AI in Action: Top Picks from IABC NSW Leaders
Artificial Intelligence continues to be a hot topic everywhere. The number of new generative AI tools seem to be growing daily. It’s exciting, a bit scary and definitely hard to keep on top of it all. To help out, we thought we’d ask our board directors what their favourite generative AI tools are and why.
Megan Thomas: IABC NSW President and Director Buzz Communications
Favourite AI tools: Shutterstock AI, MS Designer, Chat GPT, MS Bing
I’m trying to experiment with lots of different AI tools - text, image, video and whatever else I have time for. I’m a bit obsessed with image generators at the moment, I just love the creativity they provide.
Shutterstock AI is a reliable go-to for creating original images when you don’t have time to trawl through image libraries. It’s a paid service but I especially like that the artists get compensated when their work is used, and they seem to take diversity seriously. We know this is an issue, so I am happy to support organisations that demonstrate responsible AI.
MS Designer is an amazing (free) AI tool that helps create a whole campaign and then post it directly to socials. I also frequently use Chat GPT for drafting content, ideas, research and analysis. And I like MS Bing for text generation, particularly because it automatically gives you the sources it draws on.
Initially, I’m finding there’s quite a big investment in learning all these tools and not enough hours in the day! In the long run I’m optimistic it will pay off in productivity and creativity.
Anthea Cudworth: IABC NSW VP & Treasurer and Director of Communications, Morrison & Co
Favourite AI tools: Jasper.ai, Otter.ai,
My current favourites are Jasper.ai and Otter.ai, both of which fit seamlessly into my communications. The quality of Jasper's copywriting continues to improve as it learns brand voices and adapts to style guides. And as a sci-fi fan, I also love the fact that it was originally named after Tony Stark's virtual assistant, Jarvis.
I was introduced to Otter.ai by a journalist, and have been impressed by the quality of its real-time transcription, but it's also worth exploring for meetings, as it writes action items, answers questions, and prepares minutes. A real time-saver.
Asha Oberoi: IABC NSW Director Membership and MD, FTI Consulting
Favourite AI tools: Otter.ai, Nova, Midjourney
I use Otter.ai when I am interviewing leaders before we take over their social media profiles. It helps me get a better understanding of who they are and what they care about. Interviews can typically last 90mins/2 hours and we use Otter to record and transcribe!
I use Nova for research, or for any question that I have, that I would have previously googled. We’ve also been playing around with MidJourney (AI art).
So far we haven't used AI for any content production, social media posts or thought leadership content - we are still drafting this from scratch in order to achieve an authentic tone of voice.
Luke Morgan: IABC NSW Events Director
Favourite AI tools: Chat GPT, Canva, Adobe AI Tools
Since Chat GPT took the world by storm I’ve been using it to create templates, make starts on announcements and help write briefs. While it’s not perfect, I have been working hard on my prompts and overtime I can see the tool adding more value. My top tip is to have a doc saved with your previous prompts so you don’t always need to type it out again and again.
We’ve started to experiment with some of the basic AI design tools that Canva has been introducing. It’s not perfect but it’s interesting to see how fast the tech is progressing
The AI editing tools in Adobe have also been useful in creating short videos or designs with prompts. We haven’t used this yet for actual usable content but we play around with it every now and then to see how the platform is adapting and adding in new features.
Cat Dundas: IABC NSW Director Membership
Favourite AI tools: Chat GPT, DreamStudio
Chat GPT is great for drafting job descriptions. It gives me a solid starting point for generic role descriptions I can then tailor, and it saves a lot of time.
I’ve also been playing with DreamStudio for image generation. My nephew has been using it with me too!
Several of our board members, while experimenting for personal use, said their organisations don’t allow employees to use publicly available generative AI tools for work. Understandably, many have strict AI policies to protect confidential data. Recognising the need to build employee AI capability, some innovative workplaces are starting to provide purpose built AI platforms, with appropriate guardrails already built in. Regardless, we all agreed it’s important to be vigilant in our use of AI and help organisations use it ethically and responsibly.