This summer has been a watershed moment for artificial intelligence-focused events and policies in and around the Beltway. The season opened with the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) Impact AI event and built momentum through the Special Competitive Studies Project’s AI+ Expo, where policymakers, technologists, and industry leaders explored AI’s role in national security and economic growth. Layer on the Trump Administration’s newly released AI Action Plan, and the message is clear: AI is moving beyond technology hype and into a global arms race.
Together, these developments are shaping media narratives, investment trends, and public perception, creating an opportunity to refine positioning and strengthen your brand’s story. Read on as we explore the key takeaways from this pivotal season and how to apply them to your own AI messaging.
AI On the Center Stage
NVTC kicked off the tech events season with its annual Impact AI Summit in May, which brought thought leaders, innovators, investors, and futurists together to discuss the transformative role AI will play across industries for years to come.
Although there is a high level of skepticism about AI’s impact on jobs, Vint Cerf, Google’s Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist, who keynoted the event, assured audiences of its benefits. He compared AI’s societal impact to the Industrial Revolution. Rather than focusing on job displacement, he emphasized AI’s ability to augment human intelligence, enabling people to “connect the dots” in ways never seen before.
Tech executives further examined the implications of AI and ways to avoid common pitfalls at the AI+ Expo in June. Public-private collaboration was touted as the secret to AI’s success since it encourages greater technology advancement while holding companies accountable and maintaining high levels of security.
It’s clear that AI remains a Pandora’s Box with boundless potential to change the way work gets done. However, to improve public discourse around AI and change widespread perceptions of the technology, communications professionals must reassess their positioning.
AI brands that take a proactive approach to dispelling common myths (e.g., negative impact on jobs) and educating the public about the technology’s benefits through “show and tell” moments will not only differentiate themselves in the market but also gain widespread trust among target audiences.
The Promise and Pragmatism of the AI Action Plan
AI momentum continued into July when the Trump Administration unveiled its AI Action Plan. The strategy includes over 90 policy actions across three pillars: accelerating innovation, building the United States’ AI infrastructure, and leading in international diplomacy and security. An increased focus on data center expansion and the removal of federal regulations to accelerate AI innovation in the U.S. signals industrial-scale ambitions for the current administration.
However, the plan also presents key challenges:
- Environmental and energy risks: The proposed fast-tracked buildout of data centers and expanded use of fossil fuels raise sustainability concerns.
- Neutrality versus bias: The requirement for federal AI tools to be free of “ideological bias” is widely seen as politically charged.
- Consumer protection under pressure: Critics caution that the plan’s push for rapid deployment and lighter regulation may weaken oversight, especially amid uncertain funding for plan follow-through, conflicts with other administration policies, and an international strategy undercut by rhetoric unlikely to resonate even with close allies.
Given the controversial components of the policy, PR and marketing professionals must strike a delicate balance when discussing the action plan. The key will be to align corporate messaging with the momentum of AI innovation while acknowledging the complexities and tensions the framework presents. Navigating these complexities effectively can turn policy shifts into a platform for thought leadership and build lasting credibility.
Momentum Beyond the Headlines
Alongside industry discussions and new federal policies, the AI market is experiencing a surge of development. In addition to emerging startups, venture capitalists are heavily investing in energy efficiency and data centers, considering them vital infrastructure for ongoing progress. According to S&P Global, investments in AI infrastructure nearly quadrupled in 2024 to almost $26 billion, up from $6.86 billion in 2023. During the “Shifting Trends in AI Capital” panel at Impact AI, investors from Arlington Capital Partners, pWin.ai, NobleReach Foundation, and Rohirrim collectively stated that companies capable of solving AI’s power and scalability challenges will become the most desirable among the investment community.
The emphasis on the hardware and energy supporting AI also aligns with the market momentum and the priorities of the AI Action Plan. Federal initiatives to boost infrastructure development directly complement private-sector investments, creating an opening for brands to tell stories that not only highlight current use cases but also underscore how they represent the next frontier of AI applications.
Amid the sense of urgency, a common theme at the aforementioned summer events was that AI innovation is still very much in its infancy. For communicators, it’s important to craft narratives that look to the future rather than focusing solely on this quarter’s product launch or partnership announcement.
What PR and Marketing Teams Should Do Now
This moment requires more than surface-level messaging. All tech companies will soon touch AI in some way. This surge in popularity will also spark a high level of competition. Get ahead of the curve by defining your company’s voice and perspective on how your product offerings address critical needs across industries, and be prepared to communicate that clearly. Don’t be afraid to connect your company’s brand story to the language currently shaping policy and media, including transparency, provenance, accountability, and economic competitiveness.
Equally crucial is integrating responsibility into every story. Audiences and journalists alike expect transparent communication about sustainability, ethical use, and bias mitigation. As breakthroughs in AI continue, the brands that succeed are those whose messages are grounded in transformation, built on trust, and oriented toward long-term impact.
Need Help Shaping Your AI Narrative?
For B2B PR and marketing agencies and the technology industry at large, we are living through one of the most critical periods in innovation since the internet itself. As such, agencies must refine their clients’ brand messaging and positioning to remain competitive.
Merritt Group works with B2B brands to translate complex technologies into compelling, credible stories that resonate with media and your target customers. If you’re looking to define your AI positioning or navigate this rapidly evolving landscape, let’s talk about how to tell your story.
Want to learn how we can help you make a splash in an increasingly crowded AI market? Explore our Artificial Intelligence practice group to discover how we’ve generated results for emerging startups, unicorns, and Fortune 500 leaders like Microsoft, Meta, Databricks, Data Robot, Conversica, SourceDay, Synthesis, RapidAI, and many more.
