This article was originally posted on Forbes.
For most of my career, communications revolved around three things: reputation, reach and relationships. The tools changed, but the fundamentals didn’t. We optimized for Google. We built relationships with journalists. We managed message consistency across channels. There was a rhythm to it. That rhythm is breaking.
AI platforms aren’t just another distribution channel. They are quickly becoming the first place people go to understand who you are. A board member might type, “What’s the controversy around this company?” into an answer engine, or a customer might ask whether your product is safe. These moments (the AI answers) are now part of your brand. And that changes the role of communications.
Over the next few years, communications leaders will have to rethink how their function operates. Not tweak it. Rethink it.
Here are the five shifts I believe matter most.
Earned media isn’t just coverage; it’s infrastructure.
With AI replacing traditional search in many cases, the sources these tools trust matter more than ever. And right now, those systems lean heavily on credible third-party reporting. A recent Muck Rack analysis found that most AI citations come from non-paid media, especially for “recency” questions. That aligns with what many of us already see: What’s written about you in credible places tends to stick.
This means earned media isn’t episodic anymore. It’s structural.
Instead of asking, “Did we get coverage this quarter?” a better question is: “If someone asks AI about our leadership, safety record or strategy, what sources will it rely on?”
A practical starting point:
- Identify 25 to 50 real questions stakeholders might ask AI about your organization.
- Run them through the answer engines your audiences use.
- Note the sources that show up repeatedly and where you’re absent. Your results will become a strategic road map.
Public relations used to spike around announcements. Now it has to build a durable authority.
It’s not just about SEO anymore; it’s about clarity.
Traditional search engine optimization (SEO) focused on keywords and rankings. What’s emerging now is different. AI systems tend to reward clarity, structure and credible sourcing. That affects how we write everything. It affects how we brief executives. It affects how we structure FAQs. It affects whether our website explains things clearly or hides behind marketing language. Clicks are no longer the only measure. Accuracy in the answer matters more.
Some immediate moves:
- Use plain language headings and define terms consistently.
- Publish fewer launch posts and more explanation-driven content.
- Review monthly what AI actually says about you and your competitors.
You might be surprised by what shows up.
Internal communications is becoming conversational.
For years, internal communications has struggled with overload. Emails stack up. Intranets collect dust. AI chat interfaces change the dynamic. Employees don’t want another newsletter. They want answers when they need them. We’re starting to see companies embedding AI conversational tools directly into workplace platforms.
But this comes with risks. If an internal chatbot confidently gives the wrong answer, it doesn’t just create confusion. It creates a competing version of reality. That’s a governance issue, not a tech issue.
Before launching tools, organizations should:
- Establish a true source of record for critical information.
- Clarify who owns updates and how often information is reviewed.
- Define escalation rules for sensitive topics.
The technology is easy. The discipline is harder.
Narrative threats are getting faster and less obvious.
Misinformation and disinformation continue to be among the top global risks (download required) identified by the World Economic Forum. These aren’t theoretical risks. What’s changed is the speed and scale at which narratives can move and the fact that not all amplification is done by humans.
Many communications teams still track mentions and sentiment. That’s necessary, but it’s not enough. The more important questions are: Where did this narrative start? Who’s pushing it? Is it gaining traction organically or artificially?
Teams should define, in advance, the 10 to 15 narratives that would cause the most damage if they gained momentum. Decide response rules before the moment arrives. And practice speed. Because in this environment, hours matter.
Measurement has to tie to decisions.
Communications teams have long reported outputs: impressions, placements, engagement. C-suite leaders are asking for something else: Did this reduce risk? Did it increase trust? Did it change behavior?
If we want communications to be seen as a driver of value, we have to connect narrative goals to business outcomes. That doesn’t mean building more dashboards. It means choosing a small set of outcome metrics that matter (trust lift, reduction in rumor cycle time, employee understanding of strategy) and consistently reporting on them. And it means telling the story behind the data in a way leaders can act on.
The Bottom Line
When AI becomes the front door, communications becomes the function that makes an organization understandable. Not louder. Understandable.
This shift requires communications leaders to rethink how the function operates across several fronts at once. We must ensure that credible third-party information appears in AI-mediated discovery; adapt internal communications to the conversational channels employees increasingly rely on; prepare for faster and more complex narrative threats; respond to rising expectations for personalized information experiences; and connect communications work more directly to measurable outcomes. As AI increasingly mediates how people learn about companies, the organizations that adapt their communications systems to these realities will be better positioned to maintain trust and clarity.
If you’re a chief communications officer, agency leader or marketing executive, the question isn’t whether your communications function will change. The real question is whether you will redesign your communications function with intention, or inherit changes forced by circumstance.
