AI’s Impact on In-house Communications, Marketing & Public Affairs – Talent, Leadership and Industry Insights from Jack McKeivor at TotalEnergies

AI is transforming the way communications, marketing and public affairs teams work. But what does it mean for organisations, leaders and the future of work? In our latest series, we speak with senior communications leaders to explore the opportunities and challenges. In this interview Hanson Search sat down with Jack McKeivor, Global Public Affairs specialist at TotalEnergies. Jack reflects on using technology to support analysis, his concerns about its impact on junior roles, and why interpersonal skills and human judgement remain central to effective lobbying.

How are you using AI in your day-to-day work?

I work as a standalone public affairs professional, without direct reports or agency support, so I rely on technology to help with the analytical side of my role. I use a variety of AI tools for high-level research and distilling information into a concise format, to which I can then add my own expertise and insight built over a decade in the field. It helps point you in the right direction and makes complex topics easier to understand quickly. That said, it’s not always accurate in technical policy areas, such as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, as it can get key facts wrong. I think of it as an assistant for first-stage analysis rather than a tool for final outputs.

Is AI changing the type of profiles or skills you look for in public affairs?

Yes, but not necessarily in a positive way. In many organisations, junior public affairs roles are centred on research and monitoring, which AI is increasingly capable of doing. From a business perspective, you can understand the rationale for automating that kind of work. But from a professional development standpoint, it’s a concern. Many of us started our careers in those entry-level positions. If those roles disappear, where do the next generation of lobbyists come from?

How has AI influenced your use of external support or team structure?

I used to work with an agency and have experience with paid-for monitoring platforms, such as Dods. Those services can be expensive, and I’ve found that with the right prompts, tools like ChatGPT can produce similar results. There’s now a genuine question around value for money. Why pay for something when a free or low-cost tool can do the job? I’ve also seen new offerings emerging, AI-based tools trained on stakeholder data, which could reshape the way we approach political monitoring. So yes, it’s influencing how we assess which tools and services are worth the investment.

Do you see AI as the biggest driver of change in public affairs?

It’s a significant factor, especially in terms of efficiency. Drafting meeting invitations, summarising content and pulling together background briefings can all be sped up. That makes you more efficient with your time and allows you to focus on higher-value tasks. But the heart of public affairs is still human. Lobbying is a person-to-person activity. You need emotional intelligence, diplomacy and the ability to tailor a message to different audiences. I don’t see technology replicating that any time soon.

Has AI changed how you measure the impact of public affairs?

Not in my case. Impact is still measured in the same way, whether we’re influencing policy outcomes or supporting business development. I haven’t seen AI playing a role in that evaluation process.

Where do you think AI could bring real change, but hasn’t yet?

One area is stakeholder mapping. I haven’t yet seen a tool that can build a truly reliable, real-time map of political stakeholders with an accompanying engagement strategy. If someone could develop that, it would be incredibly useful. The other area is content personalisation, tailoring a letter to different policymakers with the right tone, context and asks. It’s theoretically possible, but I haven’t seen it done well yet. If AI could streamline that level of stakeholder communication, it would change the game.

What advice would you give to leaders trying to introduce AI into their public affairs work?

Be strategic. Use it to save time and simplify repetitive tasks, but don’t see it as a replacement for people. Public affairs is a relationship-driven profession. If we cut out junior roles, we risk damaging the pipeline of future talent. There’s also a cognitive downside, if you over-rely on AI, your own skills can atrophy. So use these tools where they can clearly add value, but always keep human expertise at the centre. Effective policy work still depends on trust, timing and real human understanding.

Whether you’re hiring top Public Affairs talent or considering your next career move, our team would be delighted to support you.

Hanson Search is a globally recognised, award-winning talent advisory and headhunting consultancy. Our expertise lies in building successful ventures worldwide through our recruitment, interim and executive search in communications, sustainability, public affairs and policy, digital marketing, and sales.