Edelman’s newly released 2024 AI Landscape Report reveals how artificial intelligence transforms the marketing and communications (marcom) industries.

The report, titled The Communicator’s Guide to Finding AI Tools You Can Trust, emphasizes the need for businesses to adopt AI tools while navigating the complexities of the vast AI vendor landscape.

According to the report, AI has become essential for marcom professionals.

AI helps streamline operations, automate processes, and improve creativity. However, finding the right tools remains a significant challenge, as the market is flooded with new vendors offering often untested solutions.

Edelman identifies three key AI categories for marcom professionals: large language models (LLMs), creative and design tools, and analytics and social listening tools.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT Enterprise, Google’s Gemini, and Microsoft 365 Copilot emerged as top performers in the LLM category. These tools are praised for generating high-quality content, assisting with research, and enhancing the creative process.

Adobe’s Firefly and Runway are highlighted as leaders in the creative and design space.

Firefly’s integration with Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite makes it a valuable tool for image and video generation, while Runway is noted for its advanced video production capabilities. These tools allow businesses to accelerate their content creation processes while maintaining quality.

The report also underscores the role of analytics and social listening tools in marcom.

Companies like Quid and Meltwater are leading the way in providing actionable insights from large datasets. These tools help businesses make informed decisions quickly by analyzing trends, customer behaviour, and market data.

Edelman’s research focuses on six critical use cases for generative AI in marcom: writing, research, creativity, design, synthesis, and analysis.

AI tools enable faster, more efficient work in these areas, whether by drafting content, generating creative ideas, or identifying trends in data.

Businesses use AI to create personalized marketing campaigns, engage customers in real time, and improve internal communications.

While AI’s potential is undeniable, the report stresses the importance of ethical considerations. Data privacy, bias, and intellectual property concerns must be addressed when selecting AI tools.

Edelman commends companies like Adobe for their focus on responsible AI use, ensuring that their tools respect intellectual property rights and maintain high ethical standards.

Looking to the future, Edelman anticipates further advancements in AI technology, particularly in multi-modal functionalities like voice and image recognition. These developments will open new opportunities for marcom professionals to enhance their strategies.

However, the report cautions that AI is only a tool. Successful integration requires businesses to have clear goals, governance, and ethical policies to fully harness AI’s capabilities.