Predictions for the Year Ahead: 3 Shifts in Internal and Change Comms in the Age of AI
AI is reshaping how work gets done – and the field of communications is no exception.
The fundamentals haven’t changed: people still need clarity, context and connection to make sense of change. What’s changing is how communication is created, delivered and received.
Here are three shifts we expect to see in the year ahead – and what leaders can do now to prepare.
Prediction 1: Content Will Keep Scaling. Attention Will Keep Shrinking.
Stat to watch: 83% of knowledge workers say they are trapped in a communication maze of scattered emails and chats, where vital information often gets lost.
What it means: Information overload is already a challenge, and AI-generated content is likely to add to the volume. The risk isn’t that employees won’t get enough information – it’s that they’ll disengage or find that messages actively obstruct their ability to focus on meaningful work.
Communication teams must shift from output to impact, producing fewer, more intentional messages that protect attention and create value.
How to prepare: Treat communication like scarce real estate. Ask: Is this message necessary? Who really needs it? Run small tests and trials, such as A/B tests, to see what captures attention, then scale your solution based on those insights. In a world of abundant content, relevance is what earns attention, provides value and builds trust.
Prediction 2: Signals Will Get Louder. Understanding Will Stay Quiet.
Stat to watch: 57% of employees say their company has a generative AI strategy in place, compared with 89% of executives who say it does.
What it means: Leaders may assume their messages are landing simply because they were sent or because dashboards show clicks or activity. However, the gap between executives and employees in understanding AI strategy shows how misleading that assumption can be.
How to prepare: Go beyond superficial metrics. Don’t just track clicks or usage. Use methods like focus groups, pulse surveys and informal conversations to assess true understanding. Ask: Do people understand the strategy? and Can they explain what it means for their role? Don’t settle for more data. Seek deeper, actionable insight that drives understanding and adoption.
Prediction 3: Managers Will Carry More of the Message – and More of the Risk.
Stat to watch: Only 27% of managers are engaged at work, and over half have never received formal training – including communication and people-leadership skills.
What it means: As AI tools take on more of a team’s drafting and editing responsibilities, managers play an increasingly important role in the final stage of communication – ensuring messages are delivered in a way people understand and trust.
Employees already look to them first for clarity, but many managers don’t feel equipped for the role. Without support, important messages risk being diluted or distorted – and organizational alignment can weaken.
How to prepare: Support managers as the human bridge between the organization’s strategy and those who will implement it in their day-to-day responsibilities. Provide hands-on training to build confidence and give them opportunities to practice effective communications.
In an AI-driven workplace, managers need more than digital tools. They need targeted coaching and ongoing, real-time support to communicate change.
What AI Can’t Replace
These shifts point to a future where AI does more of the producing, but people remain responsible for the meaning.
More than ever, communication won’t just be about what gets said. It will be about what gets understood, internalized and acted on. And as machine-made content becomes more common, the messages employees will trust most are the ones that feel human.
The role of the Internal Communications function is evolving – not to create more, but to help organizations make sense of more.
Leaders who plan for this now will be better equipped to earn attention, maintain alignment and guide their people through the changes AI is accelerating.
