AI is restructuring the ground beneath communicators' feet! In #FIRpodcast 515, @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz cover six topics, each with an uncomfortable thread. Plus @danyork.bsky.social's Tech Report on WordPress 7.0. 🎧💻 bit.ly/4v5inW2

Recording #FIRpodcast 515, the long-form episode for May. @shelholtz and I had fun with this one! Episode drops on Monday 25 May. www.firpodcastnetwork.com/for-immed…

🤦🏻‍♂️ www.nytimes.com/2026/05/1…

Was Twitter a unique moment in media history rather than a repeatable model? In #FIRpodcast 514, @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz discuss why text-based social networks may be fragmenting – and why relevance, trust, and smaller communities could matter more now. 🔗 bit.ly/43iN7qO

EY joins Deloitte and Sullivan & Cromwell in the "human in the loop" hall of shame. AI tools aren't the problem. The conditions that make real oversight possible are. New post 👉 www.nevillehobson.io/the-human-in...

Here’s wishing British eccentricity mega-success in #Eurovision2026. Beautifully bonkers, it’s got a good chance to get to the final on Saturday! #lookmumnocomputer www.youtube.com/watch

Today, using Claude Cowork and AI agents in comms workflows is a realistic proposition. In #FIRpodcast 513 @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz explore what happens when AI starts orchestrating workflows themselves. This has moved way beyond just experimenting. 🔗 bit.ly/4dflcN1

AI-native graduates are beginning to enter the workplace in larger numbers. But some employers are starting to ask a deeper question: what skills become more valuable when AI can generate answers instantly? 👉 “AI-native doesn’t always mean AI-ready” 🔗 www.nevillehobson.io/ai-native-do...

Who owns the decision when AI is involved? My latest post explores the growing tension between AI as a decision-support tool and AI as an influencing force in leadership thinking. Less about technology. More about judgement, accountability, and trust. 🔗 bit.ly/4uvMZA2

A speech is never just a speech. King Charles’s address to Congress was the product of months of quiet, collaborative work – carefully shaped to sound like one voice. I’ve written about the making of the speech, not its politics. 🔗 www.nevillehobson.io/the-speech-t...

One week into my Claude Pro experiment. Cowork setup done – making a real difference. One surprise: frequent platform error reports, more than I've seen with ChatGPT. Running both tools in parallel for now. 👉 Updated post: www.nevillehobson.io/shifting-gea...

“Human in the loop” sounds reassuring. But what if that human isn’t really there? A recent case shows the real risk isn’t AI getting things wrong – it’s that no one checks it. 🔗 www.nevillehobson.io/when-policy-...

Policies. Training. Guardrails. And still a major law firm filed AI-generated errors in court. In #FIRpodcast 511, @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz unpack why this is about accountability, not tech. Plus 5 more stories and @danyork.bsky.social's tech report. 🎧💻 bit.ly/3QBStdK

You enter awards to win – so why do strong entries fall short? After 15+ years judging, I’ve seen the same issue: good work let down by weak entries. I break down where it goes wrong – and how to fix it. 🔗 www.nevillehobson.io/how-to-enter...

Employees aren’t waiting for AI strategies – they’re already using the tools. In FIR 510, @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz explore “shadow AI” as a signal of unmet demand, not just a risk – and what that means for leadership, governance, and communicators. 🎧💻 bit.ly/3QSkb5Z

I’ve started a deliberate experiment – moving from ChatGPT to Claude. Not a switch, but a staged exploration. Cowork, its built-in agentic feature, has my attention, along with building proper foundations through instructions and Skills. Early days. No conclusions yet. 🔗 bit.ly/4cDmOjk

A question in a survey stopped me: What really protects reputation in an AI world? My answer: Not just governance – people. Not just policy – values. 🔗 www.nevillehobson.io/reputation-i... What’s your answer?

“The unlikely coalition that put Trump back in the White House is unravelling as he alienates MAGA influencers, religious conservatives, anti-interventionists who wanted an end to forever wars and anyone who craves relief from years of inflation.” Good analysis bit.ly/4cvnh7g

“A slew of major global gatherings – from Kenya and New Zealand to the Global Coral Reef Summit – are going to help coral reefs get the attention they deserve”, says Jason Momoa www.theguardian.com/commentis…

AI voice cloning + fake content uploads + automated copyright claims – someone else earns revenue from your original work before any human reviews it. @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz unpack the story – and suggest what communicators should do – in #FIRpodcast 509. 🎧💻 bit.ly/4cboG3Y

This! www.threads.com/@nevillehobs...

So that was the cunning PR plan! www.bbc.co.uk/news/arti…

"Was this written by AI?" is the wrong first question. Whether something is accurate, useful, ethical, and fit for purpose – that's the review process worth having. Detection exercises are not a substitute for professional judgement. They never have been. 🔗 bit.ly/4mtFzdH

@shelholtz.bsky.social and @nevillehobson.xyz started 'For Immediate Release' in 2005 with curiosity, not a strategy. Blubrry have just named them their Podcaster of the Month – and their write-up tells the story rather well. 🔗 blubrry.com/podcast-insi...

I just set up Wispr.AI on my desktop Windows PC. Pretty impressed with the set-up, never mind using the app. Just look at the difference in speed talking compared to typing!

A Reuters Institute report maps a decade of shifts in how young people relate to news. The findings matter for anyone communicating with younger audiences – not just news publishers. 🔗 www.nevillehobson.io/when-young-p...

A real house of cards. “Industry experts say booking of controversial US rapper Kanye West was calculated risk that has implications for all festivals.” Good read www.theguardian.com/news/ng-i…

AI isn’t just trained on data anymore – it’s trained on us. In FIR 508, @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz explore the rise of “data labour” where identity (voice, behaviour, daily life) becomes the input. What does that mean for trust, ethics, and transparency? 🎧💻 bit.ly/4tVXWdZ

He's lost the plot

Demand for emergency survival kits in Dubai has surged 8x amid missile alerts and extreme weather. A startup built around preparedness is now meeting a very real need. Is this a lasting shift in how people think about risk? 🔗 www.agbi.com/health/2026/...

A small thing – a courtesy wave, a brief nod, a moment of acknowledgement. Not required. Not always returned. Still meaningful. A short reflection on why such small gestures – with people or even AI – still matter. 🔗 www.nevillehobson.io/a-gesture-of...

“Little by little, month by month, Britain and Europe are sidling closer.” A silver lining indeed www.theguardian.com/commentis…

A NYT book review, an AI tool, and a missed check. The issue isn’t using AI – it’s not checking what it produces. If AI touched it, you must verify it. A reflection, and an account of consequences. 👉 www.nevillehobson.io/the-risk-isn...

Forget about AI for a minute. Instead, this: www.theguardian.com/science/ng-i...

Translation: "I started something I can't finish and broke something I can't fix so I'm going to walk away and pretend it's your fault"

AI writing – helpful or harmful? In FIR 507, @shelholtz.bsky.social & @nevillehobson.xyz look beyond the LinkedIn backlash. For many professionals, writing isn’t their skill – it’s a task. AI can help. But voice, judgement, and trust still matter. Where do we draw the line? 🎧💻 bit.ly/41wX578

Communication is no longer just shaping how we understand conflict – in the Iran war, it’s becoming part of the conflict itself. A new post on how information warfare is evolving, and what it means for communicators working in the same system. 🔗 www.nevillehobson.io/when-communi...

Wikipedia bans AI-generated content: “it shows the Wikipedia community is less optimistic about the benefit of AI-generated content, and [is] taking a stand against it.” www.404media.co/wikipedia…

Closely guard your Zoom meeting passwords! cybernews.com/ai-news/webi...

Next month, @silviacambie.bsky.social and I will be repeating our #IABC member-only webinar on AI and ethics at a time suited to Australia & SE Asia: 🗓 Wed 15 April 2026 🕗 08:00 UTC | 16:00 SGT | 18:00 AEST 👉 Details & registration: iabcondemand.learnupon.com/store/500072...

A CEO with a personal AI agent. It sounds amusing. There's a serious point, though. If AI can brief, prioritise, and answer on behalf of leaders, what happens to management itself? A short, slightly tongue-in-cheek take on a serious shift. 🔗 www.nevillehobson.io/the-ceo-who-...

AI is changing communication – and the assumptions behind it. In FIR 506, @nevillehobson.xyz & @shelholtz.bsky.social cover: Billable hours • Observed work • PR budget hype • Misinformation risk • Bots vs humans • Are humans still central? Plus, @danyork.bsky.social on tech. 🎧💻 bit.ly/4t270x8

Twenty years after Twitter began, I’ve been reflecting on how much has changed – not just the platforms, but how I choose to use them. And why I stepped away from X in 2023. 🔗 www.nevillehobson.io/the-long-arc... Are you still on X? How has your relationship with social networks evolved?

Is social media still “social”? In #FIRpodcast 505, @shelholtz.bsky.social and I explore Hootsuite’s 2026 Trends report, addressing social as search, AI vs authenticity, and more. Plus a darker question – what if AI starts to dominate the conversation? 🎧💻 bit.ly/4bhc7DJ

Terrific read. The Huw Edwards drama airs on Channel 5 at 9pm on 24 March. www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-r...

Good assessment of Axel Springer’s swoop to snatch the Telegraph from the Daily Mail’s grasp. I read the Guardian and the Telegraph on Saturdays, for the opinions, lifestyle, culture, etc. Not the news. I don’t see that changing. bit.ly/3NAjdKu

If this isn't profiteering, I don't know what is! Gulf station in Sloane Avenue, Chelsea www.standard.co.uk/news/london/...

Pretty good assessment by Jeremy Bowen. It looks like the U.S has learned little from previous efforts from the 1990s onwards. www.bbc.co.uk/news/arti…

🤖 Are companies using AI as a convenient explanation for layoffs? In #FIRpodcast 504, Shel and I discuss “AI washing” – when organisations blame workforce cuts on AI even when the reality is more complicated. A difficult ethical space for communicators. 🎧💻 bit.ly/4davVtO

Petrol prices certainly have jumped in the past week. Today at Tesco in Yeovil, E10 petrol is £1.36/litre, up from £1.32 last week. Not far behind E10 at the BP station: £1.38/litre. Topped up the tank with 20 litres, first purchase since 23 Feb (hybrid helps). I expect prices to keep going up.