Communication Alignment matters more than ever in the Age of AI - Part 1

Regardless of industry, much of the conversation around A.I. has focused on how organizations can use these tools. But what about how the tools see your organization?

With communication channels evolving so rapidly over the years, many organizations have become comfortable with the idea that outdated or inaccurate information about them exists online. Community organizations, in particular, have often shifted away from maintaining websites in favor of relying primarily on social media to keep stakeholders informed. But that strategy may soon become a liability.

Artificial Intelligence is quickly transforming how people find information and navigate the web. While there is still healthy skepticism among many professionals about overreliance on A.I., that hesitation will likely fade as the technology improves and younger generations increasingly enter the workforce.

When that shift fully arrives, organizations that communicate their message clearly and authentically — across social media, signage, websites, and other public-facing platforms — will benefit significantly. Organizations that leave outdated information online, however, risk being misrepresented by the very systems people are beginning to trust for answers.

Since October 2024, Google has rolled out AI Overviews as a top-of-page search feature in Canada, often presenting A.I.-generated summaries before users even reach traditional website results. At the same time, companies have invested heavily in conversational A.I. platforms like Google Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which reportedly surpassed 900 million weekly active users in early 2026.

The phrase “I’ll ask Chat” has even become common among the high school lacrosse players I help coach.

While this trend creates anxiety for some who are hesitant to “trust the robots,” I’m reminded of a metaphor I often share with athletes and coaches: the difference between cows and buffalo when a storm approaches.

Both cows and buffalo can sense a storm from miles away, but they react very differently.

Cows run away from the storm. Sometimes they escape it temporarily, but more often they simply prolong their exposure. By the time the storm catches them, they are exhausted, and the experience becomes longer and more difficult.

Buffalo, on the other hand, charge directly into the storm. The encounter is intense, but brief. By facing it head-on, they emerge stronger and move through adversity more quickly as a herd.

Organizations that continue operating in blissful ignorance of A.I.’s impact on messaging risk becoming the cows — forced into reactive overhauls only after the storm has already arrived.

So how can your organization become the buffalo?

• Assess how your organization currently appears online and how A.I. platforms portray your messaging.

• Clearly define your organization’s authentic values, story, and voice.

• Identify outdated information, inconsistencies, and misinformation — then repair or eliminate the sources.

• Build a communications strategy that aligns messaging across all online platforms and public-facing channels accessed by A.I. systems.

The organizations that thrive in the age of A.I. won’t necessarily be the ones with the biggest budgets or the newest tools. They’ll be the ones that communicate clearly, consistently, and authentically.

Now is the time to prepare before the storm arrives.

Message me today to start the conversation.