AI-centered Communications Consulting with Civil Society Organizations: Case Studies and Preliminary Lessons Learned

By John Wihbey, Caleb Okereke, and Yash Phalle

AIMES Lab, Northeastern University.

This paper presents insights from a semester-long initiative where graduate students from Northeastern University partnered with five Boston-area civil society organizations to explore how generative AI tools can support communication and media work. Through hands-on consulting projects, students helped develop practical AI solutions for tasks like social media planning, content generation, and curriculum development. The report highlights key lessons learned, including the importance of human oversight, the limits of AI in community-centered work, and strategies for using AI more effectively in nonprofit settings.