ZHAW Trend Study: Generative AI Is Transforming Communications Departments
99 percent of Swiss communications departments use generative AI—and many of them are already using it systematically. The ZHAW Trend Study 2026 shows how the technology is reshaping the structures, roles, and budgets of entire departments.
Generative AI Communication: From Individual Tasks to Structural Issues
Generative AI has become virtually ubiquitous in Swiss communications departments—as the ZHAW 2026 Trend Study clearly shows. According to the survey, 99 percent of the communications departments surveyed now use generative AI in some form. The majority of these departments are already using the technology systematically, rather than merely on an experimental basis. As a result, the technology has reached a new level: it has long since moved beyond simply changing individual tasks and is increasingly impacting the structures, roles, and budgets of the entire communications department.
The study was conducted in the first half of 2026 by a research team from the Department of Applied Linguistics at ZHAW, led by Nicole Rosenberger, professor of organizational communication and management. The data set consists of an online survey of 115 chief communications officers (CCOs) in German-speaking Switzerland, as well as ten in-depth interviews with CCOs and communications consultants.
AI permeates the entire value chain
The range of applications for generative AI in communications has expanded significantly. The technology is no longer used solely for generating text and images, but also for research, concept development, data analysis, and video and audio production. Accordingly, the study shows that communications departments’ self-assessed level of digital maturity has reached a new high.
However, this leap in development has a downside: Many departments are simultaneously under considerable pressure to cut costs. At about 40 percent of the companies and government agencies surveyed, the budget has decreased in recent years—and at for-profit companies, the figure is even higher than half.
Strategy and consulting expertise are gaining importance
The changing technological landscape is also having an impact on skill requirements. According to the respondents, technical skills such as copywriting or translation are becoming less important, while strategic and consulting skills are becoming significantly more important. The research team sums up the key finding: «The biggest challenge for communications departments is no longer technology itself, but rather its repositioning within the organization.»
This shift raises new questions for communications professionals: What roles does a department that relies on AI need? How is its self-image changing in relation to senior management? And what specific skills need to be developed?
Fifth edition of a long-term project
Since 2018, the research project «Communication in the Digital Transformation» conducted by the Department of Applied Linguistics at ZHAW has been examining the current state and needs of corporate communication in the context of digital transformation every two years. The fifth trend study, published in 2026, focuses on how generative AI is transforming the very structure of communications departments. The trend study also serves as the scientific foundation for ZHAW’s continuing education program, the CAS in Digital Transformation, AI, and Communication.
The study «Communication in the Digital Transformation – Swiss Trend Study 2026» is available for free download: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-2840
