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State of the Art of AI in Communications: A Level-Setting Conversation
Overview
This 90‑minute hybrid session introduces communicators to today’s AI landscape, covering capabilities, risks and practical uses across the communications workflow. Through examples and discussion, participants will gain shared language, responsible-use guidelines and clear decision points for applying AI effectively in their organizations.
Presenter: Alex Sévigny, PhD, APR, FCPRS
Location: L.R. Wilson Hall, Room 2001, McMaster University + Virtual
Date: April 8, 6-7:30pm, plus informal reception at the Phoenix post-event. $8 evening parking after 4 pm at McMaster University in Lot B or under L.R. Wilson Hall (TBC).
Pricing (in-person and hybrid):
- CPRS Member: $30
- Student :$10
- Non-Member: $50
In-person capacity is 35. No limit on virtual attendance.
Full Description:
AI is no longer a “future trend” in communications, it’s a shifting set of tools, risks, and opportunities that communicators are being asked to understand right now. This 90-minute, hybrid (in-person and virtual) professional development session is designed as a practical level-setting conversation for CPRS Hamilton members and any other communicators who would like to join, whether you’ve experimented with generative AI daily or haven’t touched it yet.
In this interactive session, Alex Sévigny will map the current state of the art in AI as it applies to communications work: what today’s models can (and can’t) do, where they reliably add value, and where they introduce brand, legal, privacy, and reputational risk. Through real-world examples and interactive discussion, we’ll explore high-impact use cases across the communications lifecycle: research and insight gathering, message development, content drafting, stakeholder Q&A, media relations support, measurement, and issue/crisis preparedness—alongside common failure modes like hallucinations, bias, confidentiality leakage, and “automation without accountability.”
You’ll leave with a shared vocabulary, a clear-eyed view of what “good” looks like when using AI responsibly, and a simple set of decision points and guardrails you can apply immediately, both individually and within your organization.