By Alex Panousis

In the final installment of our Beyond the Code series, one of Canada’s leading digital strategists, Adam Rodricks, explores the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and social media. Check out parts one to five of Beyond the Code here.

Adam Rodricks has spent nearly two decades at the intersection of technology and human connection. He has been named Canada’s Top Social Media Strategist by the Speakers Bureau of Canada, and as KPMG Canada’s national director of social growth and experience, he has helped brands navigate digital transformation. A bestselling author and TEDx speaker, he believes AI should “enhance rather than replace authentic human connections.”

Despite the rush to integrate AI, Rodricks is clear-eyed about its limits. “I don’t see a world wherein every brand has an AI-driven personality. I don’t see a world where it’s wise for most brands to have a wholly AI-driven content strategy,” he says. The idea of a fully AI-run social landscape? “That’s as scary to me as the plot of Minority Report or any sci-fi robotic revolt you can think of.”

For Rodricks, the essence of social media hasn’t changed. “Make no mistake, social media is all about conversations, and conversations happen between humans.” Data backs this up. “The data suggests that posts wholly crafted by AI are underperforming those with human intervention,” he says. “Brands can attempt an AI-centric approach, but the community determines what succeeds.”

The narrative of AI replacing jobs doesn’t faze him. “I’ve been in digital for almost 20 years now, and the ‘doom and gloom’ story about technology replacing us has completely lost its shine,” he says. “I’ve been reading about the death of social media since 2008.” Instead, he sees AI as a force of disruption rather than destruction. “So who wins? Those who invest in AI skill sets now.”

One area where human connection still reigns is influencer marketing. Asked whether AI-generated influencers will replace human creators, Rodricks is blunt. “Hell no.” He points to Meta’s failed AI experiment. “As recently as January 2025, Meta was forced to delete several of its own AI-generated accounts after human users began screenshotting the bots’ terrible interactions and outright lies.”

Rodricks sees the opposite trend. “Influencer marketing is changing in Canada. I just did a TEDx talk about it. Trust is shifting online from mega corporations to real people with fewer degrees of separation, and I’m so here for it.”

For brands integrating AI, transparency is key, he says. “Trust in AI-generated content will hinge on the transparency of the processes behind it. Transparency fosters trust,” he says. Failing to disclose AI use isn’t just a PR risk – it’s a trust killer. “Brands that harness AI but hide it from consumers are taking major risks with consequences beyond losing followers.”

Looking back at past tech shifts, Rodricks sees a familiar pattern. “When social media was new and ads were dirt cheap, everyone wondered what the catch was. Where’s the product? It was us. It’s always been us,” he reflects. The same critical lens should apply to AI.

AI isn’t perfect out of the box. “Creators don’t always get things right and then release it – remember that when you use AI. A lot of improvements come from uncovering inaccuracies, biases or flawed processes in real time.” Even AI’s ability to grasp human language remains shaky. “Sentiment scoring struggled with human context in industry-leading software until a few years ago,” he says.

He offers a telling example. “A burger chain used software to gauge sentiment on a new menu item. A post said, ‘Don’t even think about not ordering their burger – it’s to die for.’ The system flagged it as negative. The double negative and the word ‘die’ threw it off. But human conversation requires context.”

Despite advances, these challenges persist. “Fast forward to today, we’re seeing a lot of similar issues with AI,” he says. The reality? “As my old boss would say, we’re building this plane while we’re flying it. Know that going in.”

As our Beyond the Code series wraps up, Rodricks offers a pragmatic take on AI in social media. He sees the potential but keeps human connection at the core. AI will evolve, but the best strategies will use it to enhance – not replace – authentic engagement.

For brands navigating this shift, the message is clear: Stay curious, maintain transparency and keep the human experience at the centre of technological advancement.

Adam Rodricks is an award-winning social-media strategist, best-selling author and speaker. Named Canada’s Top Social Media Strategist by the Speakers Bureau of Canada in 2025, he also earned the University of Toronto’s Young Alumni Award. His TEDxTalk, How to Build Trust Online, hit 100,000 views in 29 days. With 15 years of experience growing top Canadian brands, he now leads Social Growth & Experience at KPMG Canada.