Confessions of an AI-skeptic comms professional

Let’s get this out of the way: I have major AI fatigue. Sometimes my brain shuts down as soon as I hear those two letters. But I’d be lying if I said I haven’t made a major U-turn in the last six months in how frequently I use AI.

As a communications professional, I scoffed at the idea that AI could do what I do, in no small part because it made me nervous about my job security. But recently I’ve learned what AI can do to make my work easier and where I need to watch it like a hawk. While I happen to use Claude, these lessons apply to any AI tool.

Where AI shines

1. It’s quick at creating first drafts

I used to toil for hours on first drafts, sweating whether my boss would find a typo or question the structure. With AI, that’s gone. I share messy early writing and specify where I need help: “Can you make suggested edits to my early draft, focusing on clarity, conciseness, and flow?”

It’s brilliant for banging out quick talking points or FAQs, which are typically needed in hours, not days. I also use Claude for headlines, subject lines, quick rewrites—the small tasks that eat time and creative energy.

2. It helps you read the room

It’s our job as communicators to anticipate our audience’s reactions. AI can help you pressure test whether your content reassures, persuades, or inadvertently alienates before anyone sees it.

Give it detail on your target audience: who they are, their concerns, the tone you’re going for, and any internal dynamics. And don’t be afraid to push back. Sometimes Claude says everything is fine when my gut says the opposite (more on that to come). Keep giving context until you feel comfortable with the product.

3. It strengthens your structure

This feels particularly helpful for newer comms professionals. AI will spot when your argument isn’t landing, when supporting points wander, or when your ending falls flat. That makes for more compelling content.

4. It keeps your brand—and your relationships—intact

We humans are naturally protective of our writing and sometimes resist feedback because it feels subjective. In my experience, some people are more open to considering a tool’s feedback on tone and style than a colleague’s—because they don’t feel judged.

We also built a custom skill—think of it as a personalized rulebook for AI—loaded with our style, writing, and brand guidelines. Now our colleagues can run their writing through it instead of checking with the comms team. It’s been a time saver for all—and avoids exasperation over Oxford commas and AP style adherence.

Five AI pitfalls to avoid

I’m sold on the benefits of AI. But I’ve also encountered some sneaky and frustrating pitfalls.

1. Mistaking politeness for honesty

AI defaults to encouragement. If you ask, “how’s my tone?” without context, it will tell you it’s great. Name your concerns—“Does this sound defensive?” or “Will this alienate donors?”—or it won’t tell you.

Even then, sometimes Claude assures me everything looks great when I know something is off. Don’t fall for it. If your gut says it’s wrong, check with a colleague who better understands the situation.

2. Assuming AI is perfect

Like humans, AI will sometimes fabricate information rather than admit it doesn’t know the answer. Claude once made up a confident-sounding percentage from my own social media reports that was completely wrong. It took multiple reviews to catch. Verify everything, especially statistics.

3. Relying on AI as a magician

AI is a refiner, not a creator. It can take your disorganized thoughts and shape them into something clearer, but it can’t generate substance from nothing. The more context and raw material you provide, no matter how messy, the better the output.

4. Accidentally over-engineering

Claude is an over-achiever. I started noticing heavily formatted agendas at Candid with random color codes and complex grids. Claude was the culprit. They look impressive, but they’re hard to edit and often not what you need. Be specific: “Give me the agenda as plain text in our chat, not a separate document.”

5. Rushing your own thinking

AI wants to move you forward, which can pressure you to skip important steps. I was recently prepping for a brainstorm by asking Claude for examples of stellar product marketing content. It offered a two-sided template for content capture. I didn’t know what that was, but it sounded cool, so I said go for it!

The result was polished but useless—we hadn’t had the brainstorm yet. Stay in charge of the process and allow yourself time to do the work only you can do.

I’m still not an AI pro user and probably never will be. That’s ok. Rely on your own judgment, relationships, and knowledge of your audience—but let AI take the tedious parts of your job. You won’t miss them. The comms professionals who get the most from AI will be the ones who learn to direct it well and aren’t afraid to tell it when it’s wrong.