Your AI Narrative in 2024

We enter another era (there have been several, I’m a veteran of two) of heightened public interest around artificial intelligence, and we’ve been talking for months now about the new levels of media attention, regulatory scrutiny, social media speculation and venture capital investment it is attracting.

This puts new pressure on leaders for all sizes of organizations across almost all industries to pump up the volume on their AI stories in 2024. Ask any tech reporter (also ask them if they love genAI-written pitch mails*).

There’s a wrong way to carry this out, and reporters are looking for it and already signaling they’ve had enough of the AI-washing. I’m offering a few, non-inclusive suggestions to avoid annoying people at minimum, and instead to maximize your chances of breaking through the clamor. Be the signal, not the noise.

-?????? Specify what form of AI you’re using. There are many. If you claim generative AI, show evidence that it’s actually generating. It’s totally ok if your offering is helping people with good old-fashioned deep neural networks or natural language processing. Yes that is an attempt at irony.

-?????? Show the difference it is making, and be mindful of historical context. We’ve been showcasing grand accomplishments from computers in corporate settings since UNIVAC in the 1950s (and yes, prior to that in military and academic settings). Something achieved by more compute + better model + better data is genuinely amazing and welcome, but don’t distract by exaggerating an AI component when your AI technique isn’t novel.

-?????? Show the work you put in to be responsible. It’ll be the first or second question you get from a reporter, and it won’t be enough merely to dispense a bromide about privacy or protection at the heart of your company. As a corollary for corporate communications leaders: In the development phase of whatever it is you’ll be announcing, here’s where you step in and insist/ensure responsibility is present and demonstrable.

-?????? Think carefully about gimmicks and stunts. I’m not saying don’t do them (I’m a fan - starting with getting legendary Governor William F. Weld to drive a train through a banner at the Port of Boston…he wore his train tie for it…good times). Just make sure they support the story, and that you can pull them off with minimal risk of embarrassment (plan carefully).

Those are four, for starters. I’m sure smarter people reading this will think of more, or qualify/correct where needed. Chances are you're one of them, so please weigh in.

*The answer is no. Stop.