For senior communication leaders – invitation only
The Nordic CommTech Seminar
“From Tools to Transformation: Rethinking the Communication Function Through CommTech and AI“
Calendar
Tuesday
02
June
- Starts:08:30, 2 June 2026
- Ends:12:30, 2 June 2026
- Location:BI - campus Oslo, A2-Blue 8 & A2-Red 8
- Enrolment deadline:22 May 2026
- Contact:Alexander Buhmann (nora@bi.no)
Hosted by: #NORA – The Nordic Alliance for Communication and Management (Prof. Dr. Alexander Buhmann), The Arthur W- Page Society, The European Association of Communication Directors
Supported by: Scompler Technologies, Linq Advisors, The European Communication Monitor
Seminar focus
Increasingly, communications and public affairs leaders approach CommTech and AI as more than the digitization of existing processes and operational tasks. Instead, it is fundamentally reshaping communication work itself—its roles, responsibilities, operating models and professional identities.
Communication departments occupy a dual position in this transformation. On the one hand, they are often expected to guide, or at least actively shape and support, digital transformation initiatives within their organizations. On the other hand, they face the challenge of reflecting on their own future role and on how their value contribution to the organization may change in an increasingly digitalized future.
For leaders and executives in communications and public affairs, this creates a particularly demanding situation. They are required to actively shape change, bring their teams along, and make strategic decisions at a time when many of the tactical—and even paradigmatic—implications of CommTech and AI are only beginning to emerge.
Against this backdrop, many leaders seek opportunities for high level peer exchange and mutual learning. They look to peers, thought leaders, and researchers to collectively make sense of these developments and to explore how the communication function can be strategically positioned for the future.
This exclusive seminar will bring together leaders in the field and researchers to jointly engage on CommTech and AI. Fostered by high-level research insights, practical cases, and an engaged seminar atmosphere, we will jointly explore common challenges, best practices, and future directions.
The seminar is guided by the following three key perspectives:
The public communication perspective: Technology, Trust and the Business–Society Interface
Technology can enhance the quality of insight into trust, stakeholder expectations, and the interface between organizations and society. At the same time, it challenges trust through risks such as disinformation, deepfakes, synthetic content/media, and thus intensifies the need for verification, source documentation, and demonstrable authenticity. Organizations must establish clear frameworks for oversight, risk management, and accountability. What are implications for AI governance, how will we set up increasingly sophisticated AI policy and what are concrete digital/communication responsibilities at the intersection of human/machine work?
The communication department perspective: Technology and Change of the Communication Function
New technology interacts with tasks, structures, and workflows simultaneously, making it necessary to understand the value and integration of CommTech and AI against the backdrop of the business and operating model of a function —from resources, to idea development to performance measurement. Navigating digitalization requires communication leaders to manage inflated or mislead expectations by identifying where AI and tech can realistically support the strategic value chain from strategy to impact. Executives and board members may expect AI agents to transform communication, marketing and sales, often inspired by success stories from SaaS companies; that relate to different industries, business models, and customer journeys. How and where can CommTech and AI really support a move up the strategic value chain by systematically gathering, structuring/prioritizing and using stakeholder insights? How can such insights feed into strategy development, messaging, and long-term roadmaps?
The individual perspective of the communication professional: Shifts in Identity, Role, and Competency Profiles
CommTech and AI seem to move many communication teams from a delivery-oriented model toward a more advisory and strategic role. As AI handles more operational tasks, the key question becomes where communicators create new and distinct value. With this comes the question for new roles and competence profiles that combine strategic thinking, technological literacy, and ethical judgment. And at a higher level, we need to explore how AI can also move from being a productivity tool to becoming a strategic co-creator and decision-support partner for communicators.