Is AI Making Us All Liars? Maintaining Truth In An Era Of Efficiency

Forbes

08-07-2025

Sal Viveros, Head of Global Corp Communications at Ivanti.
There has always been tension between speed and accuracy. It's at the root of more than a few problems, and it's not hard to point to a culprit exponentially increasing that tension: AI.
I'm not an AI hater. Far from it. But I'm also hyper-aware of AI's role in creating and magnifying issues. I can speak specifically to the PR and corporate communications space, but it goes beyond comms—and the impact needs to be acknowledged and addressed sooner rather than later.
A January 2025 report from Muck Rack shows that AI adoption in PR has nearly tripled since 2023, but only 38% of PR pros report having company guidelines for AI use. Although that's an increase from last year, it's still nowhere near where it needs to be, given the ethical implications of unregulated AI usage.
I'm the first to acknowledge AI's productivity benefits. From drafting content to analyzing media coverage, these tools transform our daily workflows. But at Ivanti, where we evaluate the impact of technology across industries, we recognize that efficiency without verification creates new vectors for unintentional misinformation. And that's putting it nicely.
When Efficiency Supersedes Accuracy
AI is pretty irresistible in the communications space. It can create outlines in seconds, analyze interviews in minutes and scale campaign personalization effortlessly. But what's the flip side of those benefits? Leveraging unregulated AI creates conditions where misinformation can easily enter official communications channels.
Unlike human writers, AI models process information based on statistical patterns without distinguishing between fact and fiction. These systems produce authoritative-sounding content regardless of accuracy—a particularly dangerous dynamic in communications where credibility is essential.
And that's still a relatively innocuous downside compared to the privacy concerns inherent in prompting AI with potentially sensitive company details or PII (personally identifiable information).
The Ethical Tangles Of AI
Fact-checking and sensitive info exposure isn't even the whole concern here. Other ethical tangles include questions like:
• Should communications materials disclose when AI contributed substantially to their creation?
• What accountability do PR professionals bear for AI-generated content they publish?
• How do we prevent algorithmic bias from perpetuating harmful stereotypes in communications?
The Public Relations Society of America's (PRSA) guidance on AI ethics addresses these concerns directly, questioning whether audiences should know when they're interacting with AI rather than humans. These considerations become increasingly important as AI capabilities advance.
For what it's worth, Ivanti has taken a proactive step by creating its own generative AI platform for internal use. This platform allows employees to leverage AI to foster creativity and efficiency while maintaining ethical guardrails. By building a bespoke AI tool, we support innovation across the organization while ensuring that AI is used in a way that aligns with company standards and values.
Creating Governance That Works
At Ivanti, we emphasize the need for comprehensive AI implementation plans that include training, documentation and ethics guidelines. Without these frameworks, organizations risk increased tech complexity rather than simplified workflows. That's definitely not the aim.
What do these plans look like in practice? For comms professionals seeking practical governance approaches, here are a few research-backed ideas:
• Document clear AI boundaries. Specify which communications require complete human authorship versus AI assistance.
• Implement fact verification protocols. Establish procedures for reviewing AI-generated statistics and references.
• Develop transparency policies. Create guidelines on when to disclose AI involvement in content creation.
• Diversify AI tools. Recognize that each system has different limitations and cross-check results.
• Prioritize team training. IBM emphasizes that AI literacy forms the foundation for addressing more complex issues like bias and privacy.
What's The Real Problem?
With this intentionally provocative title, I asked if AI is making all of us liars. The truth is that AI does seem to contribute to obfuscation. But I don't think AI itself is the problem. Instead, it's a failure to acknowledge that companies must take decisions about AI disclosures seriously and operate clearly and consistently.
In short, the question isn't whether to use AI, but how to implement and manage it responsibly.
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