(Article in the ‘2026 PR & Comms trends’ series)
The adoption rate of generative AI by the general public appears to be taking off at warp speed in comparison to the adoption rates of the PC and the Internet by the general public.
Two years after the initial introduction to the general public of the PC (IBM in 1981), 20% individuals were reported to be using it. In 1995, the Internet was opened for commercial traffic, and two years later, 20% individuals were using it.
Two years after the introduction of ChatGPT AI, the number of individuals reported using the AI was 39%-twice that of computer or internet adoption (Bick, A., Blandin, A., & Deming, D., 2024). The Rapid Adoption of Generative AI, AND Greenstein, S. (2000). Commercialization of the Internet: The Interaction of Public Policy and Private Choices or Why Introducing the Market Worked so Well.
AI’s arrival has been impactful in many spheres, but more so in communications and marketing. AI is flipping the script of the Comms’ landscape by lowering the barriers to entry from the customers’ end as well as the agency’s end, and hitting clean-cut RoIs.
How?
From the consumers’ end: AI’s ability to customize messaging not just for broad consumer segments, but for each specific consumer individually, based on each consumer’s social media profiles, internet browsing histories, web search preferences, and language.
From the agency’s end: Instead of large teams of creatives, campaign planners, and monitoring pods, one well trained professional individual running AI can be the writer, the designer, the videographer, and the reputation monitor, performing all activities simultaneously via AI (handling the overall campaign alone) and optimising RoI. Alternatively, an LLM hosted by the Agency, that is trained using clients’ past data and campaigns, can help in predicting campaign outcomes and lowering wasted Ad / PR campaign spend.
In a discussion between Michael and David C. Edelman (author – “Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI”-at https://firmsconsulting.com/the-future-of-ai-and-personalization-with-david-c-edelman/) how Starbucks uses AI to target individuals based on their immediate environment and history (Eg: geographic location i.e home vs. work vs. vacation, time of day, day of the week..etc) rather than just a static profile.
Meltwater got news for the Comms industry for 2026:
“…The goal of achieving personalization that goes beyond demographics is a dream for many marketers, but the complexity and cost make it impractical. In this context, personalization means tailoring messages based on values, interests, and behaviors. Advances in AI now make that kind of psychographic segmentation and micro-targeting feasible at scale. McKinsey reports that 65% of consumers see targeted promotions as a leading purchase driver, and brands can see a 2% lift in incremental sales. In 2026, it’s time to move beyond one-size-fits-all content and invest in personalized journeys that will build stronger customer relationships and higher lifetime value…” [Meltwater’s Marketing Trends to Watch in 2026 -www.meltwater.com]
(To Be Continued)
