When Sia Papageorgiou and I co-founded the Centre for Strategic Communication Excellence, we built it on a belief that communication professionals should be strategic leaders, not tactical operators. That belief has never felt more urgent than it does right now, as AI reshapes every organisation’s operations, culture, and reputation.
Last year, in partnership with the Global Alliance and Reputation Lighthouse, we conducted the first Reimagining Tomorrow survey. The findings were sobering and clarifying in equal measure. AI adoption was near-universal at 91%. Responsible governance was not, only 39% of organisations had frameworks in place. And just 8.2% of PR and communication teams were actively leading AI governance, despite the profession ranking it as its highest strategic priority.
The gap between what we know we should be doing and what is actually happening was the story. And it was our story to tell, because it falls squarely within the domain of strategic communication leadership.
The 2026 survey, which is now live, is our chance to find out whether anything has shifted. It examines organisational accountability for AI, disclosure practices, the barriers that are keeping communication professionals out of governance conversations, and the direct relationship between AI and reputation, an area no comparable global research has examined.
If we are serious about leading responsibly, we have to first understand where we stand.
The survey also introduces the Annual Tracker, a single unchanging question that will run in every future edition: What is your single biggest AI focus for the next two years? In 2026 we establish the baseline. Every year from now, that data will tell us, and the world, whether the profession’s priorities are maturing.
Take the Survey:
It takes 15–17 minutes
The CSCE community has always been at the forefront of professional development and strategic thinking. I am asking every CSCE member and connections to take this survey and share it widely. Your perspective, practitioner, educator, or both, is exactly what this research needs.
