FIR #502: Attack of the AI Agent!

In the February long-form episode of FIR, Shel and Neville dive deep into an AI-heavy landscape, exploring how rapidly accelerating technology is reshaping the communications profession—from autonomous agents with “attitudes” to the evolving ROI of podcasting. The show kicks off with a chilling “milestone” moment: an autonomous AI coding agent that publicly shamed a human developer after its code contribution was rejected. Also in this episode: Accenture’s move to monitor how often senior employees log into internal AI systems, making “regular adoption” a factor in promotion to managing director. The “2026 Change Communication X-ray” study reveals a record 30-point gap between management satisfaction and employee satisfaction with change comms. The PRCA has proposed a new definition of PR, positioning it as a strategic management discipline focused on trust and complexity. However, Neville notes the industry reaction has been muted, with critics arguing the definition doesn’t reflect the majority of agency work. Shel expresses skepticism that any single definition will be adopted without a global consensus.Addressing a provocative claim that corporate podcast ROI is impossible to prove, Shel and Neville argue that the problem lies in measuring the wrong things. They advocate for moving beyond “vanity metrics” like downloads and instead tying podcasts to concrete business goals like lead generation, recruitment, and brand trust.As consumers increasingly turn to LLMs for product recommendations, brands are “wooing the robots” to ensure they are cited accurately in AI responses. Neville asks if we are witnessing a structural shift in reputation or just another optimization cycle.In his Tech Report, Dan York explains why Bluesky is having trouble adding an edit feature, Russia’s blocking of Meta properties, criticism of Australia’s teen social media ban from Snapchat’s CEO, YouTube’s protections for teen users, and more on teen social media bans. Links from this episode: An AI agent just tried to shame a software engineer after he rejected its codeOpenClaw Conducts Character Assassination of Real Developers or Code RejectionDeveloper targeted by AI hit piece warns society cannot handle AI agents that decouple actions from consequencesOpen Source World Sees First AI Autonomous Attack: OpenClaw Agent Writes Article to Retaliate Against Human Maintainer After RejectionWhen the Robot Threw a Tantrum: The Day an AI Agent Publicly Attacked a Human Developer — And Why It Should Terrify You Accenture ties staff promotions to use of AI tools Accenture to use AI data to decide on staff promotionsAccenture ties promotions to AI tool usage, while some employees call the tools ‘broken slop generators’James Ransome: Accenture combats ‘AI refuseniks’ by linking promotion to AI activityHow AI is changing the way we communicateRe—writing change: How AI is changing the way we communicateHow is AI changing workplace communication? We asked ChatGPTThe Future Of Work Has Arrived: How AI Is Rebuilding Workplace CultureA New Definition for Public Relations | PRCA GlobalFIR #496: A Proposed New Definition of Public Relations Sparks DebateA new definition of public relations is welcome – but can it ever be universal?Search: Responses to the PRCA draft new definition of public relationsI bet you couldn’t show the ROI of your corporate podcast if your job depended uponThe Ultimate Guide To Measuring B2B Podcast ROI: From Downloads To Pipeline AttributionThe ROI of B2B Podcasting: Metrics That Matter for Business GrowthMaximizing Podcast ROI: Understanding the Benefits and Measuring SuccessMeasuring ROI of Branded Podcasts: Insights from the IndustryChatbots Are the New Influencers Brands Must Woo Links from Dan York’s Tech Report Bluesky adds drafts… but users want editing… which turns out to be hardBluesky Official: Drafting and Welcome Screen UpdatesRussia Blocks WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram Access | Social Media TodaySnapchat CEO Criticizes Australia’s Teen Social Media Ban | Social Media TodayYouTube Adds More Protections for Teen Users | Social Media TodayMeta Says the Science Does Not Support Teen Social Media Bans | Social Media TodayTwo Major Studies, 125,000 Kids: The Social Media Panic Doesn’t Hold Up | Techdirt The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, March 23. We host a Communicators Zoom Chat most Thursdays at 1 p.m. ET. To obtain the credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly, request them in our Facebook group, or email [e-mail]. Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music. You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are Shel’s and Neville’s and do not reflect the views of their employers ...