Will AI Combine “Science” with the “Art” of Investor Relations in 2024?

According to FactSet Document Search, 177 companies in the S&P 500 mentioned the term “AI” in their earnings call transcripts from June 15 through September 7, 2023, resulting in the “largest number of S&P 500 companies citing AI on earnings calls going back to at least 2010.”

The age of artificial intelligence is already upon us – and its pace of innovation isn’t slowing down.

In 2023, Notified executives spent time talking with IR leaders as part of our AI Working Group in partnership with IR Magazine. In these sessions, we found that while many IROs are interested in using AI to bring more efficiency and accuracy to their work, they are also concerned about various aspects of its safe and secure usage.

No matter where you are in your AI journey, I encourage you to download our new playbook, Artificial Intelligence and Investor Relations: A Roadmap for Successful and Responsible Implementation, for insights on how to use AI to enhance your IR program.

And for IROs that want to leverage AI tools to add more “science” to the “art” of investor relations – such as automating tedious tasks and enhancing data analysis – here are three additional ways to get started.

1. Start with AI Infrastructure

For IROs to trust AI, there must be security measures in place for its safe usage. This includes having a well-defined policy in place and training that is focused on education (and this will likely require the support of the executive, legal, tech and human resources teams).

From learning to write prompts to understanding the nuances of AI tools - particularly when handling sensitive information—these skills are critical to secure and effective implementation.

2. Experiment (with Guardrails in Place)

AI has the potential to make a dramatic impact on IR – and there are distinct ways for IR pros to safely experiment today.

From summarizing key points in analyst reports to providing summaries of competitor earnings reports, AI can have an immediate impact in streamlining workflows.

3. Collaborate to Power Innovation

The IR industry was built on collaboration – both internally (marketing/PR teams) and externally (partners/vendors) - and this is the spirit that will drive innovation.

For IROs to truly take advantage of AI, and understand its applications and use cases, it will be critical to share experiences, guidelines, wins and challenges.

Nimesh Davé

Nimesh Davé is President of Notified and has a successful history of leading technology and cloud-based businesses, most recently as President, Global Cloud, a multi-billion dollar worldwide, virtual business division within Ingram Micro Corporation, a global leader in technology and supply chain services. Prior to that, he spent two decades as a leader within Tech Data Corporation, working in Barcelona, Paris, Munich, Toronto, Tampa and Sao Paolo. During this time, he drove improved operations, established a new line of business, led major ERP implementations and redesigned the European sales, procurement, and marketing organizations while effectively integrating 25 acquisitions into the business.