How Billy Joel’s Use of AI Can Change the PR Industry

I recently attended Billy Joel’s 99^th performance at Madison Square Garden, and I marveled at how well the stories he tells through music have held up over his decades-long career. I was even more struck that he could release new music for the first time in nearly 20 years, and still tell a great story that his fans can relate to.  A quick scan of the audience showed me that Billy Joel fans are not just middle-aged people who grew up listening to his music. There were many millennials, who were likely introduced to the Piano Man by their parents, Gen Z, and even a few Gen Alphas coming along for the ride.

Then, something else happened. A few days after the concert, the AI-generated video for the new single “Turn the Lights On” was released, and it got me thinking about something other than Billy Joel’s staying power… If Billy Joel can embrace AI, why can’t everyone?

Here’s what we all can learn from Billy Joel’s use of AI:

• We shouldn’t fear AI when we are all using it already – When you choose to watch a Netflix series based on an app’s recommendation, ask Alexa what time it is, or even query a search engine, you are already using a kind of AI. This technology has already been a part of our lives for years!
• The innovative use of AI is newsworthy and can help spread your message – News media has an enormous appetite for AI stories, and with shrinking newsrooms, it’s more important than ever to make sure you stand out. Having an AI angle can help reporters take an interest in you, making it much more likely your message will break through the noise and resonate with an audience. Think of Coca-Cola’s “Masterpiece” ad of last year, which was made using generative AI. Or how hotel search company Trivago used AI to translate a single actor’s voice into a dozen different languages for its rebranding campaign. Not only are these bits of content interesting by themselves, but the innovation became part of the story – and thus helped the brands get their message out.
• AI will enhance our communications, not independently generate them – Like most enduring technologies throughout history, AI will not replace human creativity, it will enhance In PR, that could mean things like generating drafts of a pitch that a professional refines, researching story angles, or finding a whitespace in media where a brand has the potential to stand out from the pack. While it’s still early in the AI game, it’s safe to say that this technology will only make us better at our jobs.

Perhaps it’s time to consider whether AI needs to be “rebranded” – but that is a topic for another day.

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