The role and value of senior communicators in the AI era: ethical guardians, relationship champions, trainers, and strategic advisors

Purpose The purpose of this research was twofold: (1) to examine the unique value that senior communicators bring to their organizations and clients' adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) and (2) to understand if and how GAI adoption is impacting public relations as a strategic management function. Design/methodology/approach Drawing from excellence theory and role theory, researchers conducted 30 elite interviews with U.S. senior communicators who had experience working with GAI or managing a team using GAI. Findings Participants indicated that GAI is elevating the strategic management role and responsibilities of senior communicators in organizations and with clients. Participants counseled senior management and teams about the impact of AI on work processes, organizational and client reputations, and business outcomes. They helped to maintain transparency and accountability, thereby building trust with stakeholders regarding the GAI processes and their impact. Communicators committed to self-learning and exploration to guide employees and teams through technological change. Communicators reinvested time and energy in fostering in-person relationships grounded in trust and authenticity. Originality/value Senior communicators' contributions to organizations' implementation of GAI introduce a new domain of strategic influence to excellence theory. Data ethics is a more pronounced priority in today's AI world. Moreover, communicators' efforts to make GAI processes transparent might be viewed as an extension of two-way symmetrical communication, another tenet of excellence theory. Finally, this research suggests how the public relations manager's role is evolving to include responsibilities in data ethics, training, and relationship building.