What You Don’t See in Internal Comms Could Kill Your AI Strategy

Most internal communication strategies in place today were built for a very different era. One where astonishing speed, scale, and machine intelligence were nowhere in sight, let alone part of the equation.

Back then—and it seems like only yesterday—comms structures were designed for control and consistency. There was some automation and personalization, for sure, but nothing close to the speed, scale, and adaptability AI—such as Poppulo's Agentic AI—now makes possible.

Generative content and real-time feedback? They weren’t even on the radar.

But as AI becomes woven into the workflows of modern organizations, with all the promise of greater efficiency, personalization, and scale, those same legacy processes deserve a quiet burial in the archives of outdated practice.

They’re actively undermining our ability to realize AI’s full potential. Misaligned strategies, broken data flows, siloed tech stacks, and unclear governance will completely derail your AI investments.

That’s what made Monique Zytnik’s recent Poppulo webinar so timely and compelling. Monique laid out a clear vision for how internal communications must evolve, urgently but thoughtfully, to become a launchpad for AI transformation.

The session was moderated by Poppulo’s Director of Communications, Andrew Hubbard, whose questions and insights throughout the audience Q&A added depth and grounded context to the discussion. You can watch a recording of the webinar here.

The Roadmap to Readiness

Monique began by reminding us that this is no longer experimental. Over half of employees are already using AI tools in their daily work, a figure that’s doubled in just two years. But while usage is soaring, strategy is often lagging. Many comms teams are still overwhelmed, unsure where to begin, or trying to retrofit new tech into old workflows.

Her message was simple: you don’t need a complex plan. You need a good one. And that starts with clarity on purpose and alignment with business strategy.

From there, she outlined a practical roadmap broken into three tracks:

1. Team adoption and engagement: You can’t implement AI without your people. Change management, upskilling, and a champion network are essential to success.
2. Workflow and data integration: Identify repeatable tasks, clean up and connect your data, and partner with IT to ensure tools talk to each other.
3. Governance and oversight: Develop clear policies with accountability, transparency, and real consequences. In a world of AI-generated everything, guidance matters.

AI is Just a Tool—Until It’s Not

What stood out most in Monique’s presentation was her grounding in reality. She’s worked inside large consultancies and global organizations, and she knows the pitfalls. She warned against the temptation to jump straight into tools without first aligning your team or asking the tough strategic questions. She urged people to resist the “cascade” model of top-down change in favor of grassroots engagement and champion networks.

And she reminded us that many of the tasks internal comms teams once “owned”—content creation, formatting, translation—are already being augmented or replaced by AI. She framed this not as a threat, but instead as an opportunity to refocus on stakeholder engagement, coaching, and strategic counsel.

The future of internal comms, she said, will be defined not by output, but by impact.

Real-World Inspiration, Real-World Risks

To illustrate the point, Monique shared examples from organizations like DHL and Unilever, leaders not simply adopting AI but doing it responsibly.

DHL’s design team, for instance, uses Adobe Firefly and Canva for image generation but applies clear labels and avoids depicting people in AI-generated content. Unilever, meanwhile, prohibits generative AI in CEO messages and ties its AI guidelines to its broader digital ethics code.

But she also pointed to the risks. A recent KPMG study showed that over half of employees admitted to making mistakes due to AI, and many use it without disclosing it. Worse, only 12–18% of organizations surveyed had clear internal AI policies. That’s a governance gap with serious consequences.

It’s Time to Rethink, Not Just Retrofit

Monique’s closing message was a call for reinvention, not merely iteration. She urged comms professionals to stop trying to force AI into outdated processes and instead reimagine how communication can work in this new era, across formats, channels, languages, and roles.

Don’t just automate what you’ve always done,” she said. “Ask yourself: what’s the ultimate outcome you want—and how could AI help you get there differently?

Key Takeaways from Monique’s presentation

• Don’t bolt AI onto broken processes. Legacy comms structures can quietly sabotage AI success.
• Start with strategy. Align internal comms goals with broader business outcomes before selecting tools.
• Champion networks are better than top-down rollouts. Grassroots adoption fosters trust and traction.
• Train your team. Low levels of AI literacy will lead to poor adoption and greater risk.
• Clean up your data. Garbage in, garbage out—data quality is foundational.
• Publish clear policies. Without governance, you’re inviting misuse and confusion.
• Reimagine content delivery. AI enables new formats, languages, and levels of personalization.
• Partner across functions. Work closely with IT, HR, Legal, and Security.
• Measure what matters. Go beyond open rates to long-term employee sentiment and business impact.
• Rethink your role. AI won’t replace comms pros—it will elevate those who adapt.

Q&A Highlights

Q: What’s the role of employee trust in successful AI adoption?

Monique: It’s everything. Transparency builds trust. People need to understand AI is just a tool—and they’re still the driver. Bring them on the journey. Let them shape the adoption.

Q: How should IC teams address sustainability concerns around AI?

AI has a hidden footprint: energy, water, emissions. Organizations need to factor these into their ESG reporting and vendor selection. This is especially true at scale.

Q: How do we avoid content overload with AI?

Be more strategic, not more prolific. Target better. Combine messages. Set clear channel strategies. And remember: overload contributes to employee burnout.

Q: What’s the biggest blind spot for IC leaders?

Trying to plug AI into the old ways of working. The real opportunity lies in rethinking everything, from how content is created to how employees engage with it.