In this episode, Microsoft CCO Frank Shaw joins host Jason Mudd to discuss how AI is reshaping PR workflows, strategy, and corporate communications.

Tune in to learn more!

Meet Our Guest:

Our episode guest is Frank X. Shaw, chief communications officer at Microsoft. Frank leads global communications strategy, product PR, media and analyst relations, executive and employee communications, and global agency partnerships. He shares insights on how communicators can leverage AI to focus on high-value work and improve efficiency.

Five things you’ll learn from this episode:

1. How to identify high-value PR work and apply AI to repetitive tasks

2. Practical AI applications for media monitoring, analyst engagement, and internal communications

3. How autonomous AI agents can enhance predictive insights for communications teams

4. The mindset needed to embrace AI tools without fear of job loss

5. How efficiency gained through AI can drive growth rather than just cost-cutting

Quotables

“It's not like you can outsource your judgment, but you can augment it.” — Frank Shaw

“I don't look at all this technology as something that is going to cut costs. It's going to allow us to do the things that are in front of us that we want to do that we can't get to right now because we don't have the resources and the time.” — Frank Shaw

“The mindset has to be one of experimentation, curiosity, trying new things, being willing to fail, at some, grabbing every tool that comes out there and thinking about how we can apply it to the work that we do. “ — Frank Shaw

“I think everybody should be experimenting with stuff at home and at work because it's moving really fast, and the way you stay on top of it is just to play.” — Frank Shaw

“People say the corporate communication profession has changed over the years. And my argument is it really hasn't changed. We just have better tools. But those same tools require us to be even better practitioners, more strategically minded.” — Jason Mudd

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Guest’s contact info and resources:

Frank X. Shaw on LinkedIn

Microsoft website

LinkedIn Learning: Communicator’s Guide to AI Tools and Mindsets for Modern PR and Media course

Additional Resources:

Axia’s AI Relations service

Microsoft Copilot Studio

Microsoft Bing

Get to Know Microsoft Edge

Support the show

On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands.
On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

Shaping the future of PR with AI: Insights from Microsoft’s Frank X. Shaw