AI-Integrated crisis communication: A conceptual extension of Situational Crisis Communication Theory

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly influencing organisational communication, including crisis communication responses. While existing studies acknowledge the importance of AI for monitoring, analysis and message creation, limited theoretical work has examined how AI can be integrated into an established crisis communication theory. By focusing on the Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), this conceptual paper extended the model by proposing AI-integrated crisis communication as part of response strategies and for addressing reputational threats. Although still widely acknowledged, SCCT is based on linear, human-centred assumptions that do not fully reflect the realities of algorithmically mediated communication environments. Drawing on literature from crisis communication and AI-mediated communication, this conceptual paper distinguished between AI-as-support and AI-as-agent and examined their relevance across the pre-crisis, crisis response and post-crisis stages of SCCT. A conceptual framework is proposed that extends SCCT through predictive attribution, anticipatory response alignment, hybridisation and recalibration and adaptive governance. In doing so, the proposed framework reconceptualises crisis communication as an adaptive socio-technical process and extends SCCT beyond reputation repair toward continuous reputation management.