Date of Award
12-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Communications
Committee Chair/Advisor
James N. Gilmore, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Brandon Boatwright, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Andrew Pyle, Ph.D.
Abstract
This thesis investigates the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly large language models, into crisis communication, focusing on how AI technologies can enhance response strategies and stakeholder engagement during crises. By leveraging established communication frameworks such as Image Repair Theory, Situational Crisis Communication Theory, and the Discourse of Renewal, this research explores the potential for AI to improve both the speed and precision of crisis responses. The study highlights how AI can assist in monitoring public sentiment, drafting tailored responses, and managing real-time information during crisis events. However, it also addresses the limitations of AI, such as its inability to fully understand human emotions and the ethical concerns surrounding its use. The research demonstrates that while AI is a powerful tool for data processing and initial communication, it cannot replace the human expertise needed to interpret emotional cues and make compassionate, ethical decisions. Instead, AI should be seen as an enhancement to human-led crisis communication strategies, enabling quicker, more efficient responses while keeping human oversight at the forefront. Through this exploration, the thesis fills a critical gap in the literature by applying AI systems within traditional crisis communication theories and offers new avenues for future research into AI’s role in more complex, cross-cultural, and ethically sensitive crisis scenarios.
Recommended Citation
Whims, Timothy, "AI at the Helm: Transforming Crisis Communication Through Theory and Advancing Technology" (2024). All Theses. 4429.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/4429
Author ORCID Identifier
0009-0004-7398-7114
Included in
Communication Technology and New Media Commons, Organizational Communication Commons, Public Relations and Advertising Commons, Social Media Commons
