How to Cut Through the AI Noise - According to Tech Journalists and Comms Professionals

Since the launch of ChatGPT nearly two years ago, the AI conversation has built to a fever pitch. AI has dominated the media landscape, the social discussion, and the legislative agenda. In parallel, companies throughout the world are looking to capitalise on the AI momentum, with almost 58,000 AI businesses now in operation.

However, as both the AI conversation and the AI market become more crowded, standing out becomes increasingly challenging - and when it comes to engaging media, this is particularly acute. To secure coverage on AI topics, companies must find interesting perspectives and points of differentiation on a near-saturated conversation and compete with hundreds of others vying for attention, while simultaneously adding value to each publication’s readers.

As deep tech communications specialists, TFD understands just how much of a priority finding AI messages that resonate with the right audiences has become. That’s why we brought together a panel of experienced communicators - leading technology journalists Nick Huber and Joe Fay, TFD Founder and CEO, Stephanie Forrest, and TFD Director, Gemma Goatly - to participate in an exclusive AI Collective event: Artificial Intelligence: Cutting Through the AI Noise. During the discussion, panellists shared key insights on how companies can craft winning AI strategies, what journalists do (and don’t) want, and why “AI fatigue” and “AI washing” make authenticity and trust even more critical.

What is the current AI media landscape?

The conversation opened with an overview of just how much AI is being talked about. As Stephanie noted, AI is the “buzzword” that just won’t go away, pointing out that it’s formally recognised by Collins Dictionary as the 2023 word of the year - joining ‘Lockdown’ (2020), ‘Fake news’ (2018) and ‘Brexit’ (2017) in the hall of fame. But does that mean companies should seize any opportunity to talk about it?

Our panellists suggested that “AI fatigue” is prevalent. This means that simply crafting messaging around AI is not enough - to get noticed, businesses need proof points and evidence that effectively relate tangible benefits to end users or the general public. This is particularly true given the rise of “AI washing” in which AI capabilities are overstated, fuelling media scepticism. As Joe noted, journalists have a responsibility to “kick the tires” to check the legitimacy of claims - particularly given many commenting AI such as tech companies, analysts and investors, have a vested interest in the technology’s success. As a result, transparency, evidence, and authenticity have become even more important.

How can companies find a compelling angle?

“Is it new? Is it unique? Is there an element of controversy? What will the impact be?” Joe encouraged comms professionals to ask these questions to get to the heart of the AI story. “Avoid the normal platitudes” Nick suggested. Stephanie urged them to think strategically about when and where to put a company’s voice forward.

All our panellists agreed on the need to refrain from pitching experts simply because there's an AI-focused article being written. Instead, think first about what evidence you can share that will contribute to the story being told, and be honest about the technology use case you're citing (for example, is it GenAI, computer vision, machine learning or something else?). While it can be tempting for companies to want to jump on the AI bandwagon, given how crowded the conversation is, it is critical that comms teams think about whether something is genuinely interesting, different, and can be backed up by evidence. If not, it might be better in the long term to pass on the opportunity than risk providing a journalist with something irrelevant that could harm the relationship in the longer term.

Choosing the right expert who has a deep knowledge of the topic in question is also key. CEOs are a go-to for broad overview and strategy, whilst implementers such as CTOs and CIOs can speak to the realities of onboarding it. Engineers are valuable spokespeople if you’re trying to communicate how the technology works, the principles it’s based on, or what customers are asking for.

What stories are journalists interested in?

Nick and Joe spoke to an increasing difficulty in obtaining independent perspectives on AI, suggesting this may be what is holding businesses back from securing positive stories.

Ultimately, journalists are concerned with uncovering the truth. However, there is currently a gap between AI promises and delivery, with companies unwilling to talk about the limitations of their solutions. This is concerning, with a lack of transparency posing a risk of over-trust in AI. On the other hand, it presents an opportunity for those who are prepared to talk frankly about their tech to stand out from the crowd.

When it comes to alarmist stories, they tell us it’s not all about generating clicks. There is broad interest in the impact AI might have on job losses for example, so tackling the issue of risk vs reward is important in effective AI communications. Demand for coverage in this area is also being driven by investors.

More broadly, our panellists thought AI stories relating to data centres, health, and job cuts should be getting more attention!

And finally, what advice do you have for tech companies?

For companies in early-stage deployment, running pilots, or trials of their technology, the default is often to gatekeep details to avoid receiving early criticism. However, Joe and Nick compel these companies to place greater trust in journalists.

Invite them on-site to learn more about what you’re doing, or introduce them to a customer with clear caveats about how far along you are in terms of implementation. Going back to a point made previously - this is more likely to pique a journalist’s interest than citing promises you’re yet to deliver on!

For a free 30 minute consultation on how TFD can deliver a strategic communications programme to drive engagement and visibility for your AI company please do get in touch!