Communications Leaders are Embracing AI Despite Concerns about Misinformation and Corporate Reputation, According to 4th Annual Ragan Communications and HarrisX Study on CEOs and Communicators

NEW YORK, Dec. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ragan Communications and leading research firm HarrisX, a Stagwell Group company (STGW), are releasing new 2024 data on modern-day corporate communications, asking 437 CEOs and other comms leaders this year on how they view each other's roles and responsibilities, what they value most, and their outlook on pressing industry risks to the communications function including artificial intelligence, corporate activism and brand safety

Key Findings include:

• Communications leaders are embracing AI even as most express heightened concerns about AI's impact on misinformation, corporate reputation, and jobs
  • 4 in 5 communications leaders have a favorable view of AI.
    
    
  • Nearly as many (71%) say AI is having a positive impact on communications processes and output, versus just 15% who say its impact is negative.
    
    
  • Writing (52%), brainstorming ideas (50%), editing (43%) and transcribing (41%) are the top ways AI is being utilized in communications.
    
    
  • Comms leaders want AI to play a bigger role in their organizations, with 50% of all leaders, including 66% in large organizations, saying AI should play a big role. At the moment, just 38% say the technology is playing a big role in their organization.
    
    
  • But corporate leaders are split on AI's impact on jobs: CEOs and those in medium or large organizations are more optimistic about the effect on job creation, while non-CEO leaders and those in small organizations worry about AI replacing jobs.
    
    
  • Leaders in small organizations are less favorable of AI and more hesitant to say it currently plays – or should play – a role in their processes going forward.
    
    
  • Concern over AI-driven misinformation (72%) and impact of this misinformation on an organization's reputation (55%) is high. Sixty-eight percent of communications leaders believe AI will amplify rather than limit misinformation on platforms and websites operated by Big Tech.

• Trust in professional communicators to navigate corporate narratives and related challenges is on the rise, while trust in CEOs leading communications has lagged
  • Chief Communications Officers are the most trusted group to manage corporate reputation and communications among all C-suite leaders.
    
    
  • Trust in CEOs communicating effectively on DE&I has dropped below 50% after ranking highly in prior years, while trust in CEOs leading employee communications has increased since last year.

• DE&I and ESG remain important elements in communications but DE&I has seen a dip in importance.
  • The importance of DE&I has dipped compared to 2022, particularly in internal comms, when 93% stressed the importance of DE&I.
    
    
  • Most CEOs still say DE&I is important for external (89%) and internal (86%) communications.
    
    
  • CEOs view ESG similarly important for external (88%) and internal (85%) communications.

• Brand Safety measures have become commonplace, but many say they are overapplied.
  • 58% of CEOs say Brand Safety has been overapplied to the point of hurting media outlets and advertisers vs. 42% who say it is underapplied; opinion flips among non-CEO communications leaders.

"These insights inform how and where communicators can harness their skills to lead through time of great change and uncertainty," said Diane Schwartz, CEO of Ragan Communications, the leading media brand for communicators and the producer of Communications Week. "It's an exciting time to be a communicator and a critical inflection point for communications to lead the way as guardians of reputation."

"Corporate leaders are facing fast-changing technology, social, and business norms all at once, requiring them to be prepared ahead of when crises and opportunities land," noted Dritan Nesho, CEO of HarrisX. "HarrisX and Ragan continue to study in-depth how senior decision-makers perceive and are reacting to this shifting landscape, what they are doing to adjust both business models and corporate narratives, and the critical importance they see in a well-functioning, strategic communications functions within their organization."

The data was initially unveiled in Austin during Ragan's Future of Communications Conference, the signature event of Communications Week, Nov. 15-17. Under the theme "All Together Now," the event zeroed in on how we can celebrate and accelerate the crucial role of the communicator as a trusted advisor, innovator and convener within organizations.

Download the key study findings at Ragan.com.

About Ragan Communications
For nearly 55 years, Ragan Communications has been delivering trusted news, training and intelligence for internal and external communicators, marketers, HR professionals and business executives via its conferences, webinars, training, awards, subscriptions and membership divisions. Its daily news sites—PRDaily.com and Ragan.com—are read by more than 600,000 internal and external communicators monthly. Its Communications Leadership Council is one of the fastest-growing membership groups for communications executives. Visit www.ragan.com.

About HarrisX
HarrisX is a leading public opinion research, data analytics, and strategy consulting company with offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Singapore. HarrisX conducts multi-method research in over 50 countries around the world on behalf of global leaders, Fortune 100 companies, public policy institutions, philanthropic organizations, media and NGOs. It was rated as the most accurate pollster is the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election by the Washington Post and American Research Group. HarrisX currently partners on public opinion polling with Harvard University (via the Harvard CAPS/Harris poll), The Hill Newspaper, Forbes Media, Deseret News and Variety. HarrisX is a proud member of Stagwell Inc. (STGW). 

SOURCE HarrisX