The Community Roundtable

Empowering global community leaders with research-backed resources, training, and tools.

Embracing AI and Integration: Trends in Community Technology

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As we move into 2025, it’s evident that community teams are increasingly recognizing the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI). While our previous reports didn’t delve into this significant landscape, this year’s findings highlight a growing trend: organizations are actively researching AI tools and cautiously implementing them in limited capacities. Notably, 14% of respondents have indicated they have no plans to utilize AI; however, we anticipate a shift in attitudes by 2025, as many teams begin to explore AI’s capabilities further.

Integration as a Priority

Last year, we encouraged organizations to prioritize the integration of their community platforms with other business systems, and the data shows a positive response. The percentage of respondents using a community platform without any integrations has fallen to an all-time low of 22%. Conversely, those with integrated systems are now approaching one-third of all respondents, illustrating a significant commitment to creating a cohesive digital ecosystem. Interestingly, distributed tools with no central hub continue their decline, down to just 8% of the overall sample. Among the best-in-class cohort, this figure is even lower at 3%. In contrast, fully integrated community platforms have remained stable around 20% for the past five years, yet the top-performing organizations have excelled, with 32% reporting their community platforms are intertwined with both engagement and business systems.

A Resurgence in Platform Migrations

One of the more intriguing developments is the renewed interest in platform migrations. Though the numbers haven’t yet returned to the pre-pandemic highs of 2020, the latest data shows a rebound after five years of decline. Currently, respondents planning to migrate their platforms in the upcoming year is increasing, moving away from the 5% lows seen recently. The best-in-class organizations mirror this trend, indicating a resurgence in migration discussions. The rise in platform migrations aligns with the lengthening tenure that organizations have with their primary platforms. Fewer respondents are using new providers (under one year), hitting a five-year low, while those with providers for five or more years reach a five-year high. This trend suggests a consolidation around trusted solutions, although it raises questions about underlying satisfaction.

As we continue to monitor these trends, the landscape of community management tools appears poised for notable changes. The integration of AI capabilities, the push towards comprehensive integrated systems, and the shifting attitudes around platform migration all suggest that the future of community platforms will be shaped by both innovation and user expectations.

Recommendations

Focus on Optimization.

Rather than seeking a new platform, prioritize optimizing your existing platform to meet your community’s specific needs. Conduct a thorough assessment of your community’s goals, user feedback, and platform capabilities to identify areas for improvement.

Prioritize Integrations.

Explore and implement integrations between your community platform and relevant business systems to enhance data sharing, streamline workflows, and maximize the value of community data.

Stay Informed About Emerging Trends.

Keep abreast of industry trends and advancements in community platform technology. Explore emerging solutions, such as community engagement platforms and AI-powered tools, to determine their potential value for your community.

Explore more community trends in the State of Community 2024 report.

How I’m Using AI as a Community Manager

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By Alex Blanton, Principal Community Program Manager, Microsoft and member of The Network

This post is an excerpt from Alex’s article featured in the State of Community Management 2024 report. To read the full article download the free report here.

It’s now been almost two years since ChatGPT launched in November 2022, capturing people’s imaginations — and injecting enormous energy into the community I manage: Microsoft’s internal Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Community, which has nearly tripled in size in those two years.

This two-year mark is a good time to reflect on how I use AI in my work as a community manager. Even though I manage a highly technical community, I have a background in learning and development and am not a data scientist or a software engineer. I rarely find myself experimenting with technology for fun in my free time, I am interested in technology that can help me do my job better and more efficiently, ideally with a minimum investment of time and trouble.

Using AI as a Community Manager

Here is how I use AI in the flow of my job, cautions I have for those who choose to adopt it, and potential use cases I see in the future, but aren’t yet ready for our community. A caveat – I work at Microsoft, so my examples mostly involve using Microsoft technology, but most of the examples could be accomplished with other technologies.

AI Today

Synthesizing. In early 2023, one of the most eye-opening uses of generative AI came when we needed to craft a policy for our internal conference on whether and how conference submitters could use AI in writing their proposals. To draft the policy, I hosted a discussion in Microsoft Teams with our conference program committee. We recorded the session and afterwards I asked Teams Copilot to produce a policy based on the discussion. The result was really good! I made some small edits, ran it by the group again, and we published it.

Teams Copilot is also fantastic at producing meeting notes and assigning action items to participants. The first time I saw this in action (before it was widely released), I asked the person who distributed the action items if she had added that section to the meeting notes, and I was amazed when she told me that in fact Copilot had accurately identified not just the action items, but who to assign them to.

Teams Copilot is commonly used in our regular community calls. Often, after a call, a community member will instruct Teams Copilot to pull a list of all hyperlinks shared in a session out of the chat into a single list. This isn’t impossible for a human to do, but the AI can do it much faster. When we publish the recordings and slides for our sessions, we can include easily created AI-generated recaps.

Summarizing. We distribute surveys for our individual events and a yearly survey for our community. Now, with AI, we can summarize the survey verbatims, categorize them, and produce suggested actions. I still review the verbatims myself to make sure that the AI is not missing anything important, but using AI saves a lot of time in pulling everything together. Another way to use AI to summarize is to feed it longer articles you’ve written, and prompt it to produce Instagram-ready posts.

Drafting. When our community pivoted to focusing on generative AI in early 2023 our community members needed to learn a lot of new terms, such as hallucination, grounding, retrieval augmented generation, and chain-of- thought. We produced a terminology list, which I created by prompting Copilot to provide short, easy-to-understand definitions of these terms. Where I could validate the resulting definition myself, I did; and when I couldn’t validate, I found an expert who could.

The community program that our community reports into has integrated suggested prompts into templates they provide, such as the yearly strategy plan. In the Retrospective section, this prompt is included for us to use to draft the section:

Copilot prompt: Create a retrospective for our community that highlights our key achievements, challenges we’ve overcome, lessons learned, and areas for improvement based on our activities in the past year. The community is focused on [TOPIC]. Ask me questions until you have enough information to create a retrospective. Only ask one question at a time, wait for my answer, then ask your next question.

Using this prompt, then iterating with Copilot, we can write this section quickly while ensuring that it’s specific to our community.

Visuals. One of my community co-leads began experimenting with image-based AI models in 2023 and developed a visual identity for our community to use in collateral such as event announcements. Our “mascot” is a friendly- looking octopus who we have dubbed “Amelie.” A fun thing with Amelie is that because we are using generative AI to create images of her, we can iterate endlessly so that every announcement has a unique visual, but they all carry the same color scheme and overall look and feel.

Coding. At Microsoft’s annual Hackathon, our community sponsored a topic challenge: “AI Using Azure OpenAI.” One of my co-leads organizes this challenge, which attracts hundreds of entrants. He used Github Copilot to improve the Python code he runs that assigns entries to judges and creates the individualized Excel judging sheets that more than 200 judges will use. He knows how to code, but he’s also really busy, and using AI for this work saved him a lot of time.

For more AI insights from Alex download the full article in the State of Community Management 2024 report.

Enhancing Community Engagement with Amelie: An Innovative AI Mascot Initiative at Microsoft

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Alexandra Savelieva, a Principal Applied AI Engineer at Microsoft, has been instrumental in spearheading a vibrant initiative aimed at fostering engagement within the Microsoft AI/ML Connected Community, which boasts over 21,000 members.

This innovative program, centered around the community mascot Amelie, also affectionately known as AIMLEE, seeks to create a memorable identity that resonates with community members.

The Vision Behind Amelie

The idea for the Amelie community mascot came from a suggestion by Alex Blanton, one of the founders and current co-leads of the community. With the community experiencing an increased cadence of events, it became clear that relying on a professional artist for custom imagery would be both challenging and costly. This realization ignited Alexandra’s passion for visual art and experimentation, ultimately leading to the creation of Amelie, a vibrant Robot-Octopus mascot.

The primary goal of introducing Amelie was to enhance engagement and foster a sense of belonging among members of the AI/ML Connected Community. By leveraging generative AI, Alexandra and her team could create custom images and themes for Amelie, making the mascot dynamic and interactive. This initiative not only aimed to boost participation but also showcased the innovative capabilities of AI in community building.

Positive Outcomes

Since Amelie’s introduction, the Microsoft AI/ML community has witnessed a significant upsurge in engagement and interaction. Members have responded enthusiastically to the mascot’s presence, with custom images generated through generative AI adding excitement and a personalized touch to community interactions. Amelie embodies the spirit of the community—smart, curious, and cheerful—urging members to embrace the rapid advancements in AI with excitement and a spirit of learning. Her octopus shape symbolizes the adaptability of generative AI, as slight inconsistencies in her appearances mirror the technology’s evolution across different contexts.

Moreover, Amelie’s distinctly feminine personality serves as a subtle reminder of the significant contributions women have made to the field of data science. The initiative has resulted in a tangible increase in participation during community events and discussions, creating a stronger sense of identity within the group. Amelie has taken center stage at prominent events like the Global Hackathon, MLADS, and various community calls, reinforcing her role as a key figure in fostering community unity. As Amelie approaches her first birthday this September, the success of the initiative exemplifies the power of AI-driven creativity in enriching community experiences and deepening connections among members.

Advice for Future Initiatives

For those looking to implement a similar mascot program, Alexandra offers valuable advice: focus on creating a mascot that reflects the community’s values and interests. Involving community members in the design process ensures that the mascot feels authentic and relatable. Utilizing generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, can add an engaging and personalized dimension to the mascot, enhancing interaction with community members. Creating a sense of ownership and connection among members is crucial for success, so active involvement throughout the journey is essential. Additionally, embracing experimentation and iteration in the design process can offer impactful learning experiences, as

Alexandra found while honing her skills in prompt engineering, which enhances her work as a Principal Applied AI Engineer in Azure Data. Moreover, initiatives need not be confined to digital realms; there has been notable interest in physical artifacts featuring Amelie’s imagery, including custom stickers and Amelie-embroidered T-shirts designed with the help of the Microsoft Garage team.

Amelie’s introduction to Microsoft has transformed engagement within the Microsoft AI/ML Connected Community, demonstrating the potential of creative, AI-driven solutions in enhancing community identity and interaction. As Amelie continues to play a pivotal role in the community, her presence highlights the importance of fostering connections that celebrate innovation, collaboration, and shared values among members.

Read more about AI and Community in the State of Community Management 2024 report.

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Automation and AI in Online Communities

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Community Conversations is a long-running podcast series highlighting community success stories from a wide variety of online community management professionals.

Episode #102 features Jessica Langston the Senior Director, Community at Autodesk.

Hosts Jim Storer and Shannon Abram chat with Jessica about the ways automation and AI can benefit online community programs, including language translations and localization, filtering and analyzing community data and automating repetitive tasks.

Jessica offers advice for managing mature communities and the importance of co-designing with community members.

Automation and AI in Online Communities

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Beyond ChatGPT: Four Generative AI Tools for Community Managers

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One of the biggest use cases for generative AI for community managers is help generating new content and copywriting. We think generative AI is a great tool for outlining, drafting, and researching content projects but IT IS NOT a substitute for thoughtful, people-generated content for your communities.

Since ChatGPT blazed onto the scene in November 2022 they’ve been the biggest generative AI name community managers have been discussing. But, ChatGPT isn’t the only (or even best) option for a lot of the content-related uses community managers have for generative AI capabilities. Google’s Bard is the other big name in general generative AI right now, but of course this is constantly changing.

Here’s a quick rundown of four generative AI tools for community managers working on content/copywriting projects:

Four Generative AI Tools for Community Managers

  1. Jasper is a popular AI content and copywriting tool that uses GPT-3 to generate high-quality, human-like copy. Jasper, like most of these tools, can create a variety of content, including blog posts, ad copy, and social media posts. Jasper AI copywriting tool
  2. Writesonic is another popular AI content and copywriting tool that uses GPT-3 to generate high-quality copy. They focus on writing factual and hyper-personalized content that maintains your brand voice and is SEO-optimized with your chosen keywords. Writesonic AI copywriting tool
  3. Anyword is an AI content and copywriting tool that focuses on AI performance writing for marketing teams. And stands out for it’s ability to write optimized copy for search engine results pages (SERPs). The also have a Canva extension so you can generate copy during the design process. Anyword AI copywriting tool
  4. Grammarly is a well-known grammar checker that you might already use (we do!) We just learned that Grammarly also offers an AI copywriting tool that can used to improve the grammar, style, and clarity of your copy, in addition to generating copy in the your voice or the voice of your brand. Grammarly AI copywriting tool

Which Tool Should You Choose?

As always, the best generative AI tool for you and your community depends on your specific needs, preferences, and resources. Looking for a tool that can generate high-quality, human-like copy? Jasper or Writesonic are good options. Looking for a tool that can write copy optimized for SERPs? Anyword is a good option! And if you are looking for a tool that can help you improve the grammar, style, and clarity of your copy, then Grammarly is a good option.

We’d be remiss not to reiterate that any generative AI tool are not a replacement for human copywriters. They are a valuable source of ideas and inspiration, but shouldn’t be used as the sole content generation tool (learn more about the challenges of using generative AI here) in your toolbox. Ultimately, the best content for your community managers is still going to be written by human community managers. They are the ones who truly understand the nuances of your voice, tone and language, and the unique needs and requirements of your audiences.

Other Factors to To Consider

Here are some additional factors to consider when choosing a generative AI tool for content generation and copywriting:

  • The type of content you need to create. Some tools create certain types of content better than others. For example, Jasper is a good choice for creating blog posts, while Writesonic is a good choice for creating ad copy.
  • The price. Generative AI tools can range in price from free to hundreds of dollars per month. It is important to choose a tool that fits your budget.
  • The ease of use. Some tools are more user-friendly than others. If you are not familiar with generative AI tools, it is important to choose a tool that is easy to learn and use.

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3 Challenges of Using Generative AI in Community Management

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As generative AI technologies, like ChatGPT and Bard, continues to develop, it is likely that we will see even more ways in which it can be used to help community managers accelerate the work they do, but like any emerging technology it is evolving, and isn’t without downsides.

Before we dive into 3 challenges of using generative AI in community management, there is one big challenge we want to address on its own.

Generative AI can be misused for malicious purposes, such as generating misinformation, fake news, or deceptive content.

Want to learn more about the impact of AI on online community management? Check out this post Four AI Prompts for Community Managers or search “AI” in the search tool above!

This raises concerns about the potential for user manipulation, fraud, or spreading harmful narratives. Safeguarding against misuse requires responsible usage, content moderation, and proactive measures to ensure the technology is not exploited for harmful intents. As a community manager using generative AI be aware of the content that is generated and always double-check facts and verify any questionable content.

Before starting to use generative AI in your community work, definitely explore what some of the challenges are, and make sure you understand the impact generative AI can have on your work.

3 Challenges of Using Generative AI in Community Management

  • Bias: : Generative AI models can reflect biases present in the training data they were exposed to. This can result in biased or unfair outputs, perpetuating societal biases or stereotypes. Addressing and mitigating bias in generative AI remains a significant challenge, requiring careful data curation, model design, and ongoing evaluation. As we strive to build diverse, inclusive community spaces, being aware and correcting for any biases in content generated by AI technologies is critically important.
  • Accuracy: Generative AI models are not always accurate, and they can sometimes generate incorrect or misleading information. This can damage the reputation of you as a community manager, your community or overall organization. Our rule of thumb is that ANY content generated by an AI technology is a first draft. Treat generated content the same way your would any first draft content, and make sure it is proofed carefully, and edited for clarity, relevance, and tone.
  • Overconfidence and Lack of Transparency: AI models often exhibit overconfidence in their responses, providing answers even when they are uncertain or the information is not available. This creates a false sense of reliability and makes it difficult for readers to gauge the accuracy of the generated content. While generative AI can be a great brainstorming tool, we hesitate to recommend it as a replacement for thoughtfully written, expert content created by community managers and subject matter experts.

Overall, generative AI has the potential to be a powerful tool for community managers to help scale and accelerate some of the rote work being done. However, be aware of the challenges and limitations of this technology before using it in your community so you can avoid mistakes like biased or inaccurate content.

Addressing these challenges requires ongoing research, transparency, and responsible deployment of generative AI models, along with continuous improvements in training methodologies, bias mitigation techniques, and user feedback mechanisms.

Want to learn more about the impact of AI on online community management? Check out this post Four AI Prompts for Community Managers or search “AI” in the search tool above!

Four Ways Generative AI Can Help Community Managers

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Generative AI (like ChatGPT and Bard) can help community managers in a number of ways. As we discussed in the SOCM 2023 and Four AI Prompts for Community Managers, ChatGPT (or any generative AI) is not designed to do your work, but to accelerate your work. You still need the ideas, you just need to learn how to express them as prompts. 

We like to like of generative AI as another team member to help us generate ideas, draft copy (that we heavily edit!) and research ideas or topics that we are learning about. But that’s just a tip of what community managers can do with generative AI.

Four Ways Generative AI Can Help Community Managers

If you need help getting started, here are four ways generative AI can help community managers accelerate their work.

Four Ways Generative AI Can Help Community Managers

  • Automating repetitive tasks: Generative AI can be used to automate tasks such as moderating comments, generating FAQs, and creating social media posts. This can free up community managers to focus on more strategic and creative work.
  • Providing insights into community behavior: Generative AI can help analyze community data and identify trends and patterns. This can help you understand how your community is interacting with content and programs, drive decision making for new content, and help identify areas where community members are struggling so you can improve the user experience.
  • Creating engaging content: Generative AI can be used to create engaging content such as blog posts, articles, and videos. This can help community managers attract new members to their communities and keep existing members engaged.
  • Personalizing the community experience: Generative AI can be used to personalize the community experience for each member. This can be done by recommending content, suggesting friends, and providing targeted support.

Here are some specific examples of how generative AI is being used by community managers today:

  • Reddit: Reddit uses generative AI to moderate comments and identify spam. This helps to keep the community safe and welcoming for all users.
  • Stack Overflow: Stack Overflow uses generative AI to generate FAQs and answer questions. This helps to provide users with quick and accurate answers to their questions.
  • HubSpot: HubSpot uses generative AI to create blog posts and social media posts. This helps to attract new leads and keep existing customers engaged.

As generative AI technology continues to develop, we will see even more ways in which it can be used to help community managers accelerate the work they do, allowing more time for creating meaningful relationships with members.

Want to learn more about the impact of AI on online community management? Check out this post Four AI Prompts for Community Managers or search “AI” in the search tool above!

Four AI Prompts for Community Managers

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We firmly believe that AI is NOT coming for the community manager jobs. In fact, the potential for AI to help community professionals extend their impact is huge. But for a lot of us, it’s unclear how to even start with AI. So, we decided to bring in some experts.

Hans Scharler is a MathWorks Community Strategy Leader and Chen Lin is a MathWorks Product Manager for MATLAB Central (and a member of TheCR Network.) They contributed a straight-forward look at Why Community Matters (More Now) in The Era of AI in the 2023 State of Community Management Report (get your copy here) and shared four easy prompts for how you can start to use AI like ChatGPT in your community program.

Once you get comfortable with the basics of AI prompting, try some prompt engineering to help you as a community manager. (Not comfortable with ChatPGT/the basics of prompting? Check out the pull-out AI guide in the on pages 59-60 for the 2023 report!)

Four AI Prompts for Community Managers

Four AI Prompts for Community Managers

Use ChatGPT with the these four AI prompts for community managers below and customize for your particular needs. You will be surprised what you are now capable of doing with Generative AI.

  • Define a high-level editorial calendar template for content and themes to support an online community for a SaaS startup. Include ideas for each month. Output as a table.
  • Help me create a rotating support model for managing an online community. Define the problem statement, possible solutions, include a table of the pros and cons for each approach.
  • Act like a new community member who just joined an online community for a professional community network. You were recently hired by a tech company to be a community manager. You have a technical background and are interested in working with people. What resources do you need to be successful in your new role?
  • Help me justify an increased investment to our company’s community strategy. Write three talking points that a CMO would find compelling.

If you are just starting out, reset your expectations. ChatGPT is not designed to do your work, but to accelerate your work. You still need the ideas, you just need to learn how to express them as prompts. Another thing to remember is that it is a living conversation. The first response might not be quite right, so try again, ask ChatGPT for variations, provide more details or context, and ask for different formats like a bullet list, an email template, a table, or even a LinkedIn post with hashtags and emojis. You will learn a lot through trial and error vs. question and answer so keep trying!

Five Tips for Community Managers Getting Started with ChatGPT

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Not every community managers is super tech-savvy – and that’s ok! It feels like there are always new platforms or services to try out – and you can’t really tell which ones it’s worth investing time in (remember Vine? Clubhouse? RIP!)

Generative AI is here to stay, and if you aren’t comfortable using it it’s time to learn. Below we’ve shared five tips for community managers getting started with ChatGPT (or any generative AI technology).

Five Tips for Community Managers Getting Started with ChatGPT

Five Tips for Community Managers Getting Started with ChatGPT

Familiarize Yourself with ChatGPT: Take the time to understand what ChatGPT (or an equivalent generative AI technology like Google’s Bard AI) is and its capabilities. Learn about its natural language processing abilities, its training process, and the types of questions or prompts it can handle.

Identify Your Use Case: Determine the specific purpose for which you want to use ChatGPT. Start with your community use case (customer support? brand awareness? employee collaboration?) and then clarify your objectives and how ChatGPT can assist you in achieving them.

Collect Relevant Training Data: If you have specific domain knowledge or context that you want ChatGPT to understand better, gather relevant training data. This could include historical chat logs, documents, or relevant articles to help improve the model’s performance in your desired area.

Experiment and Iterate: Start by asking the iterative AI of your choice a variety of questions or providing different prompts related to your use case. Experiment with different phrasings, instructions, or settings to see how the model responds. Take note of the strengths and weaknesses of the model’s output and iterate to refine your prompts and maximize the usefulness of the responses.

Provide Feedback and Adjust: As you use ChatGPT, provide feedback to OpenAI or the platform you’re using to help improve the model. Remember – we are at the beginning of this new technology, and it will (and should) evolve. Report any issues, biases, or problematic outputs you encounter. Additionally, adjust your own prompts, instructions, or guidelines based on the feedback you receive from users or community members to ensure responsible and effective usage.

Want to learn more about the impact of AI on online community management? Check out this post Four AI Prompts for Community Managers or search “AI” in the search tool above!

What is Generative AI and Why Does it Matter to Community Managers

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What is Generative AI

Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence (AI) that can create new content, such as text, images, or music. Two common generative AI models are ChatGPT and Bard. Generative AI models are trained on large datasets of existing content, and they learn to identify patterns and relationships in that data. Once they are trained, generative AI models can be used to create new content that is similar to the content they were trained on. You may have seen examples of AI generatde art on social media channels, and music that contains elements generated by AI is now eligible to win Grammy Awards.

What is Generative AI and Why Does it Matter to Community Managers

We aren’t going to be winning any Grammys over here, but we are interested in how community managers can use generative AI to scale and accelerate the work they do.

Why Does it Matter to Community Managers

Overall, generative AI has a wide range of potential applications for online community managers, including:

  • Assisting with member support: Generative AI can help you identify common support issues and craft an approach for increasing member satisfaction. First define the problem statement, and use generative AI to brainstorm possible solutions, including a table of the pros and cons for each approach.
  • Automate repetitive tasks: Generative AI helps you automate tasks such as moderating comments, generating FAQs, and creating social media posts. This can free up community managers to focus on more strategic and creative work – like taking ideas from generative AI and turning them into meaningful content and programs, and strengthening members relationships.
  • Providing insights into community behavior: Generative AI can be used to analyze community data and identify trends and patterns. You can look at trends in member behavior and content consumptions, look for gaps where new content or programs are needed, and use data to create narrative-based dashboards.
  • Creating engaging content: Generative AI can be used to create new content such as blog posts, articles, and videos. As with all generated content, be sure to treat any copy as a first draft, and always proof and edit for clarity, bias, and accuracy.
  • Personalizing the community experience: Generative AI can be used to personalize the community experience for each member. This can be done by recommending content, suggesting friends, and providing targeted support.

Generative AI is still emerging and evolving but community managers should be thinking about how they can thoughtfully deploy it to scale and accelerate their work. Now is the time to research how generative AI can benefit you and your community program.

Want to learn more about the impact of AI on online community management? Check out this post Four AI Prompts for Community Managers or search “AI” in the search tool above! You can also download a free copy of the 2023 State of Community Management research to learn more about current technology and tool trends.