According to 'The 2024 Gen AI x Comms Industry Impact Report', 76% of media and communications professionals believe that Generative AI (Gen AI) will significantly disrupt or make SEO obsolete. The report, a 41-page document produced by Media Collateral in partnership with State of Digital Publishing (SODP), also reveals that Gen AI adoption among APAC media and communications professionals has risen to 80% in 2024, with a significant shift towards full integration into daily tasks.

"While usage has increased, we can see that some of the immediate hype-both hopes and fears-has settled as the tech's practicalities and limitations become clearer. However, it's evident the industry is bracing for substantial evolutions that will further alter the landscape. Some are expected to democratise and enhance human connection, while others threaten to cause misinformation and division," says Andrew Thompson, Lead Author, Manager and Editorial & Research at Media Collateral.

The report also shows that 22% of respondents now believe Gen AI will create more job opportunities, a 12% increase from 2023. However, marketers' initial enthusiasm for Gen AI has tempered, with many scaling back from deep integration and returning to the experimentation phase. Journalists show signs of overcoming initial resistance to Gen AI, with a significant increase in the exploration phase.

Content generation remains the primary use case for Gen AI, but there's a surge in using Gen AI for video and design creation, as well as audience sentiment analysis and predictive content targeting. Fear of inaccuracies (72%) and ethical concerns (50%) remain top challenges for Gen AI adoption.

"We hope the Gen AI x Comms Impact Report provides a valuable resource in this regard. By offering practical examples and benchmarks, we aim to help professionals apply Gen AI tools effectively to maximise the potential of these technologies," adds Vahe Arabian, Co-Author and Founder & Director at SODP.