By Mia Linder - AI Communications strategist Sara Miller, founder of SB Miller Comms, sits down ahead of her June 8 session to share how communicators can move beyond experimenting with AI and start using it as a true strategic partner. Here is a preview of what she will be unpacking.

The AI Mindstate

There is a meaningful difference between an AI mindset and what Miller calls an "AI Mindstate." A mindset is what you believe. A Mindstate is what you do. It is the behavioral shift that kicks in the moment a new project lands in your inbox, the gear change that determines whether you reach for AI as a thought partner or default to doing it the old way. It is a commitment to changing how you approach work every day and inviting AI into the room as a transformational partner rather than treating it as an outside tool.

Start with the problem, not the bot

Miller's core approach is to start with the business problem or outcome you are trying to achieve, rather than with the features and functionality of the AI tool. The tool cannot help you if it does not understand what you are trying to solve.

That means teaching the bot about your company's key messaging, performance metrics, client insights, and the institutional knowledge tucked into the corners of every project. Miller shares that her team at Amazon Web Services (AWS) found success by identifying 8 to 10 repeatable, "low-hanging judgment" tasks that did not require high-level strategic thought. Think drafting first-pass talking points, summarizing analyst reports, or building briefing memos from existing materials. Offloading these to AI freed her team to focus their mental energy on the creative and strategic work that only humans can do.

Avoiding AI Slop

Inconsistent, off-brand, or generic AI output is one of the fastest ways for a communications team to lose credibility with leadership. Miller emphasizes that the fix is not a better prompt. It is better preparation.

An intentional communicator prioritizes the bot's education. Miller encourages teams to upload knowledge artifacts that include brand stories, narratives, key messages, and strategic priorities, ensuring a red thread of consistency across all team outputs.

"A key messaging document needs to be uploaded as the first and primary knowledge artifact across everything."

Without this foundation, every team member is essentially working with a different version of the same tool, and the output shows it.

Where communications is going

Soon, communicators will be talent managers for the celebrities that are AI bots. It is our job to guide them through every piece of information available on the internet and shape how they present themselves on behalf of our brands. Miller believes the role of communications professionals is shifting toward coordinating, managing, and monitoring AI agents rather than executing every piece of content themselves.

The fear of being replaced by AI is real, but it is also misplaced. AI cannot replicate emotional intelligence, human connection, or the sensemaking that turns information into insight. Those remain the primary value communicators bring to their stakeholders. The AI Mindstate is what lets us spend more of our time there.

Mia Linder is IABC Philadelphia’s Chapter intern and a motivated journalism student, excited about connecting with professionals through creative storytelling. She delivers compelling articles and executes marketing campaigns that leave a lasting impression on current and prospective IABC members. In her free time, Mia enjoys fashion, pilates, luxury branding, traveling, and photography. Her creativity, sharp strategy, and empathetic mindset shape how she delivers a brand's message.