2024 CommsIndex: AI Usage Surges Among Asia-Pacific Comms Heads

Generative AI usage and familiarity has risen dramatically over the past 12 months, according to the fourth edition of the Asia-Pacific Communications Index, which polls senior in-house comms executives across the region. 

Conducted by the Asia-Pacific Association of Communication Directors (APACD) in conjunction with Ruder Finn Asia and the Institute for Public Relations, the study finds that 82% of in-house comms leaders now think that AI tools such as ChatGPT can effectively automate routine PR and comms tasks, compared to just half last year.

There are similarly significant increases when respondents are asked about their familiarity with generative AI tools and usage. More than two-thirds (69%) are extremely or very familiar, compared to just 30% last year, while more than half (51%) are regularly using generative AI tools, compared to less than one in six 12 months ago.

While last year’s findings reflected concerns about AI-fuelled job losses and skills gaps, that sentiment appears to have abated to some extent in 2024. Only 18% are especially concerned about job losses, compared to 30% in 2023. The proportion of those not concerned at all jumps by 24 points to almost four in 10.

When it comes to which jobs are at most risk of being automated, writing and editing roles remain the most popular choice, while fewer in-house leaders are concerned about social media management.

Meanwhile, Asia-Pacific comms heads are not especially concerned about their job being automated. Almost two in five believe AI will enhance their roles rather than replace them, and a quarter are not concerned at all. None are worried that AI will significantly impact job security. 

Most in-house leaders (56%) see data privacy and security as the key challenges in integrating tools like ChatGPT into existing workflows and processes, ahead of the accuracy of sources and materials. User adoption and training is only seen as a challenge by 5% of respondents.

And, an equal proportion (28%) view knowledge base and data analysis as the types of communication tasks that are most suited to automation by generative AI tools. Less than one in five (18%) think emails are suited for automation, with even less support for social media content (13%), internal comms (10%) and media relations (3%).

Further CommsIndex findings, focusing on such areas as value, spending, budgets, staffing and agencies, will be released over the coming week.