When will AI turn communication on its head?

In an interview with Benjamin Lampe, Senior Director, Communications, EMEA at Microsoft, based in Munich.

When will AI turn communication on its head?

As Senior Director Communications, Benjamin heads up communications for Microsoft in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In his role, he works closely with colleagues in the various regions and at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington. Ben leads his international team from Munich and focuses primarily on corporate reputation and effective storytelling. With over 20 years in the industry, Benjamin has a wealth of experience in international communications environments. Before joining Microsoft, he was Communications Director for Nokia in Europe, with a focus on consumer and change communications.

AG CommTech: In what ways is artificial intelligence already transforming the work of communications departments?

Benjamin: “First gradually and then all of a sudden” as Hemingway would say. AI is already automating many routine tasks, such as creating reports, meeting notes, translations and briefings, which leaves us experts more time for creative and strategic tasks. For example, our AI solution Copilot enables employees to catch up on meetings they were unable to attend almost 4x faster. With our head office in a different time zone, I quickly learned to appreciate this.

AG CommTech: Will AI replace communication professionals in the foreseeable future?

Benjamin: Very unlikely. I think communication professionals will be replaced by communication professionals who, thanks to AI, will use their own focus and the team’s own time even more effectively. It will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of work. AI can take over repetitive tasks and perform data analysis, but human creativity, strategic thinking and human connection remain essential. That’s why our solution is called Copilot, not Autopilot.

AG CommTech: Is AI just a new tool in the toolbox?

Benjamin: Artificial intelligence represents a new dimension of work that is fundamentally changing the way we work. Just as working from home meant that not all employees had to come into the office every day, AI will significantly change our understanding of work. AI integrates itself into various work processes and makes it possible to complete tasks in a way that was not possible before. Today, time and attention are very limited. Artificial intelligence offers us new opportunities for innovation and increased efficiency that go far beyond traditional tools.

AG CommTech: How to use AI for creativity?

Benjamin: There is a saying among communicators: “God bless all those who write the first draft”, because the first draft often costs a lot of energy and heart and soul. Now AI can help us create that first draft. Many people open “Word” and then quickly close it again for fear of the white page. Now we have a prompt window directly in the tool that asks me what I want to write about and then makes suggestions. The more precisely I can formulate this, the better the first draft will be. I can expand and change it. AI can also make suggestions for campaigns or communicative approaches.

AG CommTech: How does Microsoft use AI in communication?

Benjamin: Microsoft uses AI in communication in a variety of ways.
For example, we have a Copilot in the browser that acts as an assistant to help us find and summarize information. We also have M365 Copilot to support daily workflows for applications such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel and email. These products are also available to other companies and are a great help when used correctly. We also have the Communications Copilot, which is only available to employees in Microsoft’s communications department and was built in-house. Here we can experiment and test new things. We also have a cooperation with an external service provider that uses our AI to measure success and analyze media, and just a month ago we rolled out so-called agents that can link all disciplines.

AG CommTech: What advice would you give to communications professionals who are just starting to explore the use of AI in their work?

Benjamin: The CommTech Index Report 20204/2025 shows that 75% of communications managers want to invest more in AI such as Copilot. So there is definitely interest. Communications professionals who are just starting to explore AI should not be afraid to experiment and try out new tools. They should also focus on how AI can improve their specific work processes. This can then be developed further. The key is to see AI as a partner that supports and complements your own work. As with everything else, further training is essential to stay at the cutting edge of technology. It also requires a certain amount of curiosity.

AG CommTech: First co-pilot and now everyone is talking about agents. How should we imagine this?

Benjamin: The term “agents” refers to more advanced AI systems that are able to perform more complex tasks autonomously. While the co-pilot makes me personally more productive, an agent works on behalf of the company and makes processes more productive. For example, every Monday I send a newsletter, the “Monday EMEA Espresso”, to key stakeholders and the communications teams. The team spends up to 25-30 working hours on this. In less than 5 minutes, I have now built my own agent that suggests an intro text. All it needs is a link or topic suggestion. I trained it with previous intros and the agent extracted the rules itself. So AI doesn’t mean it has to be complicated. It’s getting easier and easier. Recently, we even have an agent that makes suggestions for improving my prompts.