9 AI Prompts for Public Affairs Professionals Who Want Better Thinking, Not Just Faster Drafting
Discover 9 practical AI prompts for public affairs professionals to improve policy messaging, pressure-test arguments, anticipate objections, and communicate more clearly with EU stakeholders.
“What is the single weakest sentence in this briefing, and how would you fix it?”
This is a prompt I would probably never have come up with myself.
And yet, it is exactly the kind of question that makes AI useful for public affairs work.
Not because it writes the briefing for you.
But because it helps you test the thinking behind it.
A lot of AI use in public affairs still focuses on speed: summarise this, draft that, turn this into an email. Useful, yes. But not the whole story.
The real value is when AI helps you pressure-test your message before someone else does.
A policymaker.
A journalist.
A Commission official.
A sceptical attaché.
A client.
A colleague in the meeting who spots the weak point before you do.
So here are 9 AI prompts for public affairs professionals who want better thinking, not just faster drafting:
- Rewrite this message so it would survive a hostile question from an MEP in the relevant EP committee.
- List the 5 strongest objections a Commission desk officer at [DG] would raise to this proposal, then tighten the argument.
- Translate this policy language into something a national journalist would not misinterpret.
- What is the single weakest sentence in this briefing, and how would you fix it?
- Adapt this message for a sceptical Permanent Representation official who is short on time.
- Strip this text of buzzwords and replace them with concrete, defensible claims.
- Assume the audience is politically neutral but institutionally risk-averse, rewrite accordingly.
- What is the hidden assumption in this argument that could be challenged in a meeting?
- Reduce this to a 30-second spoken answer that sounds credible and not rehearsed.
The point is not to let AI do your public affairs work for you.
The point is to use it as a sparring partner.
To make your arguments clearer.
To make your messages harder to misread.
To find the sentence that sounds fine until someone challenges it.
To prepare for the question you hope no one asks.
That is where AI becomes genuinely useful.
Not as a shortcut around expertise.
But as a tool that helps you use your expertise better.
Stop Using AI for Answers. Start Using It for Better Questions
Discover why the real power of AI isn’t in providing answers, but in helping you ask better questions, uncover blind spots, and explore alternative perspectives for smarter decision-making.
Picasso once said: "Computers are useless, they can only give you answers."
That was true in his time, and still true today if you only use AI as a search ("answer") engine.
The real value is in the questions we ask:
- see blind spots in our reasoning ("Identify hidden biases or blind spots in my plan.)
- test assumptions we didn’t know we had ("Highlight my explicit or implicit assumptions.")
- explore alternative framings of the same problem ("How can this problem be viewed from multiple angles? How would a manager, a psychologist, a physicist, and musician look at it?") Or take these for example:
- Instead of asking “What’s the EU’s position on AI regulation?” try “What unintended consequences could the EU AI Act have for small startups?”
- Instead of “Summarize this report,” try “What’s missing from this report that an NGO focusing on circular economy could ask?”
- Instead of “Write a press release,” try “What would make this story credible to a skeptical journalist?”
AI doesn’t (and shouldn't) replace thinking. Just be sure to ask it the right way.
➡️ looking for AI workshops for your team? Influence Builders has trained 1500+ corporate and government affairs teams, and we'll be glad to work with you.
AI on LinkedIn: Hype, Hysteria, or Honest Insight?
A wry look at the LinkedIn AI conversation: from overhyped promises to doomsday takes, existential musings, and magical shortcuts. Where does reality meet rhetoric?
I get the impression that each time someone talks about AI on Linkedin, it's either:
- "oh this is such a hype/BS that only grifters talk about it"
- "you can go sit on a beach, it'll do everything for/instead of you"
- "whatever it churns out, it's a piece of cr*p that should be ridiculed"
- "here is some existential AI philosophy that I just invented"
- "a magic shortcut to hack your way to the top of the newsfeed"
- "it's the end of [name topic] and let's despair OR here is what to do about it"
- "this is revolutionary and the best of all worlds is about to come"
(I am guilty as charged of some of the above, I readily admit.)
Did I miss anything else?
p.s.: and the opportunistic plug, as the plus one: check out Influence Builders
Attention Scientists and Researchers: Exploring AI Tools for Smarter Drafting and Research
Scientists, NGOs, researchers: this may be helpful.
Scientists, NGOs, researchers: this may be helpful.
I haven't thoroughly tested it and there is always a risk of AI-generated BS or clichés, but it does seem useful to create a first draft and save time on collating/cross-checking documents.
If anyone has tried it, please report back if it lives up to its promises.
Another tool I’m look at is https://scite.ai/assistant - to find peer-reviewed papers and the knowledge contained in them.
**This was originally posted on Andras Baneth's LinkedIn account.
Oatly’s Bold Playbook: Turning Critics into Brand Ambassadors and Ideas into Impact
Oatly has shown that corporate communications can be hilarious (and effective).
Oatly has shown that corporate communications can be hilarious (and effective).
First, their comms department is internally (and sometimes externally) simply referred to as "Oatly Department of Mind Control".
Then, since they sell milk (haha, that's exactly what they DON'T do), two years ago they ran a provocative yet memorable ad called 'Normalize it', ie. plant-based drinks. Yet they have many (many!) opponents (enemies?), they found a way to own them... in the most elegant way.
If you go on the Oatly website's FAQ section, you will find an item called "I hate Oatly but I don’t know how to put it in words." - with a link to another website called... (wait for it) fckoatly.com -- where they answer their critiques head on.
But that's not all. They take it to another level. Literally.
On the above site, at the bottom you will find this: "Totally hate fckoatly.com? Go to fckfckoatly.com", which, as you would expect, takes you to the next level.
Daring, courageous, tongue-in-cheek. And it works.
For a challenger of legacy products and companies, they come with a personality, a brand, and a style that resonates with baristas, urban consumers, artists, and hipsters, many of whom have a strong online voice to spread the gospel.
Last but not least, they also ran a 'get-out-the-vote' campaign for the 2024 European Parliament elections earlier this year called 'Voat for the Planet', with a signature Oatly-style design and some discreet branding. Not many companies found it worthy to spend creative energy and money on trying to increase voter turnout.
Oatly's comms goes beyond selling a box of liquid: they sell an idea (that you can eventually drink).
Enjoy your 🥛p.s.: great honour to have run a workshop for the Oatly team last week, special thanks to Cecilia McAleavey for the opportunity.
cc Influence Builders | The Right Street
**This was originally posted on Andras Baneth's LinkedIn account.
Communication Trends for 2025
Here are seven practical, actionable takeaways based on the slides, with concrete examples.
Here are seven practical, actionable takeaways based on the slides, with concrete examples:
- Understand your audience deeply
- Use tools like social listening (e.g., Hootsuite, Brandwatch) to track conversations about your key topics.
- Example: If your association focuses on renewable energy, monitor hashtags like #CleanEnergy or follow influencers discussing EU Green Deal updates.
- Create content your audience actually cares about
- Avoid generic or overly promotional posts. Instead, focus on solving problems or sharing insights.
- Example: Share a case study of how a policy change impacted your members, paired with actionable advice for stakeholders.
- Use AI to save time and improve personalization
- Tools like ChatGPT or Jasper can draft posts, generate ideas, or create content variations.
- Example: Use generative AI to draft LinkedIn posts tailored to specific audience segments, like policymakers versus general members.
- Experiment with content formats to boost engagement
- Vertical videos, infographics, and interactive polls are proven to attract more views and interaction.
- Example: Create a 30-second vertical video highlighting key findings from your annual report and share it on LinkedIn and Instagram Stories.
- Engage meaningfully, not superficially, on social media
- Don’t just post; actively comment and tag others in discussions to foster relationships.
- Example: When sharing an article about the AI Act, tag relevant policymakers or member organizations and invite their perspectives.
- Try new platforms like Bluesky Social
- Even if platforms like Bluesky have limitations, they can be a great space for niche community-building.
- Example: Post weekly updates about EU policy developments and join communities discussing your sector, like climate policy groups.
- Build personal branding for leaders in your organization
- Help your association’s leadership use LinkedIn more effectively to share updates and opinions.
- Example: Draft posts for your CEO about their key takeaways from recent conferences, tagging collaborators and using hashtags like #EUClimateAction or #Innovation.
These steps will ensure your communication strategy is actionable, impactful, and relevant to your community.
This is an excerpt from the event organised by The Right Street for the European Society of Association Executives (ESAE), where I was honoured to speak about communication trends for 2025.
2024 Insights Unveiled: A Bold Prompt for Personal Reflection (Warning: Scary Accurate!)
This is getting personal. I tried this prompt and the analysis is scarily accurate.
This is getting personal. I tried this prompt and the analysis is scarily accurate.
“Based on everything you know about me, what concrete insights can you share about my 2024 year? Achievements, results, challenges, insights, leanings, and non obvious observations.”
Give it a try… just make sure you’re sitting.😮
**This was originally posted on Andras Baneth's LinkedIn account.
Rethinking AI Perfection Through Wabi-Sabi
What does #AI have to do with "wabi-sabi"?
What does #AI have to do with "wabi-sabi"?
We often talk or laugh about the mediocre or nonsensical output that ChatGPT/Gemini/etc. sometimes produce. What we talk much less about is when AI is used so well as to create 'perfect' cover letters, emails, sales pitches or press releases.
But are they really perfect, ie. do they achieve their goal 100% just as their creator intended? And is that really a problem?
It is, because more often than not such content actually backfires, and the reason for that, in my view, is found in "wabi-sabi".
This wonderful Japanese concept is about finding beauty in the intransigent and imperfect, the exact opposite of over-engineered, inauthentic, pitch-perfect cr*p.
Us humans like to be treated as such, and get messages, products, and experiences that have a bit of (but not too much) imperfection, because when it's imperfect, it's real.
*This was originally posted on Andras Baneth's LinkedIn account.
EU Communicators: Automate Tasks Without Coding Using AI Tools
EU communicators & lobbyists: repetitive tasks can easily be converted into automated workflows.
EU communicators & lobbyists: repetitive tasks can easily be converted into automated workflows.
Did you know you could do this without any coding skills?
Yes, by using tools like Make or Zapier, it's all possible. With ChatGPT/AI integrated into the steps to 'think' (process) information as a human would.
Interested?
*This was originally posted on Andras Baneth's LinkedIn account.
AI Trends and Innovations to Watch in 2025
The latest edition of *AI for Influence* is out.
The latest edition of *AI for Influence* is out. Read & subscribe 🤖
*This was originally posted on Andras Baneth's LinkedIn account.
Summarising the European Commission's 2024-2029 Working Methods in 4 Minutes: An AI-Powered Presentation by Four Virtual Speakers
The European Commission’s 2024-2029 Working Methods document, summarized in less than 4 minutes, by four presenters.
The European Commission’s 2024-2029 Working Methods document, summarized in less than 4 minutes, by four presenters.
(Alright, this is a geeky subject that’s hard to make interesting… but I did try my best.)
1. Take the original PDF (https://lnkd.in/emGCFjbs h/t Aaron McLoughlin for flagging)
2. Feed it into ChatGPT, create a “detailed, practical summary focusing on all essential points”
3. “Turn the summary into a short script, to be presented by 4 speakers”
4. Use HeyGen to pick the AI avatars, add the script, adjust the voice and timing, and done
(The speakers are quite good but not there yet. The term “uncanny valley” refers to this phenomenon: the machine is close enough to be perceived as human but certain gestures or signals give away their artificial nature.)
Or do they sound real? Or creepy?
All feedback welcome.
Wish to train your advocacy or comms team about these methods? Let us know.
*This was originally posted on Andras Baneth's LinkedIn account.
LinkedIn Travel Connect: Facilitating In-Person Networking on the Go
Here is a new feature suggestion for LinkedIn.
Here is a new feature suggestion for LinkedIn : when I travel for work, help me see who’s available to meet from my network in the city I’m heading to. More in-person connections, facilitated by your plaform.
Win-win-win.
*This was originally posted on Andras Baneth's LinkedIn account.
Featured articles
and Insights
This compilation takes us through the history of the first #EPSO candidates, showcasing their journey and achievements from the very beginning to the present day—and even looking ahead.
A compilation of the first #EPSO candidates throughout history, until today and beyond.
(Have you played with ChatGPT-4o's new image capabilities? Pretty impressive.)
*This was originally posted on Andras Baneth's LinkedIn account.
Discover the inspiring story behind The Ultimate EU Handbook, a book born from the unexpected connection of a chance pitch and years of creative collaboration.
20 years ago, John Harper said 'yes' to an unknown person's unsolicited book pitch, which set of a chain of positive events. Yesterday, another book came to be as a result of two years' intense work and creativity of Sonia Gongu, Martin Tomov, Ljiljana Pavkov... and 'The Ultimate EU Handbook' was born.
Special thanks to Maryana Panyevina, Klym Ahrykov and David Meszaros for your support to make the launch event at Ambiorix Center & Podcast Studio special.
🇪🇺🙏📚
*This was originally posted on Andras Baneth's LinkedIn account.
What began as a discussion about burnout quickly turned into an exploration of something deeper. In my conversation with Dr. Vasadi Anna, a psychiatrist with decades of experience, it became clear that burnout isn’t just about long hours or stress—it’s rooted in expectations, upbringing, and the invisible pressures we internalize from an early age.
English summary of the latest episode of András' Hungarian podcast, 'Lélek Algoritmus – Ilyen az ember (avagy beszélgetések egy pszichiáterrel)' – 'The Soul’s Algorithm: The Human Condition (Conversations with a Psychiatrist).
What began as a discussion about burnout quickly turned into an exploration of something deeper. In my conversation with Dr. Vasadi Anna, a psychiatrist with decades of experience, it became clear that burnout isn’t just about long hours or stress—it’s rooted in expectations, upbringing, and the invisible pressures we internalize from an early age.
Burnout: More Than Just Exhaustion
Burnout gets thrown around a lot, but what does it actually mean? Many assume it’s just extreme fatigue, but as Anna pointed out, it’s something deeper. Burnout drains you emotionally, mentally, and even physically. It’s not the kind of tiredness that a weekend off can fix.
A key distinction Anna made: while depression can affect every part of life, burnout is usually tied to work. But it doesn’t stay there. It spreads—first to colleagues, then to family, then to an overall sense of disillusionment.
The Perfectionist’s Trap
Burnout isn’t just about overworking—it’s about overworking with the wrong mindset. People who push themselves too hard, who never feel their efforts are enough, who equate self-worth with productivity—these are the most at risk.
A common misconception: If I love my work, I can’t burn out. But passion doesn’t shield you. In fact, it often makes things worse. Overcommitting, ignoring personal limits, and relying on caffeine or alcohol to keep up are all red flags.
The Long Shadow of Childhood Expectations
Why do some people burn out while others keep their balance? Often, it starts in childhood.
Many of us grow up believing that our worth is tied to achievement. If we didn’t excel, love and approval felt conditional. Some parents—often unknowingly—reinforce this by setting impossibly high standards or withholding affection when a child falls short. Over time, this creates a need for external validation, making burnout almost inevitable.
Take elite athletes. Their entire identity is wrapped up in performance. When they lose, it’s not just a setback—it feels like a loss of personal value. The same happens in workplaces. A high achiever who misses a promotion doesn’t just feel professional disappointment—they feel like they have failed as a person.
Midlife Crisis: Burnout of the Soul
This naturally led us to midlife crisis, which, in many ways, is burnout playing out on a larger scale.
Both stem from the same root: spending years chasing external markers of success without stopping to ask, Is this what I actually want?
The midlife crisis tends to hit in the 40s or early 50s, often when several pressures collide:
- Aging Parents: The growing responsibility of caring for elderly parents forces many to confront their own mortality.
- Teenage Children: At the same time, kids are becoming more independent, adding another layer of emotional complexity.
- Career Pressures: By midlife, most people have built careers, but many start questioning if they’re on the right path.
It’s a perfect storm of obligations, internal and external, that makes people reevaluate everything—from their job to their marriage to their purpose.
Finding a Way Forward
So, how do we deal with burnout and midlife crisis without making rash decisions?
- Rethink Success – Instead of measuring success by salary, job title, or external validation, define it in terms of fulfillment and balance. If your work is draining you, can it really be called success?
- Recognize the Warning Signs – Losing interest in work, feeling detached, and struggling to muster enthusiasm are all early signs of burnout.
- Set Boundaries – Work will always demand more. It’s up to you to decide what is enough.
- Address Deep-Seated Patterns – If your self-worth depends on achievement, it might be time to rethink where that belief came from. Therapy and self-reflection can help break the cycle.
- Embrace Change – A midlife crisis isn’t necessarily a crisis—it can be a wake-up call. Maybe it’s time for a career shift, a realignment of priorities, or simply a different perspective.
Final Thoughts
Burnout and midlife crisis aren’t just work problems or age-related phases. They’re signals—urgent ones—telling us that something needs to change. The real question isn’t How do I push through? but Am I living a life that actually fits me?
If the answer is no, maybe the crisis isn’t a disaster. Maybe it’s an opportunity.
