Search
Stay Updated
Putting AI to Work with a Human Voice
We are currently living in the wild west of Artificial Intelligence. The rules are still being written-legally, ethically, and professionally. There is genuine excitement about workplace efficiency, creativity, and productivity, alongside a healthy skepticism about job security, cybersecurity, deepfakes, and fraud. Both sentiments deserve space.
As a communications professional, the written word is not just a deliverable - it's a reflection of the organization I represent, the sport communities I serve, and the standards I've spent years building. When AI entered the conversation, my resistance wasn't unfounded. Concerns about sloppiness, authenticity, and the erosion of human voice are legitimate, and I still hold space for them.
I've also learned that pride in my craft means evolving with the tools available - not despite our standards, but because of them. At a time when organizational capacity is thinning, finances are stretched, and inboxes are overflowing, AI isn't a shortcut; it’s a scaling tool. Used intentionally and guided by values-driven outcomes, AI helps us do more of what we do well without losing what makes our work matter. The human voice still matters and will continue to matter.
AI is unquestionably reshaping the world of communications. The question now is how you choose to position yourself within that shift. Social media was once called disruptive. Now it is ubiquitous and woven into every communications plan as a baseline expectation. AI is on the same trajectory, only moving even faster.
I recently attended a conference in Vancouver on AI in Communications, and the data was staggering (and likely already out of date):
Microsoft’s Chief People Officer, Jared Spataro recently observed that “future-ready careers are no longer built on what people know, but on how they learn to think, learn, and adapt.”
So how do we need to think, learn, and adapt when it comes to AI?
Step 1: Start with Intention
What are your goals? What are your needs? What are the gaps? What AI tools align with your ethical standards, and how can you use them responsibly?
Use AI to build your skills, not replace them. Think of AI as a scaling tool, not just an efficiency tool. It doesn’t simply help you work faster - it helps you do more of the work that moves the needle forward.
A useful framework: the 60/40 split. AI can handle roughly 60% of the structural lift - research synthesis, draft frameworks, and background preparation. The remaining 40% are the human gates that build trust within your community. If the message doesn’t sound like you, it won’t land.
Step 2: Don’t get Overwhelmed – Start with One Tool
With hundreds of AI tools on the market, it's easy to feel like you need to learn everything at once. You don't. The most important first step is simply picking one tool and getting comfortable with it before exploring others. For most sport communicators, ChatGPT or Claude are the best starting points - they're free, conversational, and great for beginners.
Step 3: Get Clear
AI rewards clarity and exposes the lack of it. One of the most useful things AI does is force you to think before you type. Vague prompts return vague output. If you can’t articulate what you want to say, the model can’t say it for you. Lead with context-rich prompts and a clear sense of purpose.
Step 4: Enforce the Human Gates
Protect your voice and your organization’s integrity. Humanize every output before it goes public. Your value isn’t in volume. It's in your judgment. Reading the room after a difficult loss, navigating athlete mental health disclosure, knowing when to say nothing at all: these are skills AI cannot replicate.
Step 5: Identify, Evaluate, and Navigate Risks
Confidentiality is a real concern. Inputting sensitive unreleased information into public AI platforms can expose data you never intended to share.
Accuracy matters too. AI can produce content that sounds credible but is factually wrong. There is also the risk of over-reliance, particularly in smaller organizations where capacity is thin and the temptation to publish AI output without sufficient review is highest. Sport organizations are built on trust with athletes, parents, funding partners, and the public. A communication that feels generated rather than considerate can quietly erode that trust.
The Bottom Line
AI is a new dimension of work. For sport administrators, the question is no longer whether to use it; it’s whether you’re building the skills to use it well.
AI frees you to focus on what it cannot do: make judgments, build trust, and show up for people in the moments that require a human being. Always enforce the irreplaceable human gates. Never publish anything you haven’t personally verified and stand behind.
Be skeptical of anyone who claims to have all the answers about AI. We are not there yet; and that’s okay.
If you are looking to learn more about Artificial Intelligence and how you can elevate your communications skills responsibly, contact Sport Law Communications Specialist, Colleen Coderre.
