AI in Communications: Critical Thinking and Social Responsibility
Social COM_: A Reflection and Our Commitment to Human-Centred Communication in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial intelligence is transforming many sectors, and communications is no exception. A couple of years ago, we had an internal debate about whether or not to integrate AI into our working processes, and there was even some resistance within the team. However, the technology has advanced significantly in a very short time.
The challenge now is learning to adapt to this paradigm shift while ensuring that human responsibility and ethics guide both our actions and our messages. After all, AI cannot make those decisions for itself.
At Social COM_, we are professionals in journalism, design, illustration, and video. Generative AI is shaking up our profession with content produced in seconds: texts, translations, post ideas, posters, images, photographs, press releases, and more. But it is not all “plain sailing”. While AI’s contribution to communications processes is undeniable, speed is not always a good adviser.
So, how can we integrate AI without losing what makes us who we are? Without getting into a car under the illusion that we are in control of the steering wheel? The answer may seem simple: we need judgement and responsibility. And that requires us to first understand some fundamental facts:
Origin and Governance: AI is developed and governed by people and groups whose interests often conflict with human rights and diversity, with ties to both the military and economic sectors.
Environmental Impact: Its operation comes with a significant environmental cost and contributes to global warming. For example, in 2025, data centres consumed 222 billion litres of water for cooling. By 2030, AI data centres could consume 945 terawatt-hours of electricity — equivalent to France’s electricity consumption — and generate 399 million tonnes of CO₂.
Job Insecurity: Fewer people are needed to perform certain tasks, putting jobs at risk. The World Economic Forum projects that 92 million jobs will be displaced by 2030.
Discursive Homogenisation: Models tend to generate uniform discourse, leaving less room for debate and critical thinking.
Lack of Genuine Thought: AI does not produce new thought in the human sense — understood as the intellectual process through which a person processes and organises information through learning, memory, perception, and decision-making.
Now, with this understanding in mind, it is important to translate that knowledge into everyday decisions. At Social COM_, we have developed a practical approach based on three principles: using AI as an assistant; ensuring that analysis and written content are always shaped by human thought; and choosing more efficient alternatives whenever they are available.
Every situation and project calls for a conscious decision. For tasks that do not require significant added value, for example, AI can save valuable time. However, our work as communicators goes far beyond that. It requires authenticity and the ability to give people a voice through emotional connection and empathy. This is where the human contribution remains irreplaceable.
This distinction is not merely theoretical. For years, we have listened to people living with HIV share their experiences of rights violations and how stigma has affected their daily lives and emotional well-being. Their voices, their demands for change, their achievements, their farewells, their countless heartfelt embraces, and their resilience give us the ability to convey something in a campaign, slogan, or piece of writing that a machine cannot truly grasp: the value of being human.
Our Commitment at Social COM_
With all this in mind, and until more ethical, efficient, and transparent AI becomes available, at Social COM_ we are committed to using it with critical thinking and social responsibility.
Life is not all about increasing metrics or likes. Caring for the environment, protecting people’s health, and upholding human dignity matter just as much. This means being transparent with our clients and remaining committed to continuous learning and open dialogue, both within our team and with fellow professionals.
At Social COM_, we see AI as an ally that can help streamline certain processes. However, our greatest asset lies in the creative minds of our team, shaped by years of accumulated experience, our ability to empathise, and the meaningful connections this allows us to build between campaigns and our clients’ real needs.
We make an ongoing effort to explore the different tools available, prioritising privacy and digital well-being. Tools such as Carbontracker and Green Algorithms can help measure carbon footprints. We can also explore techniques such as model distillation, which can significantly reduce energy consumption.
Our Minds and Social Values Remain at the Helm
If AI is here to stay — and we have been using it for years — then how we use it remains our responsibility. As professionals, we understand that technology should serve people, not the other way around.
Our values are the compass that will guide us as we navigate these digital waters. Every decision about when to use AI and when to rely on human creativity is a statement of what we believe matters: critical thinking over homogenisation, workers’ dignity over indiscriminate automation, and sustainability over growth at any cost.
Ultimately, the question is not whether AI will transform communications — it already is — but how we, as professionals in the field, can help make that transformation fairer, more transparent, and more sustainable. That choice, at least, is entirely in our hands, minds, and hearts.
