Majority of employers do not have AI protocols for HR leaders and internal communicators

(Credit: TippaPatt)

While many industries are figuring out how to adopt artificial intelligence technology into their operations, some are moving faster than others. Among the sectors slower to respond appear  to be internal communications and human resources.

Nearly three-quarters (71%) of organizations do not provide internal communicators guidance on when, where, or how to use AI, according to Gallagher’s “2023/24 State of the Sector” report, which highlights internal communication and employee experience trends based on responses from more than 2,300 communication and HR leaders across more than 30 industries in 56 countries. What’s more, 1 in 10 (13%) communicators aren’t even sure if their organization uses AI.

“For many organizations, it’s the Wild West with regard to how they are adopting and implementing AI,” Ben Reynolds, global managing director of Gallagher’s Communication Consulting Practice, said in a statement. “Because so few organizations have an AI plan, we can connect the dots to better understand why half of the respondents are skeptical or even fearful about the impact of AI. That said, with an AI plan in place, the technologies may help communicators overcome what they’ve identified as two of the top three barriers in 2024, which are the lack of time and lack of financial resources.”

Indeed, the “State of the Sector” report found that communicators who are using AI are three times more likely to believe the technology will reduce workloads. AI adopters were also 20% more likely to believe it will improve the quality of communications. While AI can drive efficiencies and unlock new ways to communicate, Gallagher experts recommend organizations focus on getting the basics right, as well as seeking out training opportunities and feedback mechanisms to get the best return on investment.

Related: How empathetic AI will empower benefits tech and HR in 2024

The report notes that “generative AI could easily create more work than it removes” but adds that communicators using AI are the most positive about the technology’s potential. Ultimately, according to the report’s authors, “it’s up to communicators to decide whether it comes as an asset or a threat.”

“I expect generative AI to become a robust tool in internal communications in ways we can’t even see yet,” one respondent said. “The shift is already happening, from ‘I’m afraid it will take my job’ to ‘How can this make my job easier and better?’ Internal communications people have so little time and so few resources, I expect they will bend AI to their will.”