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SEC Newgate Global Team
Senior members of SEC Newgate’s crisis communications team will be running an AI-focused crisis simulation panel at the PR Week crisis communications summit on Tuesday 27 June
Entitled, the Changing Face of Crisis: the AI Challenge, the session will recreate a real-time crisis and issues scenario using the latest simulation technology software available. It is designed to provide an understanding of how comms professionals can address the challenges of AI, based on SEC Newgate’s most recent client experience. During the session, participants will be faced with an unfolding series of business-critical decisions that will both inform and educate and test their ability to managing a real crisis.
A recent study from Stanford University found that content creation by misinformation surged by almost 350% following the release of ChatGPT, while a radio host in the US has launched the first defamation lawsuit against a generative AI platform.
Here’s what the four panellist think of the topic:
Alistair Kellie, Practice Head, Communications, SEC Newgate UK, said: “The rapid adoption of embryonic, generative AI tools poses a significant reputational risk to individuals and organisations, not least because of its ability to fuel misinformation and cyber-attacks. As one cyber security expert told me last week, ‘companies will fall and marriages will fail’ as a result of the unintended consequences of generative AI.”
Tom Flynn, Head of Digital, SEC Newgate UK, said: “We are already seeing large language models that are generating inaccurate descriptions of executives and businesses, which could have harmful impact on their reputation. AI also offer bad actors an opportunity to harm reputations and businesses faster, and more convincingly. Deep-fakes for example, have the potential to harm valuations and damage reputations. Just this week an AI generated image appeared to show an explosion at the US Pentagon which resulted in the S&P dipping 0.3 per cent.”
Dafydd Rees, Senior Counsel, SEC Newgate UK said: “The technology is evolving at a rapid rate, and the ways in which it is being used by individuals and corporates will undoubtedly change the way we work. As ever, we all need to be fully aware of the unintended consequences of poor and unregulated adoption.”
Sebastian Hejnowski, Founding Partner and CEO, SEC Newgate CEE said: “A deepfake or an AI-based reputational issue can quickly spread internationally. Companies that don’t have multi-language monitoring may be missing the start of an issue and the opportunity to tackle it before it becomes a crisis. Once a situation develops, it’s more important than ever that your crisis team have access to specialist help across multiple markets.”