Communicators Redefine Humanity in the Age of AI
Communicators are entering 2026 with a widening tension at the center of their work: AI is accelerating the speed of communication while raising new questions about authenticity, credibility, and human judgment. That tension came into sharp focus during CommPRO’s recent Communications Week Town Hall, where industry leaders examined how automation is reshaping the profession’s core responsibilities. As CommPRO publisher Fay Shapiro put it, “AI, authenticity, and accountability are colliding in ways that redefine our role as communicators. The leaders who will thrive are the ones who see this as transformation, not disruption.”
Rather than a formal panel, the forum functioned as an open interrogation of how communicators should navigate this shift. The starting point was a provocation from Paul Kontonis, CommPRO’s CMO-in-Residence: “If AI can communicate faster and more persuasively than we can, what remains distinctly human about our role as communicators?” The question set the frame for a broader analysis of a profession recalibrating purpose, persuasion, and truth amid the rise of intelligent systems.
The Human Edge
Participants returned repeatedly to a single conviction: AI can automate tasks, not judgment. Jason Brandt, Executive, Influencer Marketing.AI (IMAI), noted that communicators still “ask AI to do the homework, not to make the decision.” Ken Kerrigan, President of the PRSA-NY, reminded the group that “a microphone can hear me, but listening takes the human mind and empathy.” And Tan Sukhera, CEO and co-founder at PIAR, underscored that the human role is to challenge assumptions—“not the decision itself, not the prompt, but the premise of the prompt.” Across the board, leaders argued that critical thinking and strategic discernment remain the ultimate differentiators.
New Tensions Between Clients and Agencies
The conversation also exposed shifting economics. With AI accelerating content creation, in-house teams now question whether agency retainers should shrink. “If you can do things a lot faster using AI,” asked Kerrigan, “then why is my monthly retainer the same?” Many participants echoed that frustration, saying executives have pushed initiatives to adopt AI super quickly while leaving many vendors scrambling to keep up. The exchange revealed how technological adoption is rewriting expectations around value, speed, and partnership.
Ethics, Disclosure, and Credibility
Transparency emerged as a moral and professional fault line. Some argued disclosure helps build trust; others warned it stigmatizes progress. “Disclosure’s interesting because it sort of says this AI a scarlet letter,” said Kerrigan. Jason Brandt countered that “disclosure is a byproduct of the world not yet being comfortable with a piece of technology.” Amelia Folkes, Director of Public Relations at Raise Your Hand Texas, added nuance, likening AI use to collaborating with colleagues—a tool, not a ghostwriter. The tension underscored that communicators must navigate ethics not through fear, but through evolving norms of honesty and accountability.
What Communicators Should Learn
For industry professionals, the Town Hall offered both urgency and optimism. The core message: AI proficiency will soon be table stakes, yet empathy, ethics, and critical reasoning will define leadership. Communicators must master automation while deepening the human skills that technology cannot replicate—listening, contextual judgment, and moral clarity.
