Insight
How AI is transforming internal communications
24th March 2025
It’s time for the next issue of our Transformation & Change newsletter!
We are focusing this month’s newsletter on the topic of:
🤖 How AI is transforming internal communications 🤖
What we cover: Trends in how employees use AI; Ethical considerations of using AI in employee communications: a Q&A with Julia Holmes, Head of Communications EMEA & Japan at Getty Images; Navigating employee concerns in the age of AI, including insights from Leo Ryder, Internal Communications Manager at Accenture; Dates to put in your diary; And an approach to using AI to drive more impactful communications.
Did you know?
Employees are adopting AI at a faster pace than many leaders realise. According to McKinsey, 13% of employees are already using generative AI for at least a third their work – this is three times more than their leaders estimate. Additionally, more than 70% of employees believe that AI will change their job in the next two years. Yet, despite this growing reliance, 48% of employees say training is the most important factor for AI adoption, while nearly half feel they are receiving only moderate or minimal support.
The bottom line
AI is already reshaping the workplace, but there’s a gap between employee expectations and the support they receive. Internal comms teams have a role to play in bridging this divide – helping employees understand AI’s impact, advocating for training, and ensuring clear messaging about AI adoption. By addressing concerns and equipping employees with the right knowledge, comms teams can help organisations build confidence and trust in AI’s role at work.
Q&A
We interviewed Julia Holmes, Head of Communications EMEA & Japan at Getty Images, on ethical considerations of AI use in employee communications.
How can companies ensure that AI-generated internal communications remain authentic and aligned with company values?
To leverage this technology in the best way, we shouldn’t forget the fundamentals of communications planning. Start with your audience – who are they, what should they think/feel/do as a result of your communications, and what context (both internal and external) will these communications sit within. Then, make sure your starting place is your company values and as you iterate your communication, keep checking back that what you are developing speaks to these.
How important is transparency when using AI in internal communications, and how can companies maintain trust with employees?
Transparency is absolutely vital to building and maintaining trust. Getty Images’ visual insights platform, which surveys around 15,000 consumers globally every year, found that almost 90% of people want AI generated imagery to be labelled as such. Think about where and when to use AI generated content – for example a personal note from your CEO to staff should be in their voice and with heavy human editing if using aspects of AI generated content. I would label any content that is entirely AI generated so you don’t risk your audience feeling like you’ve mislead them.
Where do you think the line should be drawn between AI automation and human oversight in crafting internal messages?
AI can be a helpful tool, but it is just that – a tool – and it has limitations. If it’s not a bespoke model that has been trained off your existing company communications then it won’t know your tone and style. Even if you are using a custom model, the tool will not have any surrounding context of the issues of the day that may be impacting your employee base. Any content creation should be an iterative, human-driven process.
Trending
Navigating employee concerns in the age of AI
While AI offers opportunities for efficiency and innovation, concerns around its impact on jobs remain. A recent Accenture report found that while 95% of workers see value in working with generative AI, nearly 60% worry about job displacement. However, fewer than one-third of business leaders share this concern. This gap in perception highlights the need for clear, transparent communication about AI’s role in the workplace. Source: Accenture
As organisations navigate these challenges, internal comms experts are exploring how AI can be used not just to improve efficiency, but also to support more inclusive, thoughtful communication. We spoke to Leo Ryder, Internal Communications Manager at Accenture, on whether AI can truly support empathetic communication:
“While computers aren’t capable of empathy, there are ways for gen AI to be used as a tool that can help human communicators be empathetic in their own messaging. For example, Good Morning Accenture – the hyper-targeted news platform for our employees – uses AI to assist with content production. Its built-in wizard suggests alternative phrasing, including more inclusive language recommendations. AI tools like this can empower employees who may not be confident communicators and help experienced communicators spend less time wordsmithing – allowing them to focus more on developing and implementing communication strategies.”
Key dates for the diary 📅
It Starts from within: How corporate culture drives reputation and results
13 May 2025, 3 Pancras Square, Havas Village, London N1C 4AG
Join us for our H/Advisors Maitland industry event! We are hosting a panel discussion with business leaders and communications experts. Our panellists from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), British Business Bank, Amazon and a former Jefferies analyst will share insights on how to cultivate workplace cultures that drive both reputation and business performance. We’d love to see you there!
Employee Engagement Summit 2025
22 May 2025, London, United Kingdom
This summit explores how trends like remote work, employee wellbeing, AI integration, and purpose-driven strategies are reshaping employee engagement. The conference focuses on how innovators are using technology and inclusivity to stay ahead in the evolving workplace landscape. Link to website
IoIC Festival 2025
18-19 June 2025, Tewinbury, United Kingdom
Hosted by the Institute of Internal Communications, this conference brings together internal comms professionals to connect, inspire and learn. Our Transformation & Change team will be attending as speakers. We’d love to see you there! Link to website
Internal Communications Europe
4-5 July 2025, Berlin, Germany
This summit brings together decision-makers, influencers and thought leaders in internal communications to discuss human communication at the edge of AI. The event focuses on the latest trends and challenges in employee communications in the new world of work. Link to website
Unlocking employee insights with AI to drive more impactful communications
Understanding your audiences, employee needs and preferences, is at the heart of effective internal communication. AI-powered personas are emerging as a powerful tool to help communicators gain deeper audience insights, allowing for more targeted and strategic messaging.
What AI-powered personas can offer
AI-powered personas are virtual models that replicate the behaviours, preferences, and communication styles of different employee groups. Built using data from employee feedback, engagement trends, and workplace demographics, these personas act as a testbed for internal communications.
By interacting with AI personas, internal communicators can refine their messaging before it reaches employees, helping to:
- Test and tailor communications – Trial different messages, from campaign content to sensitive announcements, and assess how an AI persona might react. This helps ensure communications are clear, relevant, and appropriately framed.
- Enhance strategic insights – Identify patterns in how different groups might respond to communications, allowing teams to anticipate concerns and adjust tone and content accordingly without relying on assumptions.
- Improve targeting and engagement – Personalise messaging based on AI-driven analysis, making communications more effective, precise and aligned with employee needs.
