Leaning into the good and avoiding the ‘slop’

In 2026, those who win with AI will be the ones who harness the good while resisting the temptation to have AI do too much.

Among early standout applications in the “good” column are applying results of AI audits to brand communications and marketing strategies. 360 has partnered with Evertune.ai to understand how Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI, Perplexity and others are responding to thousands of real-world prompts by real people about specific categories of products and brands. (It’s worth noting we’re closely following how these platforms and their parent companies are collecting, using and storing data with an eye to both security and ethical implications.)

We’re able to see which sources are most influential across earned, social media, affiliate, retail, corporate and other sites where consumers spend time. We can also glean trending topics and dominant messaging in a category of goods or services. And from our view, the implications of these data and insights extend beyond AI answers, offering a wider lens to what consumers are interested in – whether researching and shopping for automobiles, strollers, bikes, home appliances, travel experiences, educational toys, healthy foods or other products and services. We’re embedding this capability directly into our account teams who know their clients’ sectors and businesses best.

Meanwhile, our creative team is using Adobe AI tools to help sketch and explore ideas. Our creatives can use AI to help bring to life event environments, test video pacing with AI placeholders before adding final footage, and instantly remove or adjust photo backgrounds that once took hours of manual work. AI is a powerful editing tool, but not a replacement for human-led creativity and content that connects emotionally.

In the “proceed with caution” column is utilizing AI to assist in writing and research . We’ve seen AI be useful as a thought-starter, for example, helping to discover existing content on a particular topic we’re exploring for a client. But we don’t rely on AI as a singular source and we’re highly conscious of not adding to the “AI slop” that’s piling up. AI bots can paste together any number of words, phrases and sentences that leave the reader asking, what are you trying to say? Clarity, originality and emotional resonance are things that brands and their agencies, who are built for creativity, will continue to bring. When it comes to communications and content, we can’t trade value for volume.

As with any new technology, investing in training our staff on when and how to utilize AI is key and we’ll continue to do that and share best practices with our clients and partners. One best practice resource available now to agencies and client organizations is the PR Council’s framework for an AI-assisted approach to writing that keeps humans in the loop. You can find that here: https://resource.prcouncil.net/.