Artificial Intelligence’s (AI’s) Implications for Strategic Communication

Organisations in Africa have integrated Artificial Intelligence’s (AI) innovations, such as data driven technologies and automation, into their operations. This is being done, among others, to enhance customer relationships, strategic communication and to deliver services. However, there are suggestions that these data-driven technologies are not transparent enough, which is contrary to what strategic communication is about. A survey in South Africa, for example, shows that only thirty nine percent of the people have heard of AI. This is despite South Africa being among the top five African countries in the 2020 Global Government Artificial Intelligence Readiness Index. Several academic papers evaluating the AI topic from different standpoints have been published in recent years. However, little academic work has been done regarding AI’s impact on strategic communication in the African continent. Although AI automation and applications seek to address most of society’s pressing problems, there are also challenges such as the technicality of AI, ethical issues, and overselling of AI. This conceptual article, analyses documents published on AI, journal articles and books content, identifies and discusses AI challenges, reviews different approaches to AI, examines AI’s impact on the strategic communication field and makes recommendations, with an intention to contribute to the AI and strategic communication disciplines. The research established that AI will continue to preoccupy academics and the public because of the increasing intermingling of smart technologies with different areas of human life.