AI at the Helm: Transforming Crisis Communication Through Theory and Advancing Technology

This thesis investigates the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly large language models, into crisis communication, focusing on how AI technologies can enhance response strategies and stakeholder engagement during crises. By leveraging established communication frameworks such as Image Repair Theory, Situational Crisis Communication Theory, and the Discourse of Renewal, this research explores the potential for AI to improve both the speed and precision of crisis responses. The study highlights how AI can assist in monitoring public sentiment, drafting tailored responses, and managing real-time information during crisis events. However, it also addresses the limitations of AI, such as its inability to fully understand human emotions and the ethical concerns surrounding its use. The research demonstrates that while AI is a powerful tool for data processing and initial communication, it cannot replace the human expertise needed to interpret emotional cues and make compassionate, ethical decisions. Instead, AI should be seen as an enhancement to human-led crisis communication strategies, enabling quicker, more efficient responses while keeping human oversight at the forefront. Through this exploration, the thesis fills a critical gap in the literature by applying AI systems within traditional crisis communication theories and offers new avenues for future research into AI’s role in more complex, cross-cultural, and ethically sensitive crisis scenarios.