stick with the audience.

“AI offers answers, humans offer meaning,” she said. “A human author tells you how to feel about it and how to think about it for your audience. That’s something AI-generated content just doesn’t do.”

Fickley-Baker also said that while writers can be creative in how they present a subject, they should strive for simplicity in the writing itself. That way, when employees or stakeholders need to find something with an AI-assisted search, they’re not getting lost in a sea of jargon or wordplay.

“If you think you’re being too literal and too simple, you’ve nailed it,” she said. “If you think you’re talking to a kindergartener, you’ve nailed it.”