Ben Trounson

Mixing Board

Invite-only community of communications and marketing leaders, elevating the business impact of the functions, sharing expertise, and providing mentorship.

Member

Daikin U.S. Corporation

VP, Head of Corporate Communications

Verizon

VP, Head of Global Communications, Verizon Business

Bristol Myers Squibb

VP, Head of International Corporate Affairs

Tata Consultancy Services

Head of Global Markets Corporate Communications

Head of North American Corporate Communications

Finn Partners

Partner, Technology Practice

Hill & Knowlton

SVP, Director of NYC Marketing Communications Practice

Ketchum

VP, Client Service Director

Taylor Global

Account Director

Kodora Communications

Media Manager

VP, Global Corporate Communications with 20+ years of experience leading corporate affairs across internal, external, executive, and crisis communications strategies. Deploying diverse global brand plans, thought leadership campaigns, employee culture and change initiatives, product GTMs, and partner programs for Verizon, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Tata Consultancy Services, among others. A team builder and mentor, and C-suite advisor, creating data-led strategies to transform business impact and drive enterprise collaboration, engagement, advocacy, reputation, and revenue.

Vice President of Communications, Verizon Business

Time with family is so important. I spent last week in England visiting my father on the coast of Cornwall near Land's End.  

We all work hard, but need to prioritize some time to make more memories. I enjoyed the basics. Walks across the beach cliffsides, board games, ancient pubs, Cornish pasties (yum), and lots of rain... 

But more than anything, just time talking with my father. I heard stories about his childhood and family history that I had never heard before... after all these years. You don't get these moments until you slow down and disconnect, even for a day or two. 

With Thanksgiving this week, I'm wishing all U.S. friends and colleagues a wonderful time with their families. Try finding some quality 1-1 time with your parents or grandparents and ask about their childhood. You might hear a few amazing stories for the first time, and be able to pass them on!

#family #history #storytelling

VP & Global Head of Corporate Communications | Reputation & Issues Management Expert | Former Verizon, National Grid, TCS | C-Suite Advisor | Driving Trusted Brands & Teams

I had a blast at the Axios Communicators Live NYC event last night. 

A few quick highlights from the main stage sessions:

1. Anthropic's Sasha de Marigny was refreshingly transparent: they’re not entirely “Claudifying” comms; they’re hiring an AI ops role to support strategic humans.

2. Ray Day, APR of Allison Worldwide noted two-thirds of comms leaders work with CEOs on major decisions. As a profession, we need to consistently add value and demonstrate business acumen and impact to increase these numbers! 

3. Meridith Webster of Estée Lauder stated that corporate narrative builds trust, and brand activations make them human. Strong comms blends both.

Cheers to Eleanor Hawkins and Hope King for hosting.  
 
Thanks to Amanda Coffee and Joanie Sanders for such a fun and packed comms happy hour before the Axios event.

And it was lovely to see so many friends and former colleagues: Daniel Méndez Aróstica, MBA, Daniel Nestle, Todd Grossman, Shauna Elkin, Abenaa (Abby) Hayes (she/her/hers), Brooke Kruger, Selena Strandberg, Ben Rose, Leah Katz, Ethan McCarty, Maril Gagen MacDonald.

December kicks off a week of communications events in NYC.

I enjoyed a fun session last night, meeting fellow comms pros and sharing POVs on a host of topics. Thank you Amanda Coffee, APCO NY and Ragan Communications and PR Daily for hosting.

This Wednesday, Edelman has the global launch of its latest Trust Barometer Flash Poll at 11 am EST (AI at an inflection point). 

And on Thursday, Axios is hosting its 4th annual Communicators Live event in NYC. A great line-up of speakers, comms leaders emerging as vital trusted advisors as companies face:
- Siloed audiences
- Political polarization
- Cultural complexities
- Workplace transformation
- And, yes, AI disruption

Looking forward to seeing many former colleagues and friends on Dec 4.

The Chief Communications Officer has become a strategic sense-maker, tasked with navigating a polycrisis of fused geopolitical, societal, and technological risk. 

This was one of several key points that jumped out in the Ipsos Reputation Council Report 2025. It's worth the read. Few other findings of note.

- With non-stop social fragmentation and issue cycles, business leaders are embracing strategic silence more often — not as avoidance, but as a deliberate act of prioritization and navigation of a pragmatic ESG era. 

- Today's communications leaders have been pushed far beyond functional expertise, helping organizations interpret fast-moving risks, look around corners, align internally, and act with clarity in moments that matter.

#communicationsleadership #strategiccommunications #crisiscommunications

Comms leaders are now the shock absorbers of the enterprise. 

I joined hundreds of Mixing Board, powered by Axios members who participated in the new Communicators Report by Axios and Gravity Research. The findings are telling. 

Communicators are now managing the collision of five defining forces:
 → Misinformation and disinformation (71%, cited as the top reputational risk)
 → Hyper-charged geopolitical and regulatory scrutiny
 → Rapid AI disruption
 → A splintered media landscape
 → Workforce anxiety

The role is shifting from chief storyteller to chief stability officer — keeping organizations aligned, focused and credible as external pressure intensifies.

At the same time, employee communications is becoming the backbone of trust, not a secondary channel. 

AI is no longer experimental in comms — it’s operational. And how transparently and responsibly it’s used now directly impacts credibility, inside and out.

Not surprisingly, Fortune 100 CEOs are also taking a more pragmatic stance on societal and political issues.

Thanks Eleanor Hawkins for compiling and sharing your thoughts via Mixing Board.

#CommunicationsLeadership #AIinComms #Reputation #CorporateCommunications

The “17, 70, 0” rule just reframed my view of the jobs vs AI debate.

In the latest Trending Communicator episode, Daniel Nestle’s guest, Chris Gee, reminded us that our economy still runs on people (their work, income and participation). 

Chris cited the 17, 70, 0 rule:
17 → $17T in U.S. consumer spend
70 → 70% of U.S. GDP depends on it
0 → what AI will spend 

What does this mean? The US economy depends upon people having jobs and incomes to buy things. AI and agents won't be these "consumers" of goods.  

My take? We need significant coordination across industries, governments, academia, and NGOs to reskill and upskill at scale. 

Every major tech shift has displaced jobs and created new ones — but the speed and scale of displacement this time really raises the stakes and legit concerns.

And for those just entering the workforce, I feel for them. We owe the next generation more pathways to secure roles, learn and grow. 

Check out the episode (details in comments).

#strategiccommunications #AIincomms #futureofwork #AIjobs

Chris Gee Consulting

I guide emerging brands and mid-sized agencies through digital transformation, offering deep expertise in AI implementation and digital strategy. 

Whether you're looking to future-proof your business with AI or accelerate your overall digital strategy, I deliver impactful, data-driven solutions that drive measurable success.

Chief Executive Officer

Ragan Communications and PR Daily

As a Strategic Advisor to Ragan's Center for AI Strategy, I help shape the resources, frameworks, and executive guidance that communications leaders need to integrate AI with clarity and purpose.

My focus:
→ Connecting AI experimentation to real-world outcomes
→ Translating emerging tech into practical comms workflows
→ Ensuring human judgment stays at the center of AI adoption

This work builds on my experience leading AI adoption across corporate comms teams, PR agencies, and advisory firms, and supports the Center’s mission to equip communicators with the skills, tools, and insight to lead in an AI-powered world.

Strategic Advisor

Mixing Board is an invite-only community of senior marketing and communications leaders who share experience, expertise, and mentorship to elevate our practice.

Mixing Board Member

Edelman

As Head of Digital, U.S. Corporate Affairs & Advisory Services at Edelman, I led a team of experts in digital corporate and public affairs. We helped businesses navigate the complex intersection of business and societal issues, providing strategic counsel to ensure success.

Our team's specialties included:

👥 Digital Executive Visibility: We helped executive leaders hone their presence on social media, resonate with key audiences, and build their personal brands.

🌎 Digital Corporate Public Affairs: We provided expert guidance on navigating public affairs in the digital age, helping clients build trust and mitigate risk.

🚀 Paid Social Media Targeting: We created customized amplification strategies that get the most out of earned media, owned content, and executive voices, reaching key stakeholders where they are most active.

📈 Digital Transformation: With Edelman's CommsTech offering, we helped Corporate Communicators evaluate their tech stack and ensure it is optimized for business impact. This included the integration of generative AI tools and technologies to transform communications and deliver data-driven insights.

Head of Digital, U.S. Corporate Affairs & Advisory Services

FGS Global

I was the Managing Director and Head of Digital Strategy at Finsbury North America, helping clients shape their brand story through data-led insights and snackable content. I advised on digital storytelling, identified new opportunities, and enhanced Finsbury's technology stack. Here are my highlights:

💡 Provided expert counsel on policy creation and stakeholder positioning, including comprehensive online response protocols and scenario planning documents.

💻 Developed a winning social media strategy for lead-generation campaigns with a lower cost per lead than the original goal.

🌟 Positioned key stakeholders as industry leaders through expert policy advising, establishing an influential online presence to manage potential criticism and drive successful outcomes.

Overall, my work helped clients amplify their message and navigate the digital landscape with confidence.

Managing Director - Digital Strategy

Burson

As Head of Digital Strategy & Content for the U.S. Corporate & Financial practice, I drove the integration of digital services into the U.S. Corporate & Financial Practice and led the activation of Studio B for the Practice (the firm's evolving approach to content development and storytelling). My responsibilities also included co-developing and marketing practice specific products and services that generated opportunities for new and existing clients.

Managing Director, Head of Digital Strategy & Content, US Corporate/Financial Practice

General Assemb.ly

Developed curricula and led Influencer Marketing and Social Media Bootcamp workshops at General Assembly (a global network of campuses for technology, business and design). Participants left with a detailed understanding of the social media landscape and how to evaluate which tools and social platforms are the best fit for their organization's strategic goals. They also learned the importance of influence in modern marketing as well as how to mobilize influencers and advocates.

Instructor, Influencer Marketing & Social Media Bootcamp Workshops

RF|Binder

By educating corporate leaders on best practices for using digital, social and mobile platforms, I enabled brands to stay one step ahead of disruptive technologies and to head confidently into an increasingly fragmented communications landscape. I created and evangelized strategies that leveraged the latest digital innovations and allowed leading brands to engage with key audiences and enhance their strategic goals. Our team at RF|Binder used cutting-edge technology to derive meaning from millions of social conversations and apply those insights to results-driven strategies that affect digital, PR and live consumer events.

Chief Digital Officer

Teneo Strategy

The widespread adoption of social media has permanently changed the world of communications, transformed audiences into publishers and amplified the potential rewards and damage possible in communications challenges beyond what was possible in the past. During my 2 years at Teneo, I provided insight-based digital media solutions for Brand Marketers, Financial Services firms, Digital Innovators and non-profit organizations. Having established Teneo’s Digital Advisory practice, I developed tools for online influencer engagement, digital thought leadership and insights stemming from Big Data analytics. With Teneo’s focus on serving CEOs and board level directors, I counseled the executive leaders for many of the world’s most important brands.

Managing Director, Social Media & Digital Strategy

Splendid Communications (US)

Managing Director of Splendid Communications, (US). Splendid is an award-winning global communications group specializing in creating brand ideas that live in the earned and owned media space. Utilizing a fresh, engaging re-mix of social media, content, PR and events, Splendid brings consumers closer to the brands they love.

Managing Director

I empower leaders with AI Workshops & B2B digital strategy | LinkedIn Top Voice | Public Speaker | Board Director | Podcaster🎙️

AI won't replace communicators, but 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.

The industry is shifting. And the teams that integrate AI now — 𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 — will be the ones who thrive.

At Chris Gee Consulting, we help comms leaders and PR teams streamline workflows, save time, and lead with data-driven clarity. Whether you're starting from scratch or optimizing your AI strategy, our workshops and advisory services are built for today's communicators, 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝘀, 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

Let's future-proof your team. Learn more at chrisgee.me or book a call.

Chris Gee

Yesterday, I spoke about something I see inside almost every organization I work with.

Most teams are experimenting with AI.
𝗩𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁.

Yesterday morning, I delivered the opening keynote at P World's AI in Communications Boot Camp 2 in NYC. In the room, almost every hand went up when I asked who was “using AI.”

However, only a small handful raised their hands when I asked who had a documented strategy, clear ownership, or a real roadmap for the next few years. 

That gap is what I call the integration gap.
It is the space between curiosity and capability.

Teams are testing tools, playing with features, and getting quick wins.
But without structure, governance, and leadership alignment, the progress stalls.
🚫 Shadow AI grows.
🚫 Experimentation becomes siloed.
🚫 And the organization never gets the ROI it expected.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺.
𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺.

The maturity model I shared yesterday makes it clear.
Most organizations are stuck in the middle.
They understand the potential, but they have not put the scaffolding in place to turn potential into practice. 

Integration requires:
✅ Clear priorities
✅ Shared guardrails
✅ AI champions inside every function
✅ A plan for upskilling at scale
✅ Leaders who model the behavior they expect

Curiosity is how you start.
Integration is how you grow.
Transformation is what happens when both come together.

Where is your organization on that journey today? Let me know in the comments! 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾

Helping PR & Comms leaders future-proof with AI strategy | Speaker + Trainer | Keynotes + Workshops | Ragan Advisor

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Over the past year, I’ve been tracking a trend that’s now impossible to ignore.
AI is not replacing comms jobs one-to-one.
But it is replacing pieces of those jobs.
And companies are reorganizing teams because of it.

That’s the theme of my latest short video and the focus of the newest episode of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿, which I’ve officially resumed.

Here’s the data:
📉 𝟳𝟯 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 of marketing leaders using AI have already reduced external content spend.
📉 𝟴𝟯 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 say they expect to reduce agency spending further as AI tools improve.
📉 𝟭𝟭 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 say they would eliminate agencies for basic content work once AI becomes “good enough.”

And brands are saying the quiet part out loud.
🚫 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘇 plans to cut agency fees by up to 50 percent.
🚫 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗔𝗜 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 is producing assets 30 percent faster.
🚫 𝗪𝗣𝗣 says brands using AI are reducing what they pay their agencies.

And it’s showing up inside my own business.
In 2024, about 80 percent of my clients were in-house comms teams.
This year, 60 to 70 percent are agencies looking to adapt.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.

Companies have spent the past two years pouring money into AI infrastructure and workflow redesign. One Nvidia chip costs as much as a car, and companies are buying them by the thousands. That money has to come from somewhere.

So organizations are shifting dollars from lower-margin areas they believe have less strategic impact.
And many have concluded that PR and comms fall into that category.

𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁.
🚫 Scopes are shrinking.
🚫 2026 decisions are being delayed.
🚫 Brands are internalizing work they used to outsource.

This is not about AI replacing communicators.
It is about the economics of AI reshaping the financial foundation of agency and in-house relationships.

I’m looking forward to continuing this conversation on the podcast and here on LinkedIn, because this moment matters for every communicator, at every level.

Would love your thoughts or feedback.
How are you seeing this play out inside your organization? 👇🏾

Last week, I spoke at the AI in Comms Summit about a trend I am seeing across the communications industry.

𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘀 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀.
𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀.

In 2024, about 80 percent of my consulting clients were in-house communications teams.

This year, that number has flipped.
Roughly 60 to 70 percent of my clients are agencies.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.

Over the past one to two years, brands have spent heavily on AI.
Infrastructure. Licenses. Cloud expansion. Data. Training. Governance.
The kind of investments that do not show up on the surface, but absolutely show up on a balance sheet.

𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗡𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗿.
𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀.

And that money has to come from somewhere.

So companies are shifting dollars away from functions they believe have lower margins and lower perceived impact.
Unfortunately, many have decided that PR and communications fall into that category.

Here is what I am seeing play out:
🚫 Agency scopes of work being canceled or reduced
🚫 Longer timelines before committing to 2026 budgets
🚫 Brands quietly using AI to perform tasks they used to outsource
🚫 Pressure to show “efficiency gains” before discussing strategy

Data shared by @Eleanor Hawkins of Axios data backs this up.
𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝟰𝟰 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗥 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝟲𝟬 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗔𝗜 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴.

This is not robots replacing writers.
It is economics.
Capital is being reallocated to fund AI.

And this is the part we have to recognize.
Comms leaders are not struggling because they cannot keep up with AI technology.
They are struggling because AI spending is reshaping the financial foundation of the industry.

AI will transform communications.
But the first wave of impact is not technological.
𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹.

If AI is the new cost center, the question for every comms leader becomes:
How will you show value in an environment where budgets are moving under your feet?

What are you seeing? Let me know in the comments! 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽

The move from SEO to GEO is happening faster than most people realize.

I’m seeing it everywhere.
In client conversations.
In workshops.
In the questions comms leaders ask when they realize 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴.

For years, we optimized for Google.
Now, we are optimizing for generative engines.
ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI search are becoming the first place people go to learn about a brand.

And they don’t give you ten blue links.
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿.
A summary.
A story.

As we move from search engines to answer engines, brands must learn how to be understood by the models that shape those answers.

This piece from PR Daily is a solid starting point for anyone who wants to get their arms around the SEO to GEO shift.

The organizations that get ahead of this will shape how AI describes them.
The ones that do not will be described by default.

What are your thoughts? Is your org making the shift from SEO to GEO? Let me know in the comments! 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾

Google used to define your reputation.
Now, it’s ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI search.

When someone asks an AI about your brand, it doesn’t return a list of links.

𝗜𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆.

That story depends on how your digital footprint has been optimized for AI models, not just for traditional SEO.

If your content isn’t recognized, cited, or understood by these systems, you risk being invisible in the next wave of discovery.

I’ve been working with PR and communications teams to rethink their visibility strategies in relation to this idea.

𝗔𝗜 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁.

It’s no longer enough to rank on Google.
You need to appear in AI-generated answers that summarize your brand for millions of people who may never click through.

The organizations getting this right are treating AI optimization as the next evolution of reputation management.

They’re ensuring their executives’ voices, FAQs, and thought leadership are structured in ways AI can find, interpret, and trust.

𝗜𝗳 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆?

What are your thoughts? Is your corporate reputation optimized for AI search? Let me know in the comments! 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾

(10) Feed | LinkedIn

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(10) Activity | Chris Gee | LinkedIn

Talks about #ai, #pr, #dei, #thoughtleadership, and #corporatecommunications

Most people saw the “code red” headlines this week. 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱.

Sam Altman didn't sound the alarm for nothing.
He did it because Google is eating his lunch.

I want to break down what the “code red” pause actually means, why OpenAI halted agent development, and why it matters for anyone navigating AI inside their organization.

Here is the short version:

𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗔𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗳 𝗶𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲.

For almost three years, OpenAI held a comfortable lead. That changed with the release of Google’s Gemini 3, which surpassed GPT-4 and OpenAI’s later iterations in speed, reasoning, and multimodal capability.

The “code red” memo is a response to that shift. Altman reportedly instructed teams to pause or abandon several high-profile agent projects and redirect resources back to the core ChatGPT model.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱?

⏸️ “Pulse,” a personalized assistant (my personal fav)
⏸️ Vertical agents for shopping and health
⏸️ Advertising features that were meant to be new revenue streams (wait, what???)

These were supposed to be the next evolution of ChatGPT.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄?

If agents are the future, why pause them? Three reasons stand out.

1️⃣ 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲’𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹-𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲
Google owns the chips (TPUs), the cloud, the data centers, and the distribution via Android, Chrome, and Search.

OpenAI pays Microsoft and Nvidia every time it trains or deploys an agent. Google pays itself. That cost imbalance makes a direct agent war unwinnable right now.

2️⃣. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺
Agents only work as well as the model they run on. If Gemini 3 is smarter and faster, then a “Google agent” will naturally outperform an “OpenAI agent.” You cannot build a high-functioning assistant on top of a model losing ground.

3️⃣ 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
OpenAI is still a startup fighting a trillion-dollar ecosystem. Splitting engineers across GPT-5, Pulse, shopping agents, health agents, and ads meant they were losing ground everywhere. The pause is an effort to fix the foundation first.

Is the “Age of Agents” over?

No. But the Age of Agents as a standalone product category just hit a ceiling.

OpenAI’s move signals that gents are not something you bolt on. They are an outcome of having the smartest, most reliable model.

If the foundation is slipping, the entire agent strategy collapses.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲

OpenAI is pulling back from application-layer features to protect the core model. They are stepping back from the furniture to fix the foundation.

Every organization experimenting with agents should get the lesson here:

Foundations come first.
Capabilities come second.

Losing the intelligence layer means losing everything built on top of it.

Later today, I’m giving a keynote on a theme I’m seeing everywhere in the communications world.

𝗔𝗜 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.

Most organizations are experimenting with AI. Very few have a real strategy.

And almost none have alignment across leadership, workflows, or governance.

Here’s what recent data shows:
According to the insights I’ll be sharing later today, at AI in Comms Bootcamp here in NYC: 

💡 𝟳𝟴 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 of clients evaluate agencies based on AI capabilities (Gartner), and
💡𝟰𝟯 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 of talent consider AI maturity when choosing where to work (Korn Ferry). 

Your AI readiness is no longer a tech issue.
It is a reputation issue.

𝗜𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

The teams getting this right are:
✅ Building literacy at every level
✅ Standardizing workflows to reduce risk
✅ Measuring hours saved and insights gained
✅ Creating governance that builds trust internally and externally

AI will not replace communicators.
Communicators who use AI well will redefine the field.

More to come later today.
If you’ll be there, I look forward to connecting!

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AI drift is real.
And most teams don’t see it happening.

Yesterday I met with two different comms teams. Both were excited about AI. Both were experimenting. Both were learning on their own.

But both shared the same challenge:
Everyone is using AI differently, with no shared expectations from leadership.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀.

Teams create their own rules.
People choose their own tools.
Quality becomes inconsistent.
Risks slip through the cracks.
And leaders assume progress is happening when, in reality, workflows are quietly fragmenting.

What actually unlocks AI adoption isn’t more tools.
𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

A few things I shared on the calls:

💡 Teams need clarity on where AI should be used and where it shouldn’t.
💡 They need a common language for evaluating outputs.
💡 They need a simple way to share what’s working.
💡 And they need leadership to set the floor — not the ceiling — for how AI shows up in the work.

When you don’t set that foundation, AI drifts.
When you do, AI scales.

If you’re early in your AI journey, start here:

✅ Pick 3–4 workflows everyone agrees to standardize.
✅ Define the quality bar.
✅ Identify one person or committee to collect and share learnings.
✅ Set expectations for responsible use.
✅ And revisit the plan monthly. Not annually.

The teams that win with AI aren’t the ones experimenting the most.
They’re the ones aligning the fastest.

How are you seeing AI drift show up in your org? Let met know in the comments! 👇🏾

Join me from 26–27 February at the AI in Communications Boot Camp in Los Angeles. Use my code 𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗘𝗥𝟭𝟬 to get your ticket with a 10% discount.
Looking forward to discussing how AI is changing comms.
For more info about my session, visit:
https://lnkd.in/ewTCREu8

While we were eating turkey, the music industry just offered a glimpse of where AI governance is headed.

𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 that allows artists to opt in to AI-generated music using their own voice, image, and compositions. It is a notable milestone, not only because of who is involved, but because of what it signals.

✅ This is a transition from confrontation to coordination.
✅ A major rights holder chose to license its catalog.
✅ An AI company rebuilt its models on permitted content.
✅ And creators were given the ability to decide how their work is used.

It is an early blueprint for how consent may evolve across digital ecosystems.

For communications leaders, there are three dimensions to watch.

1️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰.
As AI systems become more capable, industries will need clearer rules for likeness, voice, writing style, interviews, and archival material. We will likely see more explicit opt-in structures as organizations protect how their identities are represented.

2️⃣ 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
This includes setting boundaries for approved use cases, clarifying training data rights, establishing disclosure practices, and defining escalation paths when content appears that was not authorized.

3️⃣ 𝗔𝗜 𝗰𝗼-𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.
Deals like this indicate a maturing market. Brands will soon have ways to generate content using licensed IP in a controlled, transparent manner. This will influence how teams think about scale, quality, and cost.

This settlement is not only a music story. It's an early signal of what regulated AI creation could look like across sectors.

The question now is how organizations prepare for a future in which digital identity, consent, and AI co-creation converge. 

Is your organization ready? Let me know in the comments. 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾

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