Human After All: AI Is Raising the Value of Communication’s Core Skills
The following article was originally published on Strategic, the platform for communication leadership globally, and is being republished with permission.
“Using AI is table stakes; it’s akin to using email.”
That observation from Robert Farrell, Head of Training & Development at the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII), captured the mood at the PRII National Communications Conference 2026 in Croke Park, Dublin, where more than 200 communication professionals gathered to examine the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and human connection.
The conference theme, Human After All, reflected a growing recognition across the profession: AI is no longer an emerging trend to monitor from a distance. It is already embedded in the workflows, reputations and information ecosystems organisations depend upon. But amid the acceleration of automation, delegates repeatedly returned to the same conclusion – human judgement, empathy and trust are becoming more, and not less, valuable.
Opening the conference, MC Teri Kelly, founder and CEO of Total Reputation, set the tone early: “AI is not going to replace us, it means our core skills are even more important.”
That sentiment echoed throughout the day’s discussions, from keynote addresses and panel debates to case studies on misinformation, media literacy and the future of work.
AI as a Communication Stakeholder
In one of the conference’s most talked-about sessions, Stuart Bruce, Co-CEO of Purposeful Relations, challenged communicators to rethink how they view AI systems.
“AI has become a communication stakeholder,” he argued.
Bruce explained that organisations no longer have a single reputation. Instead, they hold multiple reputations across different stakeholder groups – and increasingly, those perceptions are shaped by AI-generated summaries, search answers and recommendation systems.
“You don’t have a reputation, you have reputations,” he said.
The rise of generative AI means stakeholders are being influenced not only by traditional media and social platforms, but also by what AI tools say about organisations, brands and leaders. According to Bruce, 44 per cent of people now trust AI-generated answers, compared to 24 per cent who trust social media influencers.
“If you are not influencing AI answers, chances are someone is doing it against you,” he warned.
Bruce stressed that communication professionals are uniquely positioned to lead AI strategy because of their understanding of reputation, stakeholders and trust. But he cautioned that many organisations remain underprepared.
“If you do not have AI in your crisis communications plan, it’s a wish list – it’s not a plan anymore.”
He also highlighted the growing importance of GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) and the need to ground AI systems in reliable organisational data. Most importantly, he argued that AI outputs require human oversight and strategic context.
“To get the most out of AI, it needs to be grounded in your own data.”
Human Judgment Remains the Differentiator
Across multiple panels, speakers returned to a consistent distinction: AI can accelerate production, but it cannot replace human discernment.
James Dunny, co-founder and CEO of Reput8ion, summarised it succinctly: “AI is the production part; humans are the judgement part.”
As communication professionals increasingly use AI to generate drafts, analyse data and streamline workflows, the real value lies in interpretation, ethics and trust-building. Dunny described communication professionals as “the ambassadors of trust in organisations”, arguing that AI places even greater emphasis on credible expertise and earned authority.
“AI is craving experts and knowledge, and we have a responsibility to share,” he said, particularly in combating misinformation and disinformation.
That concern was reinforced by Ciaran O’Connor of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, who cautioned against overestimating the reliability of large language models.
“LLMs are only as good as the training we give them,” he noted. “They differ in their output, but their confidence levels are the same.”
For Adebola Olomo, founder and CEO of ZentAI Labs, the challenge is less about resisting AI and more about learning how to elevate it through human insight.
“Our superpower is how do I take this tool and elevate it in a way that connects with another human?”
Trust Must Be Earned
The conference also explored how public expectations of institutions, brands and leaders are changing in an AI-saturated environment.
Naomi Staff, Managing Director of Core Research, argued that trust has become deeply conditional.
“Trust in institutions doesn’t happen; it’s conditional, it must be earned,” she said. “People want leaders to meet them where they are at, not where the leaders are at.”
Her colleague, researcher and communications strategist Finian Murphy, urged communicators to remain critically engaged with AI outputs rather than accepting them at face value.
“As information comes back to us, are we being critical enough, or did we ask the right questions?” he asked. “Humans, not bots, shape culture.”
The phrase became one of the defining ideas of the day: while AI can process information at scale, meaning, culture and emotional resonance still come from people.
That human emphasis continued during a fireside chat between filmmaker and journalist Mike Sheridan and Finn Partners managing partner Amy Seigenthaler Pierce. Discussing misinformation, political polarisation and the influence of culture wars, Sheridan pointed to a growing public desire for authenticity.
“We respond to authenticity,” he said. “I like when brands and communications from brands feel real.”
He also argued that organisations must become more comfortable with complexity and disagreement.
“You need to be ok with a messy discourse. The communication that follows stays with people.”
Pierce added that communication professionals must retain a strong ethical framework in the face of rapid technological change.
“There needs to be a moral compass.”
The Skills Debate
One of the strongest themes emerging from the conference was concern about how AI will affect future talent pipelines and professional development.
During the panel discussion Employment and Skills in the AI Age, Sonia Harris, founder and managing director of HarrisPR, warned against prematurely eliminating entry-level roles in favour of automation.
“A lot of people are saying entry level roles are no longer applicable,” she said. “But we need a deep understanding, and that training needs to happen.”
For Harris, mentoring and hands-on learning remain essential to building strategic communication professionals.
“AI is a stakeholder and a tool, but it’s not a colleague.”
Madeline Boughton, assistant professor at DCU, echoed the importance of critical thinking and emotional intelligence, particularly in communication education.
“We need to equip students with the understanding of when and why they use AI,” she said, stressing the continued value of empathy and strategic thinking.
Maria Souza of the Future of Work Institute at CPL challenged professionals to think carefully about what AI-enabled efficiency should actually achieve.
“What are you going to do with the time you are saving by using AI?” she asked.
Her answer was clear: automate repetitive work, but preserve the distinctly human aspects of communication.
“Not everything that can be automated should be automated.”
The panel also stressed the importance of governance, organisational alignment and practical training. Farrell noted that AI responsibility cannot sit with one department alone.
“AI responsibility is on the entire organisation,” he said, highlighting the importance of internal champions, clear guidelines and structured experimentation.
“Be curious, but be planned and methodical about how you use it.”
Communication’s Human Future
While AI dominated the agenda, the conference consistently returned to a more fundamental point: technology may transform communication, but human connection remains the profession’s defining purpose.
That perspective was reflected in case studies from Bohemian Football Club and the HSE, both of which focused on reaching communities through authentic, audience-centred storytelling. It was also evident in Neil Sands’ closing discussion on hate speech and toxic online culture, which underscored the societal responsibilities attached to modern communication practice.
Throughout the day, delegates were reminded that AI can support communication, but it cannot replace the values underpinning it – empathy, ethics, creativity and judgement.
As the profession continues to adapt, perhaps the clearest takeaway from the conference was this: the future of communication may be increasingly powered by AI, but it will still be shaped by humans.