Putting people first: our approach to using AI
Distinctive Dispatch #32: Sharing our AI policy; five Substacks to follow in 2026; how to land big media interviews.
Better comms for people, places and work
We hope you’ve had a restful festive break and a stress-free start to year. Our first Dispatch of 2026 shares our commitments to using generative AI in ways that match our values. Thanks to colleagues and others in our industry who helped to shape our thinking. We share it in the hope that it’s useful. Let us know your thoughts.
Here’s to your success in 2026.
Our promise to use AI purposefully
The last five years have been an interesting and challenging time to lead a communications team. Change is a constant feature.
Against the backdrop of global and economic uncertainty, AI’s advance into so many parts of our lives adds to the disruption.
Like many writers and comms professionals, I’ve been on a journey with AI since ChatGPT burst into the mainstream three years ago.
It looked exciting at first: my God, this thing can write novels and op eds in the style of Boris Johnson!
That felt unsettling, but emotions quickly morphed into a sense of ‘meh’ when realising the limitations of various tools.
Today, as we invest time and energy in harnessing AI, I see its potential to positively support our work and we are making some advances as a team. At the same time, the wider context feels less clear, more challenging and even more threatening in places than it did a year ago.
I share some live examples here to highlight the reasons for this.
Climate impact
AI is energy hungry and increased public demand challenges Net Zero and climate ambitions. Responsible use matters in this context.
Fake business scandals
Casey Newton wrote about an AI-generated fake scandal created by a ‘whistleblower’ whose posts about Uber Eats caused an online stir and gained media attention. It's an astonishing read and a vivid reminder that things aren’t always what they seem at first that that you should verify sources to avoid spreading misinformation.
Fake planning news
This isn’t just affecting big tech companies. Press Gazette regularly reports on fake news sites and dodgy practice, some of which risks misleading residents on plans for their area.
This is happening as AI tools help campaigners object at scale to schemes they oppose.
Flooding the internet with slop
Regular LinkedIn users will regularly see posts from would-be gurus pushing a hot take. They’re breathless, excitable and – ultimately – vapid. People using AI to create posts in their dash for engagement add no real insight and are often inaccurate.
Stephen Waddington writes about this in his post on why critical thinking is a differentiating feature for serious comms people in 2026. It’s also true that genuinely interesting content must work harder to cut through the noise.
Unsafe spaces for women and girls
Grimmest of all, Elon Musk’s Grok AI is being used to create sexualised images of women and underage girls without their consent. The regulator Ofcom says it’s contacted Musk’s company xAI and UK Ministers have intervened. His jocular response to the outrage (which we won’t share here) does little to instil confidence that he’s taking the abuse seriously.
Using tech for good
Although AI has formed part of our work for many years, the pace of change and these examples show why it matters to establish standards on how we use it in ways which match our values – and how we won’t use it.
Since last summer, we’ve dedicated time each week to explore possibilities, invested in training, upgraded tools, and shared experiences to learn together.
This has shaped our first policy on generative AI, published on our website this week.
It builds on something we hold dear and that I’ve spoken about for years, as someone who’s optimistic about tech but regularly frustrated by its bad implementation. Any tech we use should put people at the heart of our work, and not act as a barrier.
It feels nerve-wracking to share this policy publicly, because of how much we don’t know. But transparency matters to us. And, as we continue learning, we can make this promise.
We will always
Be open about our use of AI in projects and processes and disclose how we use it to clients.
Own the outcome. If information comes from us, it’s our responsibility.
Protect our clients’ and our own confidentiality by not sharing sensitive information with AI tools.
Work ethically and purposefully.
That means putting in the hard yards, learning from mistakes, taking time to think and not passing off a bot’s ramblings as our own.
At a time when people are increasingly saying the same things, we want to stay distinctive. It’s where the growth will come from this year.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on how you’re managing this and am happy to chat about how we created this policy as a team. Please do share any comments on it.
Substack writers to follow in 2026
As a platform for writers, Substack has a different feel to other social media sites.
Users are generally thoughtful. Posts are detailed and considered. Quality seems to matter more than speed.
We started the Dispatch on Substack three years ago to try it out. It’s become a space for us to share thoughts and has steadily grown in that time.
We’ve also found some great reads. Here are some other some other Substack publications we recommend following. Let us know if there’s any you’d recommend.
Make work better: Former Twitter exec Bruce Daisley’s Substack is ‘on a mission to help us enjoy work again’. He writes about work culture, inclusive employment and the tension between working from home and moving ‘back to the office’.
Management and Public Relations – Wadds Inc: Stephen Waddington offers strategic insight and opinion on the landscape of media, technology, politics and economic change twice a week.
Marcus on AI: Scientist, author and entrepreneur Gary Marcus is a leading voice on AI, and highly critical of what he sees as hype around Large Language Models. A serious counterweight to those who see them as the answer to everything.
Unprofessional & Inflammatory: Polina Zabrodskaya was a creative director at a London agency. Her Substack’s title comes from words used to her when she questioned a client’s sustainability claims. Following her resignation from corporate life, her posts highlight organisations’ failures to match their positive campaign slogans with action.
White Wiki: Michael White shares insights on public relations and strategic communications management, based on his experience of advising the world’s largest organisations on their reputations.
Things we’ve seen
Journalists using AI to filter email pitches: As some PRs use AI to pitch to media, it seems some journalists at major publications use it to filter pitches. We only hope journalists don’t rely solely on this and let good stories slip through the cracks. Good media relations and well-written, genuinely newsworthy content has never been more important. See Carli Martinetti’s post for more detail on the prompt.
Things we’ve read
Left Behind – a new economics for neglected places: Economist Paul Collier offers a withering assessment of what he says is tired, centralised policy-making which fails deprived places. The result has left the UK economically divided, with areas like Colliers’ native South Yorkshire amongst Europe’s most deprived communities. He offers a template for success with examples of principled local leaders supported by businesses anchored in places turning deprived communities around. London-based policy makers should read his thoughts.
What makes good thought leadership content? - PRmoment: Securing thought leadership and comment opportunities is a core part of any profile-raising PR strategy. It takes smart handling and having something interesting and relevant to say. This research found that the best content is action-oriented, original and targeted, as well as authentic and evidence-led.
Things we’ve heard
Empowering young people in their place – Right place, right time podcast: This latest episode from John Till’s thinkingplace podcasts is with Founder and CEO of Youth Leads UK, Saeed Atcha. The conversation addresses the importance of properly engaging young people in the future of their place. How and where to listen, engaging with purpose, hearing diverse views, and ensuring their thoughts and aspirations turn into action and change.
Things we’ve said
Be proactive to be reactive: how to make the most of media opportunities: Securing high-profile interviews in response to big news stories is a great way to raise your profile. But these things don’t just happen. They take planning, appreciation of roles and clarity on messages to support swift responses at the right time. It pays to be proactive if you want to be reactive. Arianne’s blogs shares some tips on how to that.
BCI members’ biggest achievements of 2025 and their resolutions for 2026: Alongside other members, we share our ambitions for the year ahead with Bristol Creative Industries. As highlighted in this newsletter, the main resolution is to find more time to think. And as Ben says: it’s where the growth will come from.
We’ll be back again on on 6 February. Thanks to everyone who reads and comments on this newsletter. If you have any suggestions on what you’d like to hear from us, please get in touch.