Tech giants are allocating up to $400,000 to AI evangelists to defend against skepticism

While companies are betting heavily on the development of artificial intelligence,… Google Saying It will double its capital expenditures Dead bet Regarding the acceleration of artificial intelligence in 2026, Americans have become dissatisfied with this technology. While most say they have used AI, more are becoming cautious: 50% say they are more interested than enthusiastic about the technology, according to the latest reports. Pew Research. That’s up from 37% in 2021. Only 10% say they are more excited than concerned about technology. Now, some technology companies are leveraging the art of storytelling to shift public opinion.

Silicon Valley is looking for top communications experts and is willing to pay them big money, as originally reported before Business insider. Anthropic has tripled the size of its communications team over the past several years, bringing the total to about 80 people. The company is still hiring, paying up to $400,000 a year for a head of product communications. Adobe is hiring an AI evangelist for over $270,000, looking for someone who can demonstrate “how AI drives smarter marketing, better customer experiences, and stronger business outcomes.” OpenAI and Perplexity are also hiring for communications jobs, paying six-figure salaries, with some jobs offering up to $400,000.

Big Tech’s talent war has overtaken the search for top AI researchers, who have attracted lucrative job offers of more than $100 million from tech companies. While the salaries companies offer for communications experts are significantly lower than what they would like to pay AI specialists, the listings offer salaries well above the US average of $107,000 for a communications manager, according to Indeed. The huge pay packages indicate a desire for technology companies to take ownership of their companies’ narratives as public opinion about artificial intelligence grows.

The public relations problem with AI stems from a growing fear that the technology is causing massive layoffs. An amazing 1.2 million job opportunities It was cut off last year, up 58% from 2024. Although most job cuts don’t appear to be related to AI automation, companies are using the technology as an excuse to make routine headcount cuts, according to Management experts.

AI companies have also raised skepticism among investors, as big tech companies have yet to show a significant return from the technology despite huge capital spending on building data centers. Markets reflect this uncertainty, Survey billions of the market value of software companies in just one day. Furthermore, the enormous energy required to operate data centers and AI monitoring systems has raised questions about the sustainability of the technology and its role in society. Having someone control the narrative around these issues can help allay those growing doubts.

Professional storytelling as a solution

The company’s ability to tell its own story has become a top priority for companies across the United States, as originally reported before The Wall Street Journalwhere technology giants, AI startups, and financial services companies search for talent to better tell the company’s trajectory. “As storytellers, we play an essential role in driving customer acquisition and long-term growth,” Google wrote in a careers post last year. Adobe’s AI evangelist is supposed to lead “the company’s AI storytelling throughout the Americas region,” according to the job posting. OpenAI’s Communications Leaders posts also invite individuals with experience in storytelling.

Adobe and OpenAI did not immediately respond luckRequest for comment.

But as communications salaries across Silicon Valley increase, so do expectations for professionals. Today’s communications director’s responsibilities extend beyond traditional duties and now require integration with human resources, marketing, social impact, investor relations and other company sectors, according to a report From the Corporate Reputation Observatory. The report notes that more companies today are seeking the “chief communications officer plus” role rather than the traditional sales executive role.

Some of the storytelling will take place on America’s main stage this weekend, as technology companies – including Anthropic, deadAnd OpenAI – they reportedly spent more than $10 million on ad slots for the Super Bowl. Meta has purchased a Super Bowl ad slot to promote its Oakley Meta sunglasses, a combination of Oakley’s sports sunglass frames and Meta’s AI technology, in an effort to bring artificial intelligence to personal purchases.

Anthropic launched its first Super Bowl commercial on Wednesday. The ad pitches Cloud as an ad-free alternative to ChatGPT, and is a huge jab at OpenAI Final decision To monetize its chatbot via paid advertising. He also talks about common frustrations associated with chatbots, including late pausing and automated language.