Like many other fields, public relations professionals today are faced with an increasing number of artificial intelligence (AI) tools. There’s no doubt that these platforms can help streamline our tasks and maximize our time, and they’re certainly not going anywhere. However, we must tread carefully. Our work is built on trust, credibility, and authentic connection – values that risk being compromised if we allow AI to lead the way.
And people are taking notice. In fact, the percentage of people using AI in the workplace has nearly doubled in the past two years, from 21% to 40%. There’s no doubt that these devices can help streamline our tasks and maximize our time. But as PR professionals, we must tread carefully. Our work is built on trust, credibility, and authentic connection – values that risk being compromised if we allow AI to lead the way.
The recent debate over whether AI will replace jobs misses the point. The better question is: How can we responsibly leverage AI to strengthen our work while keeping the human element front and center? Here are some key things to keep in mind when using AI in public relations.
Do: Use AI as a supportive tool
Streamline tasks.
AI can take repetitive work off your plate – like searching for relevant awareness days when building a content calendar or drafting initial meeting notes. This gives you more time to focus on higher-level strategy.
Brainstorm and concept.
Use AI to jump-start ideas for taglines or keyword research. Think of it as a thought partner in the early stages of your creative brainstorming.
Maximize prompt engineering.
The more specific your prompts, the more valuable the results. Learn how to ask the right questions to get useful, nuanced responses.
Fact-check everything.
Always confirm AI-generated insights with trusted sources. Be especially wary of tools like Google’s AI Overviews, which have been criticized for inaccuracies. In PR, credibility is everything – don’t risk yours by skipping verification.
Leverage AI for note-taking.
Automated transcripts and summaries can help capture meeting details, freeing you up to stay present in conversations.
Don’t: Let AI replace authenticity
Remove the human element.
PR thrives on connection, empathy, and storytelling. Copy-pasting from AI without reviewing for repetition, inaccuracies, or adding personal touches will always fall flat.
Risk confidentiality.
Never input sensitive client data, internal documents, or proprietary strategies into AI platforms. Remember, many retain information and could inadvertently compromise privacy.
Rely on AI for strategy.
While it can generate ideas, AI cannot understand context, nuance, or your audience the way you can. Strategic thinking is, and should remain, a human skill.
Sacrifice personalization.
Every client and audience deserves messaging tailored to their unique needs. AI can suggest frameworks, but personalization requires a human voice and perspective.
The bottom line
AI is here to stay, and when used wisely, it can be a powerful tool to boost efficiency. But in PR, integrity must always come first. Use AI to support your work, not replace it. Let it handle the small tasks so you can focus on what matters: Building trust, telling authentic stories, and creating meaningful connections. At the end of the day, no algorithm can replicate the human touch that defines great work.
