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Recent data shows a clear rise in the use of the terms “storytelling” and “storyteller” in investor days and earnings calls among Western companies. Corporate job listings reflect the same shift, with more roles emphasizing storytelling as a required skill, even in an era increasingly shaped by AI. What do these companies mean by storytelling? What does storytelling have to do with you in your everyday investor relations work?
Some older comments on AI by Peter Thiel, chair of Palantir Technologies, have gained renewed attention over the past few months. In a discussion at the Mercatus Center on February 21, 2024, Thiel sat down with economist Tyler Cowen as part of the Conversations with Tyler podcast to discuss various topics from political theory to religion and AI.
The resurfaced clip from this interview shows Thiel stating, “It seems much worse for the math people more than word people. What people have told me that they think within the next 3-5 years, AI models would be able to solve all the US Maths Olympiad problems.” (*1)
In other words, Thiel theorized that the expansion of AI would affect those in math-related fields more than those in writing fields.
But why is this video resurfacing now?
While there is no single answer to this question, the video may be resurfacing due to a few factors.
In the U.S., AI has been a recent hot topic among banks and other financial institutions, with numerous companies announcing workforce cuts or the possibility of doing so due to AI in the near future. (*2) Furthermore, according to this Scientific American article (*3), certain AI models were able to solve five out of six questions during an unofficial 2025 International Math Olympiad test.
So, what about the “word people,” and do you even consider yourself “word people” as an IR professional? How does the expansion of AI affect those in corporate communications and other writing positions now?
In December 2025, the Wall Street Journal released an article on the importance of storytelling in corporate America. The article quotes numerous companies like Google and Microsoft that are searching for “storytellers.” (*4)
Specifically, the article states:
“Marketing and technology companies have often repurposed grandiose descriptions from other arenas to lend corporate office roles additional sparkle. While the heyday of technology gurus, developer ninjas, SEO rockstars and at least one digital prophet have long since passed, calling salaried communications professionals “storytellers” and the practice of storytelling appears to only have picked up in popularity.”
In other words, even as some question the value of traditional writing roles, companies continue to increase hiring for positions around storytelling. But what exactly is storytelling, and who are the storytellers?
Storytelling refers to communicating information in a way that connects ideas into a clear and engaging narrative, rather than presenting facts in isolation. Storytellers are the people who shape and deliver that narrative, deciding what to emphasize, how to structure information, and how to make the message clear and engaging for their audience.
In a corporate context, storytelling can be seen in the way we structure information to ensure that stakeholders understand the company’s strategy, performance, and direction as a coherent narrative.
Referring to this type of communication as “storytelling,” rather than terms such as “editorial” or “press relations,” has become increasingly common.
In fact, the Wall Street Journal notes that job postings on LinkedIn mentioning words like “storyteller” and “storytelling” doubled over the past year (Nov. 27, 2024 – Nov. 26, 2025). Listings for marketing positions were around 50,000 at the time of the WSJ article, while listings under media and communications came in at around 20,000.
The article also suggests possible reasons for this shift. Changes in how audiences consume information may play a role. Readers have moved away from traditional newspapers, and companies now communicate directly through their own channels, including social media.
These shifts may also influence how both audiences and companies approach communication, and in turn, how companies define and recruit for these roles.
FactSet, a financial data and analytics company, also reported an increase in the number of times the words “storyteller” and “storytelling” came up in investor days and earnings calls, with CEOs and companies also shifting away from terms “editorial” and “press relations strategy” to terms like “storytelling” and “content strategy.” (*4)
Jennifer Kuperman, chief corporate affairs officer of Chime, a financial technology company, says, “Terms like ‘editorial’ are limiting. They put in mind a very specific thing you’re doing or creating. Whereas you could tell stories in so many different ways—social, podcasts, putting your executives out there, hosting an event, talking to the press.” (*4)
Taken together, these trends suggest that companies increasingly view communication as a way to shape how stakeholders understand the business. For professionals in investor relations and corporate communications, this shift to storytelling raises expectations for how your company writes and presents English disclosures are written and presented.
The Takeaway
AI is evolving at breakneck speed, but increased reliance on AI also brings growing distrust and risks. Corporations appear to be turning towards more human and authentic communications to reach their target audiences, leading to a rise in demand for storytelling-focused roles.
While AI may be one step closer to solving the world’s most difficult math problems, as Peter Thiel previously suggested, humans are still an essential part of writing.
This shift places greater importance on how your company’s story is communicated in English. Disclosures must do more than present accurate information. They must connect key messages into a clear and coherent narrative in both the original and target languages.
At One World Link, we focus on telling your story to the world. Our Japanese-to-English writers support investor relations teams with professional translations that deliver clear, natural, and investor-ready narratives.
Reach out with any questions, and ensure your English narratives clearly support your story.
Citations
1. YouTube video
Mercatus Center. (2024, April 17). Peter Thiel on political theology | Conversations with Tyler [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfbndRTlsg4
2. Yahoo Finance article
Ma, J. (2026, March 8). Peter Thiel warned AI is coming for math people before word people. Banks have already said smaller headcounts are possible. Yahoo Finance.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/peter-thiel-warned-ai-coming-180944036.html
3. Scientific American article
Reihl, E. (2025, August 7). AI took on the Math Olympiad, but mathematicians are not impressed. Scientific American.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mathematicians-question-ai-performance-at-international-math-olympiad/
4. Wall Street Journal article
Deighton, K. (2025, December 12). Companies are desperately seeking storytellers. The Wall Street Journal.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/companies-are-desperately-seeking-storytellers-7b79f54e
Jessica Azumaya
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