18 min read 28th May 2026
For many people, AI has become the solution to not having enough hours in the day to get everything done, from drafting emails to automating routine tasks. But for all its benefits, it comes with risks too.
Is communication something we should really be outsourcing? How does AI use shape the way others perceive us – and our business?
As communication coaches, we have a commitment to continuous learning at Body Talk. In this blog, we’ll explore how Ai is changing workplace communication, and how leaders can set the standard for responsible AI use.
The shift towards artificial intelligence
The shift towards artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace is happening faster than you may realise. What was once seen as a tool for specific tasks has now spread throughout entire organisations, impacting everything from communication to decision-making.
What’s changed in the last few years
A few years ago, AI still felt like a niche topic. But according to research published by the UK Government, nearly the entire public (97%) has now heard of AI.
With advancements in AI models, tools like ChatGPT are releasing new versions that introduce features and capabilities we hadn’t thought possible before. These improvements are making AI more versatile than ever, prompting an increasing number of people to integrate these tools into their daily workflows.
But AI isn’t limited to text and image generation models like ChatGPT. As we go into in our blog on using AI for business presentations, tools like PowerPoint’s “Rehearse with Coach” feature use AI to analyse your presentation skills. It looks at your body language, speech pace, and even offers real-time feedback on how to improve your delivery.
How AI is changing the way teams communicate day-to-day
These are some of the most common ways is used in everyday work. We look at each of these in more depth in our blog on AI communication, where we break down how to use these tools effectively without losing the human side of communication.
AI-assisted messaging and emails
AI-powered tools are now being used to automate much of the routine messaging and email processes that once consumed valuable time. For instance, AI can draft and send emails, handle internal updates, or even manage communication across different platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams.
Meeting summaries and transcriptions
AI-generated transcription tools now automatically convert meetings and video calls into written summaries, capturing action items and follow-up tasks.
With meeting summaries and transcriptions, everyone can catch up on discussions at their convenience – helping to reduce time spent in lengthy meetings.
Breaking down language and cross-cultural barriers
One of the most significant ways AI is changing communication is by breaking down language and cross-cultural barriers. With AI translation tools, teams can communicate across language barriers without losing meaning.
The leadership credibility problem
We’ve talked about how AI can be incredibly useful, but it also comes with some issues that aren’t always obvious. As a leader, maintaining your authority and credibility is really important – and if AI isn’t used thoughtfully, it can begin to undermine both.
When AI-generated messages affect trust
AI can be useful for drafting communication quickly, but it doesn’t always get it right. Messages can come across as overly generic, slightly off in tone, or missing key context that a human would naturally include.
Over time, if people are unsure whether communication reflects genuine judgement or automated output, confidence in that communication naturally weakens.
The risk of “management speak” becoming “AI speak”
Large language models are trained mostly on written text, which means they’re good at producing clear, structured language – but not always at capturing how people naturally speak or communicate in real life.
As more leaders use AI to draft messages, there’s a risk that traditional “management speak” and AI-generated language start to blend together. The result is communication that is efficient and polished, but sometimes feels distant.
As security technologist Bruce Schneier (Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University) and novelist and historian of technology and information Ada Palmer (University of Chicago) summarise in The Guardian:
“The writing large language models train on is increasingly produced by large language models themselves, creating a feedback loop in which they imitate their own inhuman patterns, even while teaching humans to imitate them too.”
What leaders get wrong about AI and workplace communication
AI is still new territory for many organisations, and it’s easy to fall into unhelpful habits without realising. Some examples of these are:
Confusing efficiency with connection
AI is excellent at speeding things up. It can turn rough ideas into polished emails, structure a presentation in seconds, and tidy up internal updates that would normally take time to write.
But communication is how we build relationships, and when AI does too much of the writing, the “you” starts to fade from what you’re saying.
You can use AI to write a presentation faster, but you can’t use it to build trust with your audience faster. That still comes from your judgement, your perspective, and your ability to make people feel like there’s a real person behind the message.
Make sure you’re still applying core communication principles like business storytelling – putting your audience first and making yourself relatable to them.
Letting AI mask underdeveloped people skills
As highlighted in Harvard Gazette, Professor Karen Thornber draw a useful parallel:
“Just as turn-by-turn navigation systems have led to many us of knowing the streets of the city in which we currently live in far less detail than the streets of cities we learned before smartphones and car-based GPS systems were widely available, it’s likely that the ease of using LLMs will enable us to avoid engaging in certain challenging mental skills, and it will be difficult to persuade students to develop these skills in the first place.”
The same pattern applies to communication. If AI is constantly stepping in to help us communicate, we risk not developing the very skills that make communication effective. Emotional awareness and the ability to connect with people in a real, human way.
In a 2016 study by Body Talk’s founder Richard Newman, small changes in communication behaviour were shown to increase how confident people feel in a leader by 44%. This is what makes it so important to develop those skills yourself, and nurture them in your team, rather than relying on AI.
What leaders need to adapt – a practical framework
So, what can you do to avoid the mistakes we’ve discussed?
Know when to use AI and when to stay human
As we go into in our blog on the communication skills AI can’t replace, AI is often designed to sound human. Real empathy is still one of the strongest advantages leaders have – it’s what helps people feel seen, understood, and valued.
Make sure not to lose this in any area of your communication. Whether you’re giving feedback, handling conflict resolution, or delivering presentations, you need to stay close to your audience. Understand what matters to them, read the situation, and use your human empathy to guide how you communicate.
Set a clear communication policy for your team
Without shared expectations, AI use in communication quickly becomes inconsistent. Some people lean on it heavily, others avoid it entirely, and tone starts to vary from person to person.
A clear communication policy helps bring alignment. It doesn’t need to be complex, but it should define when AI is appropriate. This creates consistency in tone and helps protect the quality of communication across the organisation.
Evidence-based leadership communication skills training courses
Give your people the skills they need to lead, grounded in the science of how people think, respond, and build trust. This is a practical framework, developed over 25 years, and designed to help your leaders handle real conversations, in real time.
Expect high-energy, hands-on sessions focused on the challenges your team is facing. From influencing key stakeholders to communicating under pressure, they’ll leave with tools they can use immediately.
The outcomes you can expect are:
- Stronger, more trusting relationships
- Conflict addressed early and handled effectively
- More productive, aligned meetings
- Improved performance and productivity
- Clear progress towards targets and goals
Find the right leadership communication training course for your team
Frequently asked questions
We’ve answered the questions we get asked most often regarding using AI in the workplace below.
How effective is AI at decision-making?
Through machine learning, AI can process large amounts of data quickly and show you valuable insights that would be difficult to spot on your own. This makes it particularly useful when it comes to data-driven decisions, where identifying patterns and trends can improve the quality of your thinking.
On top of that, generative AI can help structure your thinking – summarising information, outlining options, and exploring different scenarios. But this is where its role should stop. After all, AI is just a tool, and it can’t take responsibility for decisions or apply judgement in the way a leader needs to.
Senior Lecturer at Harvard University, Fawwaz Habbal, raises an interesting point in the Harvard Gazette:
“We have to remind students that we’re trying to help them become the future leaders of society, and part of developing leadership is to add new value to society; and that is a human enterprise. I haven’t seen AI do a really good system analysis and deep critical thinking.”
The most effective approach is to use AI-driven tools to inform your decisions, not make them. You need to own what is unique about your leadership and your own critical thinking without letting AI take it over for you.
Should leaders use AI to write their internal communications?
Across most organisations, leaders are increasingly turning to AI to help manage large volumes of communication. With so many communication channels to keep on top of – email, Slack, Teams, updates, reports – it’s easy to see why. AI can be a useful way to get a first draft down quickly, structure ideas, and reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks.
But that’s where its role should stay: support, not substitute. Before using AI, it’s worth asking whether you really need it. If it’s a short, simple message, it’s more personal to write it yourself. If the message involves someone’s emotions, feedback, or a sensitive situation, it’s almost always better handled directly.
And regardless of when you use it, the final message should still sound like you.
How do you maintain authentic leadership when using AI tools?
Authentic leadership depends on consistency, and the sense that people know who you are through how you communicate. AI can support that, but only if you stay actively involved in writing the message.
Make sure that you know what you want to say before turning to AI. Use it where it adds value, but stay fully present in moments that require judgement, empathy, or leadership visibility.
What communication tasks is AI genuinely suited to?
AI is particularly useful for remote teams and global teams working across time zones. For instance, AI-generated meeting transcriptions allow team members to quickly catch up on discussions that took place outside their working hours, keeping everyone on the same page.
However, it’s more limited when it comes to creative work for things like presentations or your external communication. While it can support early ideas, real originality is still something people respond to most – and that’s much harder to replicate with AI.
How do you build a team culture around AI without losing human connection?
Make sure to put connection first. That means using AI for repetitive tasks or to tidy up and clarify a message, but not relying on it for the conversations that really matter. If it’s about people, it’s usually better coming directly from you.
It also helps to be upfront about it. Talk about any AI systems you use clearly, rather than letting it become a quiet default. That way, your team understands when and how it should be used.
Is data security a concern when using AI?
If you’re entering information into an AI system, it’s essential to understand how that data is handled. Some tools may use inputs for ongoing training, which means information could be stored or reused in ways you don’t expect. It’s always worth checking the platform’s policy before sharing anything sensitive.
There’s also a broader risk to be aware of, as the prompts you receive or the queries you type in could be hacked or leaked in a cyber attack.
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre recommends a cautious approach to AI adoption:
- Do not include sensitive information in queries to public LLMs
- Do not submit queries that would cause issues if they were made public
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