AI, Trust, and the
New Comms Reality.
The communications field is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Artificial intelligence has evolved from an experimental tool to an operational force, reshaping how organizations engage, make decisions, and earn trust. The traditional model of transactional delivery is no longer fit for a world where speed, precision, and credibility define competitive advantage and business outcomes.
The Era of Trust.
Today, artificial intelligence sits at the center of a myriad of divides. Our latest Trust Flash Poll shows that across economies and generations, engagement with AI reveals widening gaps in trust, understanding, and opportunity. In markets like Brazil and China, enthusiasm drives rapid adoption and experimentation, reflecting growing confidence, while in the U.S., UK, and Germany, skepticism, hesitation and unease temper its advance.
Trust is no longer just a value, it has become a measurable currency that determines whether stakeholders believe, engage, and act. AI presents extraordinary potential for creativity, insight, and impact, but it also introduces complex risks: synthetic media, automated misinformation, regulatory scrutiny, and shifting search ecosystems that influence how information is being searched and surfaced.
We believe that every interaction with AI must be a trustworthy one. Through the EMEA Innovation Lab in Amsterdam, and more than two decades of Trust Barometer insights, we are helping organizations communicate with confidence, harness innovation responsibly, and build measurable trust at scale.
Precision, Creativity, & New Complexities
AI is no longer a tool on the periphery. It is a partner in strategy, creativity, and execution. Agentic systems can generate, test, analyze, and optimize communications workflows automatically. This unlocks speed and scale, but also exposes organizations to new risks if not governed with intention.
The New Realities Shaping Communications:
Synthetic Media & Deepfakes
The rise of synthetic media increases the need for authenticity protocols, watermarking, and rapid verification to maintain credibility.
Automated Misinformation
AI-driven misinformation spreads faster and with greater sophistication, requiring real-time monitoring and response strategies.
Regulatory Standards
Regulators across markets are introducing new standards for transparency, disclosure, and safe deployment.
AI Search Ecosystems
Platforms like OpenAI, Google, and Perplexity increasingly determine brand visibility, changing how audiences discover information.
The New Strategic Dilemma
The old challenge of “move fast or fall behind” has evolved. Today’s dilemma is more nuanced.
Brands that rely too heavily on AI risk sounding generic or losing stakeholder confidence. Brands that move too slowly risk irrelevance in an environment where competitors are scaling content, insights, and engagement. Employees, too, expect clarity: they want to adopt AI confidently & responsibly, not fear it.
Human creativity becomes more valuable, not less, as AI-generated content floods the landscape. Distinctive thinking is now the differentiator.
How can we leverage & scale AI without compromising credibility, authenticity, and human judgment?
Leadership Perspectives
Insights from our Managing Directors across EMEA
"What excites me most about the future of communications in Africa is how AI can amplify the creativity, cultural intelligence, and entrepreneurial spirit already thriving on the continent."
"What excites me most about AI in the EU is its power to elevate public affairs and comms with sharper insight and speed, while making human intelligence, oversight, and contextual understanding more essential to delivering sound, strategic advice to clients."
"In a market like France, AI is exciting precisely because it challenges us to protect what makes communications valuable: human judgment, cultural nuance, and ethical responsibility."
Where Trust and Innovation Converge
As the world's largest independent communications firm, we are investing deeply in AI-enabled Trust solutions designed to ensure that our innovations lead to real-world impact.
Trust Stream
Trust Stream applies Edelman's proprietary trust-based large language model, ArchieAI, to identify, score, summarize and explain what's impacting trust with precision and predictability.
Archie is trained on trust with world's only Trust Data Lake comprised of 20+ years of Edelman Trust research and augmented daily with hundreds of millions of data points from earned media, social content, employee reviews, survey data and other sources.
GEOSight
Our Generative Engine Optimization solution enabling companies to influence how they are represented in AI responses by optimizing earned and owned content for visibility, accuracy, and trustworthiness.
Learn moreArchie Personas
Synthetic audience intelligence to pressure-test messaging and how narratives may land before going live.
Agentic Workflows
Transition from manual prompting to automated systems with strong governance and efficiency.
Ready to shape the future of Communications together?
The Innovation Lab is ready to help you build trust, scale impact, and communicate responsibly.
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