KUCHING: Artificial intelligence (AI) can detect a brewing public relations crisis but only human empathy and judgment can turn data into public trust, says Syed Mohammed Idid Syed Ahmad Idid.
The Public Relations Practitioners Society of Malaysia deputy chairman said AI could help communicators monitor sentiment, identify emerging narratives and assess risks, but it could not assume moral responsibility.
“AI can be used as an early-warning system and a drafting partner, but never use it as a moral centre to assess emotions.
“An algorithm only sees signals; it does not carry responsibility. So, it comes back to the human being,” he said during a keynote session at the International Communication and Media Conference 2026 (i-COME’26) at the Borneo Cultures Museum on Friday (Sept 11).
His keynote session was titled “AI Won’t Save Your PR Crisis — But a Real Human Story Will”.
Syed Mohammed, who is also West Coast Expressway (WCE) general manager for strategic communications and stakeholder engagement, said AI could analyse public sentiment but could not personally engage an audience or persuade people to trust an organisation.
“The human work of crisis happens when data becomes trust. You listen, make ethical trade-offs, negotiate with empathy and remain accountable to the public.”
He stressed that communicators should use AI to listen more widely and data to identify risks without outsourcing empathy or professional judgment to technology.
Drawing on WCE’s experience in managing a land acquisition dispute, he said legal and technical facts alone were insufficient when public perceptions had already portrayed the company as a corporate bully.
The company had to correct inaccurate claims while acknowledging the emotions and concerns of those affected, rather than responding defensively.
“In a crisis, being right is not the same as being trusted.”
Syed Mohammed outlined five human-centred approaches to crisis communication: listening before explaining, making the process visible, respecting the human impact, anchoring messages to public value and maintaining disciplined communication.
He said organisations must remain factual, calm, consistent and empathetic when responding to a crisis.
“People must feel heard before they accept the facts. Silence creates space for rumours. If you do not communicate, people will communicate for you.”
He added that the real advantage for communicators in the AI era was not becoming more automated but earning public trust through honesty, integrity and transparency.
