Artificial intelligence (AI) is seen by some as a magic solution to every business problem, by others as ineffective. IBM’s computer Watson may have won “Jeopardy!” (magic!) but Watson made some ridiculous errors (ineffective!). The IBM computer didn’t understand puns or irony. Humans do. AI is neither magic nor ineffective; it’s a technology that can augment human judgment not replace it. Understanding the strengths and limits of AI helps companies to implement it wisely.

Collaboration between humans and machines can make our online communities much more vibrant and relevant. Companies looking to understand and engage with customers through online communities need to consider how artificial intelligence and human collaboration can be used together to augment understanding of data and advance know-how.

Marketing and communications teams should expect to focus more heavily on their company's response to social and political issues, as social and business activism show no sign of abating. This is among the key prognostications for the industry in 2019 discussed by the Society for New Communications Research of The Conference Board (SNCR) fellows.

"Ethical public relations (PR)" is a phrase many see as an oxymoron, but as an ever-changing world brings new challenges to the corporate sector, the PR profession is in need of standards to help promote an ethical focus. Institutions leading the way in terms of ethics will focus on models of networked collaboration and values-based choices, where accountability, reliability, transparency, fairness and flexibility are handled in a more self-organized way.

As strategic consultants to senior leaders, communicators play a critical role in driving outcomes, which makes it important for communications teams to develop robust employee development plans that suit the needs of the organization. Mayo Clinic begins with identifying accountabilities, establishes required competencies at each level, and tracks career progression tailored to individual employees’ own goals.

An organization’s culture of innovation can be a robust predictor of financial performance, which highlights the importance to companies of measuring intangible assets. With intangible assets growing exponentially as a component of enterprise value, it is unproductive to allow them to go unmanaged.