AI isn't just changing how people work—it's rewriting what communicators are expected to be.
For comms professionals, the set of tasks and the skills required are changing. In so many ways. But let’s start with one of the most important: content is easier to produce, but harder than ever to get right and to reach the right audience at scale. That shift is sharpening the focus on what strong communicators actually need to do well.
"Storytellers" Are in Demand
Companies are taking notice, with the role of a communicator going beyond just message development toward storytelling. On LinkedIn, job postings that mention “storyteller” have doubled over the last year. Companies like Anthropic, Chime, Vanta and PayPal are hiring for a new kind of communicator, someone who combines earned media instincts with content creation, social fluency and cross-functional leadership. Notion went one step further, merging comms, social and influencer teams into one single storytelling function.
That’s more than a structural change, it’s a signal that storytelling today is cross-channel, cross-functional and deeply tied to how businesses show up in the world.
The same shift is happening at the individual level. More professionals, executives and creators are building audiences directly on LinkedIn—using video, newsletters and real-time commentary to establish credibility beyond traditional media moments. It’s the people who can communicate clearly and authentically, and understand how their work is sourced and amplified by AI, who are standing out.
Comms leaders are also rethinking how they hire, develop and measure their teams. LinkedIn’s latest Skills on the Rise report highlighted the fastest-growing skills in media and communications, including:
- AI literacy
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Brand storytelling
- Operational efficiency
- Video content strategy
The data shows AI literacy is now a non-negotiable. The other skills rising alongside it also stand out. Growth in cross-functional collaboration and operational efficiency points to something bigger: expectations have expanded.
The New Day-to-Day
You can already see that shift in practice. The function change in comms means someone who once focused solely on media relations now needs to think more broadly, across earned, owned and even creator channels. For example, new expectations can include writing video scripts for executive content to be shared across platforms. These storytellers need to partner closely with product, marketing and editorial to shape narratives that travel across teams to reach internal and external audiences.
Success is no longer just about impressions or media placements, but providing a story that can align leaders, influence decisions and help move the business forward.
LinkedIn's comms team has made AI upskilling a priority—not to turn PR pros into engineers, but to make the technology practical in day-to-day work. Each team member commits to at least one AI-related goal per quarter, from building tools like an owned content strategist to guide best practices, to identifying themes across coverage and reducing time spent on status updates and reporting. We’re also testing larger efforts, including creating an AI agent to manage and route incoming press inquiries. The goal is simple: reduce high-volume triage so the team can focus where judgment matters most.
The skills and tools will change quickly, but strong judgment, adaptability and creative thinking still matter. The strongest communicators don’t fit into one lane. They bring a mix of strategy, ability to lead through this change and operational strengths—the kinds of things that don’t always show up on a traditional resume.
Those are the comms pros of tomorrow and where both leaders and companies should be placing their bets.
Nicole Leverich is Chief Communications Officer at LinkedIn.