Interview with Mark Dollins: Revolutionizing Internal Communication with AI Tools and Strategies

August 06, 2024

As we prepare for the AI in PR Boot Camp, from 17-18 October in Chicago, we are excited to introduce Mark Dollins, President of North Star Communications Consulting. With over 30 years of experience with Fortune 500 companies and a track record of driving successful communication strategies, Mark will be sharing his insights on "Navigating AI in Internal Communication: Strategies, Tools, and Considerations." We had the opportunity to sit down with Mark to discuss the most effective AI-powered tools, the role of chatbots, and the future of AI in internal communication.

Q: What are the most effective AI-powered tools currently available for enhancing internal communication?

Mark Dollins: Creating written content and visuals for any communication medium have become core requirements for professional communicators, and there is a seemingly endless supply of AI-powered tools to help do that. We’ve done a lot of research on tools in our 2024 AI research paper available on www.northstarcomms.com and www.AI4communicators.com. On the visual side, for example, the days of scrolling through thousands of existing images to find one that works, or paying for – and waiting for – customized photos or artwork, have been replaced with tools that simply ask the user to describe what they want.

From artwork to layouts, these tools are among many available:

Microsoft Designer: An AI-driven design tool that helps users create professional-quality graphics, social media posts, and marketing materials. It integrates seamlessly with Microsoft’s suite of productivity tools, providing intelligent design suggestions and templates to streamline the creative process.
MidJourney: An AI-powered platform that enables users to generate stunning visual art and illustrations based on text prompts. It provides a unique way for artists and creators to explore and produce artwork through advanced AI algorithms.
DALL-E 3: Developed by OpenAI, this advanced AI model generates highly detailed and imaginative images from textual descriptions, offering a powerful tool for creating unique visuals.
Tome: An AI-powered tool designed to create visually compelling presentations and storytelling experiences, simplifying the creation of professional presentations.
Runway: Offers a suite of AI tools including video editing, image synthesis, and text generation, catering to a wide range of creative projects.
Artbreeder: Allows users to create unique and customizable images by blending and evolving existing visuals using AI algorithms.
Lumen5: Automatically converts text articles into video content, making it easier to engage audiences with dynamic presentations.
Canva: Assists users in creating professional-quality graphics, presentations, and social media posts with ease, regardless of design experience.

AI-powered writing tools that offer suggestions for improving clarity, tone, and inclusivity in written communication can contribute to more effective and polished internal messaging. These tools enhance writing rather than taking away the human touch. Tools to explore include:

Grammarly: An AI-powered writing assistant that helps improve grammar, spelling, and style.
Copysmith: A content creation tool using AI to generate marketing copy.
Quillbot: An AI paraphrasing tool that rephrases text to enhance clarity and readability.
INK: An AI-driven writing platform designed to optimize content for SEO and engagement.
Axios HQ: Uses AI to help users craft concise, clear, and engaging newsletters and updates, enhancing communications with analytics features for insights into reader engagement.

Q: How can chatbots be integrated into internal communication strategies to improve employee engagement?

Mark Dollins: AI-driven chatbots can assist with inquiries, disseminate information, and facilitate engagement. They use conversational techniques, such as NLP, to understand user queries and deliver automated responses. Employee communications professionals no longer need to equip FAQ chatbots with pre-set answers. Generative AI can now use a company’s knowledge base to generate responses for users, making it faster and more efficient.

Chatbots can translate, summarize, recognize, and create content in response to queries outside of office hours, before forwarding to a human employee or serving as a general resource. However, AI chatbots can sometimes produce biased information, so it’s important to ensure they pull from a set, unbiased database to avoid stereotypes and biases. Chatbots are useful for organizations with multiple systems that do not share search functionality, helping employees find what they need quickly.

Q: What role does sentiment analysis play in understanding and improving employee communications?

Mark Dollins: Sentiment analysis provides deeper insights into how employees are thinking and feeling than other data collection methods. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, CoPilot, and Gemini can perform sentiment analysis, which previously required manually reviewing large amounts of data. These tools can assess, tabulate, and summarize sentiment in various formats, allowing communicators to identify trends and gain valuable insights into employee sentiment.

Custom sentiment analytics can factor in company-specific contexts, providing even richer insights. This involves using AI to analyze internal acronyms, executive names, industry jargon, and competitive references, offering more robust insights into employee thoughts and feelings.

Q: What are the pros and cons of adopting AI in internal communication?

Mark Dollins: The pros include greater productivity, time and cost savings, and strategic benefits such as sentiment analysis, content generation, and predictive analytics. AI can help communicators be more strategic by using data to inform their strategies and predict outcomes.

However, cons include accuracy, security, and accountability issues. Communicators must verify AI-generated content before sharing and be aware of biases inherent in AI models. Proper governance and collaboration with IT, HR, and Legal are essential to mitigate these risks.

Q: How can organizations ensure a smooth transition when implementing AI technologies in their internal communication processes?

Mark Dollins: Organizations should ensure AI use is authorized and vetted by stakeholders such as IT security, HR, and Legal. Clear policies on AI use should be established, and a change management strategy with an aligned communication plan is crucial. Governance systems and rapid response mechanisms should be in place to manage AI implementation effectively.

Q: What are some common challenges organizations face when integrating AI into internal communication, and how can they be overcome?

Mark Dollins: The biggest challenge is understanding AI’s impact on existing systems and processes. Change management is critical. A 2023 Salesforce study reported that while many workers use AI, a significant percentage lack the skills to use it accurately, and many feel it has decreased their productivity. Organizations must provide adequate training and support to ensure AI delivers on its productivity promise.

Q: Can you share any case studies or examples where AI significantly improved internal communication within an organization?

Mark Dollins: Aeroporti di Roma used AI-powered TIBCO Spotfire to connect over 40,000 employees, improving communication and engagement. Predictive models analyzed data to identify patterns impacting engagement, leading to optimized security, baggage handling, and other operations. The software helped prevent disruptions and manage operational situations, significantly enhancing employee and customer experiences.

Q: How do you foresee the future of AI in internal communication evolving, and what should organizations do to stay ahead of these trends?

Mark Dollins: The future of AI in internal communication involves mastering generative AI and change management. Communicators should experiment with AI applications, lean into strategic uses of AI, lead AI initiatives, and apply change management principles. Understanding regulatory changes and ensuring transparency in AI use are also crucial. Investing in these areas will help communicators deliver measurable business performance and elevate their influence.

Join us at the AI in PR Boot Camp to learn more from Mark Dollins and other industry leaders on how AI is transforming the world of public relations. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving AI landscape!