Insights

December 11, 2025

AI has rapidly evolved from fringe to foundational. Workers across industries who aren’t upskilling risk being “exited.” In corporate communications, AI is now a strategic partner, a shift we explore more today.

ICYMI: Our latest edition rounded up key media moves and news, from imagining a Google Zero world to the AI podcast network with 400,000 listeners. Catch up here.

Why communications is built for AI

Communications roles are among those best positioned to benefit from generative AI.

A recent generative AI report from Boston Consulting Group found that communications is one of the top functions for GenAI impact. Teams can reclaim 26% to 36% of their time by using AI for drafting, research and other routine work, with smarter workflows pushing that closer to 50%. However, comms still relies on human judgment, so these tools enhance work, they don’t replace the people doing it. As they scale, creativity and discernment become even more essential.

By the numbers: The 5th Annual HarrisX–Ragan Survey of Communications Leaders, released in November, finds that 95% of organizations now use AI in communications work. Thirty percent say AI already completes more than half of that work, and more than half expect that to be true by 2030.

And one finding that says a lot: 57% of CEOs say they would pick a custom-trained AI to write a key speech over a top comms pro working without AI.

• What they’re saying: “If someone’s not using AI, it’s almost like they’re stealing from the company or from their client because they’re charging them to do something that shouldn’t take that long to do or that could be done more efficiently,” said Greg Galant, CEO and co-founder of Muck Rack.

Yes, but: Of course, the rise of AI has its downsides. Chief among them is what is now known as “workslop,” or low-quality AI-generated content that slows the workflow. This typically occurs when workers rely too heavily on AI (also known as cognitive atrophy) instead of treating it as, say, an early-career colleague who benefits from supervision.

• This is why it’s critical for organizations to standardize use, set clear guidelines, invest in training and keep communication open, while ensuring those guardrails can adapt to AI-driven complexity. Those guidelines should cover not only how AI is used, but how leaders communicate its future impact to employees.

Here’s what that looks like at Global Gateway Advisors: We have been running an AI Insights Learning Series for our team, bringing in monthly guests to discuss trends, practical applications and how AI is reshaping our field. We also launched internal AI cohorts to share knowledge, test tools and develop strategies that help us deliver stronger results. As these programs sharpen our craft, we continue to share key insights with our clients and engage them on new opportunities to elevate our work.

What we’re watching:

• The continued rise of GEO. SEO is declining in favor of generative engine optimization, reshaping how information is discovered and how both brands and media outlets are surfaced. Communicators will need to structure content for AI interpretation, not just human readers, to ensure their messages appear accurately and consistently across emerging AI-driven channels.
• The growing threat of deepfakes and other cyber risks. As generative tools advance, comms teams must prepare for more AI-driven misinformation, reputational threats, and synthetic media. A September survey from Gartner found that 62% of organizations experienced a deepfake attack in the past year, a clear signal that strategic response will become a core competency for modern communicators. Go deeper: Are you crisis-ready?
• Redemption of the em dash? AI has delivered real benefits, but it has also created a few unlikely casualties. The em dash was reluctantly dropped among writers who worried their work would be mistaken for machine-generated copy. OpenAI says the issue has been resolved, but whether the maligned punctuation mark — with its many loyalists — can reclaim its reputation remains to be seen. Next up: the billable hour?

The bottom line: AI is moving fast. The teams that start using it now, build their skills as the tools evolve, and establish clear expectations for how AI shows up in the workplace will be the ones shaping what comes next in communications. As Anne Green, CEO of G&S Integrated Marketing Communications Group shared: “2024 was the year of AI Exploration and 2025 is the year of AI Enablement. 2026 will be the year of AI Standardization and Acceleration.”

Global Gateway Advisors can help you level up: We know the “how, when, and where” of integrating AI can feel like a roadblock. Let us help you move forward with confidence. Book a 30-minute Jumpstart Call — our human copilot sessions offer personalized guidance so you can work smarter and thoughtfully integrate AI into daily tasks.

📧 Email info@gga.nyc to schedule your session

H1 2026 events to start planning for:

AI, leadership + organizational strategy

• Charter Leading with AI (New York City/virtual, Feb. 10 & San Francisco/virtual, Feb. 24): An in-depth look at how organizations can break out of AI’s “messy middle,” featuring insights from practitioners, strategies for redesigning work for AI and guidance for leaders shaping the future of talent, technology and organizational transformation.
• WSJ Tech Council Summit (Palo Alto, California, Feb 10-11): Senior technology leaders gather to explore how the C-suite is deploying AI, overcoming scale challenges, and driving transformational change across their organizations. Participants include Tim Crawford, CIO strategic advisor at AVOA; Sasan Goodarzi, CEO of Intuit; and Kathy Kay, EVP and CIO at Principal Financial.
• WSJ CPO Council Summit (Palo Alto, California, March 25-26): A gathering of top Chief People Officers examining how AI is reshaping the workforce, from talent strategy and hiring to organizational resilience and large-scale change management. The program features expert speakers, peer discussions and curated experiences designed to help leaders prepare for a future in which work is increasingly driven by AI.
• Semafor World Economy Summit (Washington, D.C., week of April 13): The World Economy Summit 2026 is dedicated to advancing dialogues that catalyze global growth and fortify resilience in an uncertain, shifting global economy.
• HR Brew The Talent 2030 Collective (Studio Gather, New York City, April 21): Join forward-thinking HR leaders to explore how shifting labor-market expectations, AI adoption, and new approaches to hiring, development and retention are reshaping the employee lifecycle, and the strategies needed to build teams that stay, grow, and drive long-term impact.
• Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit (The St. Regis, Atlanta, May 19-20): An invitation-only forum, co-hosted with Indeed, where top executives, people leaders, and technologists examine how AI, demographics and emerging cultural norms are reshaping the workplace — from talent strategy to leadership and organizational design. Indeed, our client, continues to serve as founding partner.

Health + digital innovation

• ViVE (Los Angeles Convention Center, Feb. 22-25): Co-created by HLTH and CHIME, ViVE brings together health system, payer and technology leaders to examine how digital tools, data, and emerging innovations are reshaping the business of healthcare. Participants include Tom Mihaljevic, MD, CEO and President of the Cleveland Clinic; Mary Varghese Presti, CVP and Chief Operating Officer for Health and Life Sciences at Microsoft; and Sarah London, CEO of Centene Corporation.
• HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition (Venetian Convention & Expo Center, Las Vegas, March 9-12): Join global health and tech leaders to explore how AI, data and new delivery models are transforming care, with hundreds of sessions and stakeholders from across the healthcare ecosystem.

Bookmark Global Gateway Advisors’ event tracker, updated weekly.

Media news + moves

• Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery: The streaming giant announced plans to acquire the entertainment company — a move that the New York Times’ Brooks Barnes referred to as completing the “conquest of Hollywood by tech insurgents.” The cash-and-stock deal is valued at more than $82 billion. Still, it needs to be approved by federal regulators, and President Trump has already indicated that it “could be a problem,” while Paramount announced it is launching a hostile bid for the company on Monday, with the backing of Jared Kushner and several Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds. Last week, a group of unnamed film producers sent Congress a letter detailing their concerns about the potential sale, warning that Netflix has “no incentive to support theatrical exhibition, and they have every incentive to kill it.” In other words, it already reads like a Hollywood script. More here
• Versant sets the tone: CEO Mark Lazarus announced a major investment in MS NOW’s digital presence, including a direct-to-consumer launch in summer 2026. Meanwhile, CNBC revealed a new logo that will go live this Saturday, which is described as “a more modern look that simplifies the design while keeping its identity familiar and timeless.” More here
• NBC is rolling out a new digital subscription: Users will gain access to all of its digital journalism in one ad-free place, along with subscriber-only video content and shows. The service will likely cost between $4 and $7 per month, according to NBCUniversal News Group chief digital officer Chris Berend. The move positions NBC to diversify beyond ads and cable fees while targeting audiences “between the coasts.” More here
• Bread & Butter 2.0: The former weekly print newsletter from Consumer Reports, first published in 1941 to “help cash-strapped Americans make smart decisions with limited resources,” is being relaunched on Substack, which feels quite symbolic of the current moment. More here
• WSJ names new executive leadership: Editor in Chief Emma Tucker recently announced that Aja Whitaker-Moore — formerly editor-in-chief at Axios — would be joining the outlet as Deputy Editor in Chief. David Crow was promoted to the same role, and Dan Colarusso of CNBC was hired as the new coverage chief for Business, Finance and Economics. More here 
• Business Insider’s strategy shift: We recently covered how BI was confusing staff and readers by announcing plans to pivot away from SEO content while still rolling out clickbait headlines. Oliver Darcy reported in his Status newsletter that the outlet quietly dropped its paywall in November, at least for now, in an attempt to drive traffic and increase ad revenue — a move at odds with the premium business model BI has adopted. The outlet also announced it will begin piloting the use of a custom GPT to help publish quick news stories. More here
• Everyone wants in on The Economist: At least a dozen parties, ranging from wealthy individuals to media companies, have signaled initial interest in buying a 27% share of the 182-year-old publication, amid fresh revenue and profit gains. More here
• What are the chances Kalshi’s media footprint grows? High, considering the prediction-market operator — which allows people to trade on the outcome of… almost anything you can think of — announced deals with both CNN and CNBC this month, allowing the networks to use its real-time probability data. More here

Media moves:

• CBS News named “CBS Mornings” co-host Tony Dokoupil as the new anchor of “CBS Evening News” beginning in the new year. More here
• The Information hired Amy Dockser Marcus (from the Wall Street Journal) to cover health and science. More here
• Tom Randall (formerly at Bloomberg) joined Endpoints News as a vice president and head of Signal, a platform combining independent reporting with data and analysis. More here 
• Julia Beizer is leaving her role as COO of Bloomberg Media to lead Microsoft’s AI news product. More here
• USA Today’s top editor, Caren Bohan, abruptly left the company, making her the second leader to do so in less than two years. More here
• Hadas Gold will shift to covering artificial intelligence at CNN after five years as the network’s Israel correspondent. More here
• The Wall Street Journal hired Kate Clark (previously at Bloomberg) as a technology reporter covering venture capital and startups. More here. The outlet also hired Devin Smith to start its Talent Lab, helping WSJ journalists build the modern skills needed to reach new audiences and deepen engagement. More here
• Lionel Barber, a former editor at The Financial Times, joined Breaker to write about the media industry. More here
• Fortune CEO Anastasia Nyrkovskaya announced she is leaving the organization after seven years at the company and under two years in the role. More here
• Ann-Marie Alcántara, who covered internet culture for the Wall Street Journal, has departed. More here
• Mark Gimein joined The Free Press as business and technology editor. More here