AI terms skyrocket in company earnings calls
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Today's CEOs will be the last to "manage a workforce of only human beings," Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff told Axios' Ina Fried in Davos, Switzerland, earlier this year.
Why it matters: Anything that affects American jobs is likely to become a wedge issue, but communications can help.
The big picture: To say workers are skeptical of AI is putting it mildly.
- More than half of Americans are worried about the future impact of AI use in the workplace, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey, and 32% think it will lead to fewer job opportunities.
- A recent Gallup survey found that 3 in 4 Americans view AI negatively, and an Ipsos poll concludes that 44% of global workers have concerns about AI's effect on their job security.
Between the lines: This broad misunderstanding and skepticism about AI increases the potential for messaging land mines, especially as new AI-related terms quickly become part of the corporate language.
- State of play: The mention of terms like "agentic AI," "AI workforce," "digital labor" and "AI agents" during earnings calls increased 779% in the past year, according to AlphaSense data.
What they're saying: "It's a confusing landscape and we are introducing new vocabulary, which is common in tech comms, but oftentimes requires more background and context," says Mission North co-CEO Tyler Perry.
- Now is not the time to communicate with shorthand, says Outcast CEO Becky Porter.
- "If a company is having to navigate a reduction in workforce because they are remodeling the way that their company needs to work, they're oftentimes saying, 'We're going to reduce our workforce by X percent, and it's being replaced by AI.' And I think that's leaving a lot of room for misinterpretation," Porter said.
- "AI and automation offer incredible opportunities for efficiency but often are perceived by human employees as job replacers, rather than job enhancers. And so I think as communicators, there is a real opportunity to balance the reality with the excitement around AI and its potential."
Reality check: While AI will disrupt the workforce, it is not expected to completely replace humans. Instead, it will augment the work most are already doing.
- This is what communicators from all industries will have to explain to investors, lawmakers and especially employees.
- "I think that the internal communications is just as important as the external communication, because otherwise, employees may become disinterested in being a part of what their company is doing and where they're headed," Porter said.
The intrigue: While a majority of Americans are still suspicious of AI tools, more established tech companies have a leg up with consumers, according to a new Brand Expectations survey by Mission North.
- When it comes to the AI race, Google, Amazon and Microsoft are the most trusted, while Meta, OpenAI and Anthropic are among the least trust, per the survey.
Zoom in: "The narrative was that AI will replace jobs, but it should be about how it will improve life," says Perry. "And to do that, communicators must keep humans at the center of AI storytelling."
What to watch: Corporations previously used jargon-y acronyms (ESG, DEI) when describing sustainability pledges or commitments to inclusion.
- These terms were misunderstood by the masses and quickly redefined by the opposition.
- AI-related terminology could be next, if not communicated in a consistent and clear way to all audiences.
The bottom line: All communicators — not just those at OpenAI, Google and Microsoft — must figure out the best way to message AI's effect on the workforce.
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