Hello, and welcome to another one of my blog posts. Today, I’m going to discuss how AI is currently used and how it may be used in the future in my profession, which is Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC).

I think that AI can be used to track real-time market trends, as well as any new developments in general, due to its access to vast amounts of data from social media, news outlets, competitor websites, and, in some cases, its ability to track consumer behavior. From this, marketers can gain a clearer understanding of what is currently trending and what consumers are interested in, allowing them to determine the best direction to take for improved outcomes. For instance, I think AI can identify a product that is likely to become popular and even analyze how and why it might gain traction. Also, I believe it can help gather news from around the world more efficiently; however, this can sometimes be misleading because AI may provide inaccurate information, so it’s important that people always verify what AI says. Still, it can often be a quicker and more convenient way to search for news. In addition, AI can suggest strategies for entering the market and may even offer advice on how to effectively reach a target audience. That does not mean that people should follow AI blindly; they should use it for support, not rely on it to do all the work for them.

AI says that AI is transforming Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) by automating, optimizing, and personalizing every stage of the customer journey. Here are some key ways AI is being used in IMC:

1. Personalized Content Creation
AI can generate personalized emails, social media posts, and advertisements tailored to individual consumer behavior, demographics, and preferences—making communication more relevant and effective.

2. Predictive Analytics
Machine learning models analyze customer data to predict future behavior—like which leads are most likely to convert—helping marketers focus their efforts more efficiently.

3. Chatbots and Virtual Assistants
AI-powered chatbots handle customer service and engagement 24/7, guiding users, answering questions, and collecting data that can inform future campaigns.

4. Programmatic Advertising
AI automates real-time ad buying and placement decisions, ensuring ads appear to the right audience at the right time and in the right context, increasing ROI.

5. Social Listening and Sentiment Analysis
AI tools analyze public sentiment about brands on social media and other platforms, giving marketers insight into how people feel and react to campaigns.

6. Customer Journey Mapping
AI helps map and optimize the customer journey by analyzing multi-channel touchpoints, allowing marketers to deliver consistent, timely messages across all platforms.

7. A/B Testing at Scale
AI can automate and accelerate A/B testing by generating variations of marketing messages and selecting the most effective one based on real-time results.

8. Voice and Image Recognition
AI enables brands to interact through voice-activated assistants and analyze consumer images (e.g., from social media) to gather insights on lifestyle and brand usage.

https://chatgpt.com/share/681d12a7-2b9c-8008-a20b-3f992b6c5c75

Interview Summary: Dr. Marwa Azab (Professor at AUC)

In my interview with Dr. Marwa Azab, she shared her perspective on how AI supports her work in academia. She explained that she uses AI primarily as an organizational and brainstorming tool when preparing for her classes. For example, when she has a specific topic to cover, she might ask AI to generate an outline to help structure the session. This saves her time, especially when she is juggling many responsibilities.

However, she emphasized that AI never replaces her thinking or expertise. She provides the content or context, and the AI acts more like a tool that helps her clarify or refine her ideas. In her words, “AI provides guidelines only,” and it’s always her responsibility to decide what to use and how to shape the final output. She does not simply copy and paste what AI gives her—she revises and adapts it using her own judgment.

When asked about future uses of AI, Dr. Azab expressed both interest and caution. She is excited by the possibility that AI can help educators and professionals save time on routine tasks like drafting outlines, summarizing long documents, or organizing information, so they can focus more on critical thinking, creativity, and interaction with students.

However, she also shared concerns about over-reliance on AI, particularly in educational and creative fields. She worries that some people may stop engaging deeply with their work and become passive consumers of AI-generated content.

This interview was conducted after class while walking her to her office.

Interview Summary: Ahmed Awad (Graduating Mass Communication Student and Former MBC MASR Intern)

I interviewed Ahmed Awad, a senior in the Mass Communication department at AUC, who is graduating this year. Ahmed previously interned at MBC MASR, one of the most prominent TV channels in the Arab world. We discussed how AI is currently used—or not used—in his academic and professional experiences.

When asked whether he uses AI in his studies or internship, Ahmed explained that he generally chooses not to rely on AI tools like ChatGPT. In his academic work, he believes AI-generated content lacks authenticity, especially in writing tasks like articles or reports. He shared, “It feels very fake if I write it with AI. I prefer to do my work in my own way.”

Despite this personal stance, Ahmed acknowledged that AI can offer value in certain professional contexts. For example, while working at MBC MASR, he noticed that AI could assist with smaller tasks, like quickly finding background information on a former event or enhancing a specific photo. However, he emphasized that AI is not a core tool in the media production process yet—it’s more of a helpful assistant than a necessity.
“Using AI is just a help, but it will not be the main thing to rely on—at least nowadays.”

• When asked whether he thinks AI will make work in mass communication easier in the future, Ahmed responded with cautious optimism. He shared that while AI can improve efficiency, it still requires human oversight and creative judgment. He recalled hearing from professors that some newsrooms now use AI for routine tasks, like scheduling or content sorting, but a human must still be present to monitor and guide the process.
  “AI can help our field, but I don’t think it can replace humans.”
  My Reflection

  At first, I did not believe that AI could predict market behavior, which is why I was stunned when ChatGPT told me about that. Though I knew that AI could analyze trends in data, I didn’t know that it was to the extent of making predictions. Another thing that made me open my eyes was when Dr. Marwa told me that she uses AI for teaching purposes. I thought that teachers wouldn’t be interested in using such tools, especially because most of my previous professors told me that they hate AI. This made me realize that AI is, and can be, used by people from various specialties to help them, but if people are not careful, they might end up depending too much on AI and lose the ability to think critically or creatively on their own. After gathering all that information from many different sources, I think that everyone should experiment and understand how AI can help make their life easier, help them finish their work faster, and also recognize when and where AI is actually beneficial in a person’s profession. That way, I’ll learn how to get the best out of it while still staying in control of my creative and strategic mind. Finally, AI should not replace human thinking, but it should be able to support and enhance it.

  “Interviews are summarized by AI”