Work Smarter: What You Need to Know About AI Integrations, Video Trends and Policy Points

Artificial intelligence is no longer a fad. Open AI, Anthropic, Gemini, Adobe Firefly, Microsoft CoPilot and many other AI tools are changing the landscape of utility communications. Staying ahead of the curve isn’t just an advantage. It’s a requirement. Are you ready?

For example, I didn’t have time to read the NWPPA Bulletin’s September 2024 cover article about how Snohomish County PUD uses generative AI. Instead, I uploaded a PDF of the magazine to Notebook LM, an experimental AI platform from Google Research. Not only did this let me ask for a synopsis of the article, I was able to generate a 10-minute conversational podcast to listen to key takeaways from the article.

Want to hear what AI thought? Listen to a clip of the audio I shared in my session or listen to the full 10-minute synopsis.

Get up to speed with the top three brands featuring AI integrations, read about video generation trends, then use our list of policy pointers to help your staff harness AI’s potential without losing community trust.

Invisible AI: Quietly Boosting Productivity in Adobe, Microsoft and Canva

Unlike the last few years when people have logged on to ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, the future of AI is not chat, but integration. For example, Apple Intelligence, an optional update coming to iPhones this fall, weaves artificial intelligence tools, powered by Chat GPT, into email, notes and other phone features.

By seamlessly powering the software we use every day, people can harness AI capabilities without switching applications or even realizing they are using AI.

Here are the top integration tools in use this fall:

1. Adobe Firefly

AI-powered content generation and manipulation are woven into Adobe creative software apps (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) and powered by Firefly, Adobe’s custom AI web app. The tools allow users to add, expand or remove elements from images using natural language prompts. Features:

• Generative fill 
• Generative expand  
• Remove tool 
• Text to image 
• Text to vector 

2. Microsoft Copilot

AI assistance blends into Microsoft 365 applications with the potential to transform how we create and refine content in Word, PowerPoint, Excel and other applications. Features:

• Word:Draft and edit content. Learn more about Copilot in Word.
• Excel:Analyze content and generate insights/trends, get formula suggestions.Learn more about Copilot in Excel.
• PowerPoint:Create slides from prompts.Learn more about Copilot in PowerPoint.
• Outlook: Draft emails, change message tone, schedule meetings. Learn more about Copilot in Outlook.
• Task automation across apps.

3. Canva Magic Studio™

Canva, a cloud-based design studio, introduced Magic Studio a year ago. With Canva’s already extensive media library, the AI integrations make it easy for users to resize and reformat designs, create images and video from text and more. Features:

• Magic Switch™ 
• Magic Media™ 
• Magic Edit™ 
• Magic Animate™ 
• Magic Write™ 

Smarter Video Tools Coming

Video content has become increasingly important in digital communication strategies, and AI makes video production more accessible and efficient than ever before.

• OpenAI Sora, currently in beta testing, represents a significant leap in text-to-video generation. The tool can create realistic and creative videos based on text descriptions.
• Adobe Firefly Video, also in beta testing, promises to simplify video editing tasks. Prompts include cinematic tones, angles and the ability to turn still images into animated b-roll.
• Meta Movie Gen, announced in October, promises to allow text-to-video and sound generation, edit existing videos and turn an image into a video. You are not able to use this generator yet (like Firefly Video and Sora), but it shows how many different AI-powered video generators will be streaming to our content channels soon.

As the quality of video generation improves, Utility Pioneers can more easily create videos educating members on energy efficiency, safety topics or to explain complex infrastructure projects.

The ability to create custom avatars––video versions of known community members which you can give scripts to read––is another way to personalize and streamline video content.

HeyGen allows users to create a free digital avatar to deliver messages in multiple languages. I tried it out, giving the website only 30 seconds of video to work with instead of the two minutes requested. Even with less source material to work with, my resulting avatar speaks Spanish, French and Chinese and looks––if a bit strange at times––like me.

While my avatar was used to show how the tech works, Utility Pioneers could use this technology to:

• Create multilingual customer service videos
• Deliver personalized energy usage reports
• Provide consistent messaging across various communication channels

AI video-enhancing tools offer exciting possibilities, but it’s crucial to use them thoughtfully. The goal should be to enhance communication efforts, not replace human interactions. Authenticity remains key in building trust with our communities.

Before You Play, Pave the Way

New tools are exciting. But before you start using AI, make sure you have a policy or staff guidelines in place to make sure your team keeps delivering quality, trusted content.

Staff guidance should include:

• Transparency: Clearly disclose when and how AI has been used in content creation.
• Accuracy verification: Implement rigorous fact-checking processes for AI-generated content.
• Brand voice consistency: Ensure that AI-generated content aligns with your utility’s established tone and values.
• Data protection: Be mindful of the data input into AI tools, especially consumer information.
• Training and education: Provide comprehensive training for your team on the proper use of AI tools.
• Content ownership and copyright: Address issues of content ownership when using AI-generated materials.
• Quality control processes: Establish clear workflows for reviewing and approving AI-generated content.
• Ethical use guidelines: Develop guidelines that address the ethical implications of AI use.

AI is powerful, but it doesn’t replace human judgment and expertise. As we continue to explore and adopt AI tools, Utility Pioneers need to stay focused on our core mission: to provide clear, reliable and meaningful connections to the communities we serve. AI can help us achieve this goal more effectively, but it’s our human touch that will continue to make the difference.

Want to learn more? Get links to helpful tools, see sample policies and find past coverage at pioneer.coop/aitools.

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