Why should you attend?
Generative AI is rapidly transforming the field of communications. As AI tools become increasingly capable of handling core tasks like writing, editing, and analysis, the nature of our work is shifting. This course is designed to help communicators not just keep up—but get ahead—by understanding how to use AI effectively, ethically, and strategically. You will explore how AI can enhance creativity, boost efficiency, and provide deeper insights into audience engagement.
Whether you are a communications professional new to using generative AI and looking to incorporate it into your toolkit, or you have been using it for a while and are looking to expand how you use it, this is your opportunity to build skills, awareness, and confidence to lead in the next era of public communication.
What will you learn?
- Understand the fundamentals of generative AI: what it is, how it works, and why it matters for communicators
- Use AI tools to quickly generate drafts of internal, external or crisis communication products
- Use generative AI tools to spark creativity and new approaches to storytelling and messaging
- Tailor AI-generated content for different audiences, channels, and objectives.
- Analyze data and identify patterns in audience behavior, and tailor messaging and tactics accordingly
- The importance of human oversight in AI-generated content, including techniques for reviewing, editing, and refining AI outputs to ensure quality and accuracy.
- Examine the ethical considerations and risks of using AI in public sector communications,
- Incorporate policy, privacy, and legal guidelines relevant to AI use in the public sector.
- Emerging trends and developments in AI technology, and how the role of the communicator is evolving and what new opportunities are emerging in an AI-integrated environment.
What will you take away?
- Guidebook including concrete examples of how to use generative AI in each step of the communications workflow, from planning to campaign execution to evaluation.
- Increased confidence in blending human judgment, empathy, and ethics with AI-generated outputs
Meet Your Instructor
Dan Hebert
Dan Hebert is the special advisor to the Director General of Communications at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). He is also currently leading the CRA’s efforts to adopt of generative AI as a communication tool and leads the government-wide community… Read full bio
Sample Agenda
Day 1
| Activity |
|---|
| Introductions and Workshop Overview The generative AI imperative Overview of the pressures pushing public sector organizations, and communications professionals, towards adopting generative AI. |
| Session I – Why AI, Why Now? |
| The Evolving Role of Communicators • What is generative AI and why it matters, • What AI can and can’t do. • The enduring importance of human judgment, ethics, and empathy. |
| Your Place in the Future Organization • Overview of Government of Canada guidelines for using generative AI • What support is available to help you incorporate generative AI in your work or within your organization • How AI shifts the value of your contributions Discussion: Small groups discuss a future where 70% of writing and editing is handled by AI. What role do you play? What new skills are essential? What skills become less important? |
| BREAK |
| Session II – Prompting with Purpose |
| How to write effective prompts and understand the principles of communicating with AI tools • Anatomy of a good prompt • Refining outputs, adjusting tone, breaking down tasks • Working with limitations and maintaining quality Exercise: Participants given a communication scenario and asked to develop prompts to generate information / documents. Communication scenario will continue to be used in Session III |
| LUNCH |
| End of Day 1 • Overview of the day’s main points • Preview of next day |
Day 2
| Activity |
|---|
| Welcome Recap of the previous day |
| Session III – Applying AI from Strategy to Evaluation |
| Explore how to use AI tools across every stage of the communications workflow Learn how to use generative AI to identify stakeholder groups, potential risks, and media landscape, recommended tactics and channels, draft products, suggest potential KPIs and evaluate feedback. Exercise: This section will be framed around a fictitious public sector issue. Participants work in small teams to use generative AI at each step, documenting their prompts and results. Share back what worked, what didn’t, and why. |
| BREAK |
| Session IV – The Path Forward |
| Reinforce the need for ethical, human-centered oversight and prepare participants to begin integrating AI into their work responsibly. • Techniques for reviewing, verifying, and humanizing AI-generated content • Review of risks: misinformation, bias, privacy, transparency • How to introduce AI in your workplace Discussion: Pros and cons of using generative AI in your work? |
I would like to take the opportunity to thank you again for another excellent course. I keep returning to the CEC for training as I am continually impressed by the courses, which I find to be relevant, practical, interesting and informative. My experience to date after attending 3 courses is that the instructors chosen are dynamic people who deliver the content in an engaging and accessible manner. As someone who actively pursues professional development and has been to a number of facilities, I truly appreciate this approach and will continue to turn to the CEC.