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A table that shows the share of worker time potentially saved using AI across seven corporate functions. Time saved assisting current tasks ranges from 21% to 45%, with customer service highest. Reshaping processes with AI could save 26% to 66%, also highest in customer service, followed by corporate affairs and HR.

Share of worker time potentially saved using AI

Data: Boston Consulting Group; Note: Analysis includes a representative sample of job titles and functions gathered from LinkedIn for each corporate function; Chart: Axios Visuals

More than 80% of corporate affairs work can be augmented and automated by AI, according to a new Boston Consulting Group (BCG) report.

Why it matters: AI presents so much opportunity for efficiencies and cost savings that it cannot be ignored,  BCG chief communications officer Russell Dubner says. 

The work of corporate affairs "is too high on the list of where GenAI can have an impact to pretend it's not happening," he told Axios. 

State of play: Most communications teams are experimenting with generative AI, like large language models, which produce new content based on prompts. 

However, few have implemented agentic AIs, which act autonomously, can execute tasks and adapt to changes based on memory.

That is where the real time and cost savings will come, the report finds.

By the numbers: BCG examined tasks that are repetitive, data-driven and content-intensive within the corporate affairs portfolio, and found that employees can reclaim 26% to 36% of their time by using AI.

Today, AI support presents about 14% to 18% in cost savings for a corporate affairs team, per the report. 

In three to five years' time, AI integration across all of corporate affairs could create productivity gains of 34% to 47% and cost reductions between 20% and 28%. 

According to the study, roughly 9% of corporate affairs work can be totally AI-led, while 83% requires AI-human collaboration, assistance or supervision. Only 8% of the work is fully human-led.

Zoom in: Agentic AI creates the most potential cost savings among the operational, planning and analytical tasks of corporate affairs (28%-39%), followed by external and media communications (22%-31%), and ESG and community comms (21%-30%).

The functions with fewer opportunities for cost savings include strategic and executive communications (12%-16%), public affairs (16%-22%) and internal comms (18%-24%).

Yes, but: Cost reduction doesn't necessarily mean fewere employees, says Dubner.

"I'm not of the view that humans are going to be replaced by AI, but you can create a more efficient function, if you choose to [and] if that's your priority," he says. "If your CEO wants you to make it the most cost-effective, there is the opportunity to do that too."

What to watch: To understand the full savings potential, every function within corporate affairs should map out how AI will be used to support or automate the work, followed by a new workflow and talent plan, added Dubner. 

AI can support 80% of corporate affairs tasks, new BCG report says

Corporate affairs professionals can't ignore it, says BCG's Russell Dubner.

A table that shows the share of worker time potentially saved using AI across seven corporate functions. Time saved assisting current tasks ranges from 21% to 45%, with customer service highest. Reshaping processes with AI could save 26% to 66%, also highest in customer service, followed by corporat

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More than 80% of corporate affairs work can be augmented and automated by AI, according to a new Boston Consulting Group (BCG) <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="report" data-vars-click-url="https://media-publications.bcg.com/The-GenAI-Transformation-of-the-Communications-Function.pdf" data-vars-content-id="020890a3-7689-45ca-a040-c021d275e0c6" data-vars-headline="AI can support 80% of corporate affairs tasks, new BCG report says" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://media-publications.bcg.com/The-GenAI-Transformation-of-the-Communications-Function.pdf" target="_blank">report</a>.Why it matters: AI presents so much opportunity for efficiencies and cost savings that it cannot be ignored,  BCG chief communications officer Russell Dubner says.

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