Smarter Public Engagement with AI: Tools, Risks, and Trust

Public trust is harder to earn than ever, and communications teams are under pressure to move faster, respond better, and engage more meaningfully with their communities. AI is already changing how organizations write, analyze feedback, prepare materials, monitor issues, and support decision-making. But most people are being asked to use these tools without clear guidance on where they help, where they create risk, and how to use them responsibly. This course closes that gap. It gives communications and engagement professionals a practical understanding of how AI can improve efficiency, strengthen public engagement, and support better work—without losing trust, accuracy, or human judgment. Participants will learn how to use AI for drafting, research, message development, and analyzing public input, while also understanding the risks of bias, hallucinations, privacy concerns, and overreliance. Rather than treating AI as hype or fear, this course shows how to apply it with confidence, ethics, and strategy.