In an AI world, the edge is in storytelling: A tool to bridge the gap

As AI floods workplaces with data, companies are turning to storytelling as a critical leadership skill to cut through noise and connect with audiences

As artificial intelligence (AI) floods the workplace with data and auto-generated content, companies are turning to a distinctly human capability to cut through the noise: Storytelling.

 

At a multinational information technology (IT) services company, a senior executive found himself in a bind. He had to deliver a presentation before the board and the leadership wanted him to speak about the real-world impact of a project his team had built in North America. The project was significant: A surveillance system that was creating change on the ground, but a presentation purely on technical specs would hollow out its essence.

 

That is when the company's appointed storyteller stepped in.

 

The storyteller’s role was to help senior leaders do something deceptively simple: Find the human story hiding inside the data. “The executives are adept at talking through technical details, but not always the story,” the senior executive told Business Standard, requesting anonymity.

 

Story in the data

 

“Everyone wants to know the outcome of the technology. My role is to help leaders find the human story within the data,” he said.

 

It sounds simple, but it isn’t. Distilling a project impacting millions into a resonant 10-minute narrative is a craft. As AI reshapes how organisations operate, that craft is moving from a "nice-to-have" to a necessity.

 

Experts say AI has amplified the need for authentic communication. While AI tools can process data and draft content, they risk producing “undifferentiated AI-speak”.

 

Author and trainer Ravishankar Iyer — who has spent over nine years coaching 10,000 senior leaders across 100 workshops — believes the demand for storytelling is surging throughout India. In his latest book, “31 Timeless Storytelling Techniques to Win at Work”, Iyer explores this shift in detail, arguing that the skill is finally securing its place as a priority in the business world.

 

“In the AI age, with rising slop all around us, it's imperative for leaders to find and share their authentic storytelling self. Their audiences will appreciate their unique, natural (and flawed) humanness rather than artificial, undifferentiated and bland AI-speak,” said Iyer.

 

AI presents both an opportunity and a threat, he said. While it streamlines research, data processing, and drafting, it also triggers a new challenge: Audiences are now remarkably swift at distinguishing between genuine human expression and AI-generated content.

 

“That distinction will increasingly become a marker — not just of quality, but of care, effort, and attention. If I see a leader put out something that is clearly AI-written, my reaction is: ‘You didn’t even take the time to express what you think. I don’t see your voice in it. And I will judge that’,” he said.

 

Experts also attribute this rising trend to a lack of attention and a paucity of time. A 2015 study by Microsoft Canada found that a digital, multi-screen lifestyle has slashed sustained human attention spans to just eight seconds.

 

This shift is prompting organisations to institutionalise storytelling capabilities. At Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India’s largest IT services company, the skill has been honed for executives.

 

“Storytelling is an important enabler of effective communication at TCS, cutting across roles: From sales and consulting to delivery. We view it as a core leadership capability, which is why storytelling is embedded across a bouquet of targeted interventions within our leadership development programs,” said Sudeep Kunnumal, chief human resources officer of the company.

 

Each year, more than 3,500 TCS employees develop storytelling skills through these programmes, enabling them to engage internal and external stakeholders with greater clarity, confidence and purpose.

 

Communicate to influence

 

“We have seen tangible outcomes — from stronger sales and consulting pitches to more empathetic and effective leadership conversations. While AI-led simulations and feedback help our leaders refine and polish their narratives, the real value lies in applying these insights in everyday interactions, creating a continuous pursuit of excellence in how we communicate, influence, and engage our stakeholders,” said Kunnumal.

 

Akhilesh Tuteja, partner and national leader for clients and markets at KPMG in India, believes that in an AI-driven world of abundant content, the human capacity for clarity, context and connection has become even more critical.

 

“As organisations deal with greater complexity and an overload of data, leaders need to translate strategy into meaning people can trust and act on. Data is essential, but it is stories that endure. Most of us may forget the numbers, but we all remember stories. While many organizations are now consciously investing in storytelling skills, for professional services firms like KPMG this has long been a core capability,” he said. 

 

Iyer, the writer and trainer, said that initially this demand was driven by multinational companies and global capability centres, where there would be a push from global leadership, “But what I’m also seeing now is a strong pull from Indian companies. For example, a large pharma company brought me in to train their sales leaders. The idea was that when they go and speak to doctors about their products, they need to tell better stories,” he said.