Category: AI

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Will AI will create entirely new crisis problems?

Will AI will create entirely new crisis problems?

If you’re worrying that AI will create entirely new crisis problems, it probably won’t.

What it will do is speed up the ones that already catch people out.

  • Rushing when pressure hits.
  • Becoming defensive instead of deliberate.
  • Sounding confident before the facts are clear.
  • Going quiet without being intentional about it.

Those behaviours existed long before the tools did. They just show up faster now.

In the short statement below, I’ve set out what I keep seeing repeated, regardless of sector or technology. Not as a prediction, but as an observation from how crises actually unfold when time is tight and judgement matters.

AI will not create new crisis mistakes, it will amplify the old ones…

Preparation still decides the outcome.

It always has.

The tools change.

The behaviour is what makes the difference.

Visit our 24/7 Strategic Counsel page to find out more about how we support organisations when judgement matters most.

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How I would build a crisis response team today

Abby Mangold Working with small team

This is how I would build a crisis response team today (in the age of AI and fake videos).

This is based on what I have seen work when scrutiny is high and the margin for error is small.

First, I look for judgement before speed.

Fast reactions feel competent, but poor decisions travel quickly and are hard to pull back.

Second, I want people who are comfortable saying “we do not know yet”.

Credibility is damaged far more by speculating than by honesty.

Third, strong writing under pressure matters more than ever. Clear sentences. Plain language. No internal jargon.

If your team cannot write well at speed, no tool will fix it – even AI.

Fourth, human insight cannot be automated.

AI can summarise information.

It cannot read fear, anger or uncertainty in an audience.

Fifth, senior leaders value people who are willing to challenge them.

The right advice can be unpopular.

The strongest crisis teams stop bad decisions early.

Sixth, understanding how the media actually work is non-negotiable.

Not how organisations wish it worked.

Headlines, timelines and silence all carry consequences.

Finally, rehearsal beats reaction every time.

The most effective crisis teams I have worked with have practised long before they needed to perform.

AI can support crisis communications BUT It will not replace judgement, preparation or leadership under pressure.

If you are reviewing your crisis readiness for the year ahead, this is the capability mix I would prioritise if  building a crisis response team today.

Get in touch to find out more how Mangold Consultancy can help with your crisis readiness

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Why crisis response today is about judgement over information

Abby Mangold presenting to a small team

One of the most dangerous assumptions I see in crisis response today is this:

That the truth will speak for itself (in the age of AI and fabricated content).

It will not.

I have learned that in moments of uncertainty, people do not wait for facts.

They look for signals.

  • Who speaks first.
  • Who sounds credible.
  • Who appears composed.
  • Who seems to care.

This is why crisis response today is less about information and more about judgement.

When deepfakes, edited clips and misinformation are circulating, the organisations that hold trust are the ones that already have three things in place.

First, decision discipline.

Someone who knows when to speak and when not to.

Not everything needs an immediate response, but everything needs a considered one.

Second, language that sounds human under pressure.

Audiences can sense scripted reassurance instantly.

In high-risk moments, tone matters as much as facts.

Third, leaders who have rehearsed uncertainty.

Not just the scenario, but the discomfort of not having all the answers.

What I have seen repeatedly is this:

Organisations do not fail because they lack technology, they fail because they have not prepared their people to lead when certainty disappears.

AI makes crises faster and noisier.

If you are relying on tools alone to protect trust, you are already exposed.

To ensure your team is ready for the digital challenges of today, explore our Social Media Crisis Management services.