AI as a communications co-pilot? (#1)

In my time working on digital transformation in communications, I have developed a strong belief in the transformative impact of generative artificial intelligence technologies like GPT models. And whether you are for or against them, no one can deny these advancements have revolutionized our interactions with technology.

It's widely acknowledged that Generative AI has the potential to enhance human abilities by serving as a co-pilot or creative collaborator. In fact, I asked ChatGPT about this, and it informed me that:

While generative AI has the potential to streamline marketing operations, enhance customer engagement and drive business growth, it does have limitations. These limitations range from minor factual inaccuracies to significant legal and security concerns, and it is crucial to exercise extreme caution and consideration when implementing AI solutions for any purpose.

I would like to point out one limitation among the five pointers listed by ChatGPT above that is specifically relevant to content creation: We must remember that AI lacks the same level of creativity as humans, even if it can assist in brainstorming, providing new perspectives and offering suggestions. Where its value lies in content creation is in enabling us to access vast amounts of information, examples and references to support our creative process. AIGC will expand its footprint from text to image and video at unimaginable speeds.

When I look at the fourth point, I also want to highlight the need to consider how we can best combine AI’s one-way interaction with users and outcome-based learning in the scenarios of customer services. Generative AI is geared towards output, while customer service requires a focus on results. Providing accurate answers to customers is crucial in this context. However, GPT falls short in delivering this as it is unable to fully comprehend the content it generates. This can result in incorrect or even fabricated responses, which is unacceptable in customer service.

While pointing out the above considerations, I do still believe in the transformative impact of AI on our industry and our life. As a communications practitioner, it's crucial to recognize that the human-computer interaction technology based on large language models is designed to assist and enhance human efforts. To leverage the potential benefits and limitations of generative AI technology in our field, we need to keep ourselves updated with the latest developments. AI may not replace us all, but those who know how to collaborate with AI will replace those not willing to adapt to this technology. I will continue my experiment of positioning generative AI as my communications co-pilot, with potential use cases ranging from data analytics to content creation/optimization, as well as risk detection. Looking forward to its enablement and disruption.

The opinions expressed in this article are my own