AI Friend or Foe? A No-Panic Guide to AI for Communication Professionals

(Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Make AI My Coffee-Fetching Intern)

Remember when AI was just a plot device in sci-fi movies? Now it’s sitting in our computers like an eager intern, ready to help but just as likely to bring you decaf when you specifically asked for regular. For corporate communications professionals, this “intern” is either terrifying (because who needs ANOTHER thing to learn?) or frustrating (because seriously, ChatGPT, nobody talks like that).

The Current State of AI Anxiety

Let’s be real: If you’re feeling overwhelmed by AI, you’re not alone. According to a Pew Research Center study, 52% of Americans are more concerned than excited about AI. (The other 48% probably haven’t had AI try to write their corporate newsletters yet.)

Here’s what we’re hearing in breakrooms and Zoom calls everywhere:

The Never-Tried-It Gang:

• “I’ll learn AI right after I finish reading all those unread emails from 2019”
• “What if I break it? Can you break AI? I don’t want to find out”
• “I’m waiting for the ‘AI for People Who Remember Fax Machines’ edition”

The Tried-It-Once Club:

• “I asked it to write a press release and got something that sounds like a robot trying to impersonate a human trying to impersonate a robot”
• “Great, now I have perfectly formatted content that perfectly misses the point”
• “It’s like having an intern who’s really confident about being really wrong”

The Truth About AI in Communications

Here’s the thing: AI isn’t replacing corporate communicators any more than spell-check replaced writers. (Though spell-check does occasionally try to turn “stakeholder meeting” into “steak holder meeting,” which, let’s be honest, sounds more fun.)

What AI can do is:

• Take first drafts from terrifying to tolerable
• Turn your bullet points into properly formatted paragraphs (that actually sound human)
• Help you brainstorm when your brain is as empty as the office coffee pot at 4 PM
• Generate quick summaries of those 47-page reports your boss needs “the key points” from

What AI can’t do is:

• Understand your company’s unique voice (unless you teach it)
• Read your CEO’s mind (though neither can you, so that’s fair)
• Replace human creativity and judgment
• Make your meetings end on time (we’re still working on that one)

The SillyWonk Approach: Making AI Your Friend (With Benefits)

We’ve trained countless communications professionals to use AI, and here’s what we’ve learned: The secret isn’t in the tools – it’s in how you approach them. Our training method is like teaching someone to ride a bike, except with fewer scraped knees and more “aha!” moments.

Here’s how we do it:

1. Start Small: No one runs a marathon their first time in running shoes. We begin with simple, practical applications that build confidence.

2. Learn by Doing: Our training is hands-on. You’ll use AI to solve real problems from your workday, not hypothetical scenarios about selling ice to penguins.

3. Build on Success: Each win builds confidence. Before you know it, you’ll be using AI like it’s your favorite coffee shop app.

Real Talk: Success Stories

Have you met Sarah from Corporate Communications at BigTechCorp? She used to hide under her desk when anyone mentioned AI. Now she’s teaching her team how to use it for everything from first drafts to presentation outlines. (She still hides under her desk sometimes, but that’s just because open office plans are the worst.)

Or maybe you know the entire communications team at ManufacturingGiant Inc. They went from “AI is scary” to “AI is saving us 10 hours a week” in less than a month. Now they use that extra time for what humans do best: strategic thinking, creative problem-solving, and arguing about where to order lunch.

Ready to Make AI Your New Best Work Friend?

Whether you’re AI-curious or AI-anxious, we’ve got your back. SillyWonk’s custom training programs are designed for real communications professionals dealing with real challenges. We promise:

• No techno-babble
• No judgment about your current AI knowledge (or lack thereof)
• No one-size-fits-all solutions
• Just practical, actionable training that actually works

Want to learn how to make AI your most reliable team member? (One that never steals your lunch from the break room fridge?) Let’s talk.

Contact us today for a free consultation. We’ll show you how to turn AI from foe to friend – no computer science degree required.

P.S. This blog post was written by a human, edited by a human, and approved by a human who may or may not have used AI to help brainstorm punchlines. Because that’s how we roll at SillyWonk – using the best of both worlds to create content that actually works.