Jessica Sharp 
Like many industries, artificial intelligence (AI) is forcing the public relations industry to take a good look at itself. Some say that the advent of AI is the beginning of the end for PR, others, like me, believe it’s a powerful tool that is revolutionizing the industry, offering a wide range of useful applications that can streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and drive better results.
Here are some of the key ways AI is being leveraged as a powerful tool in PR.
Content Creation
One of the most obvious and significant applications of AI in PR is content creation. AI-powered language models like ChatGPT and Perplexity can generate high-quality content such as press releases, social media posts, blog posts, and even speeches. These tools quickly produce initial drafts (like the blog post you’re currently reading), which then must be refined and customized by human PR professionals.
Media Monitoring and Sentiment Analysis
AI excels at analyzing vast amounts of data, making it invaluable for media monitoring and sentiment analysis. AI algorithms can scan news articles, social media posts, and online conversations in real-time, providing PR teams with accurate insights into public perception, emerging trends, and potential issues. This allows for proactive reputation management and timely response strategies.
Media Research
AI can streamline media list building by identifying relevant journalists, tracking their interests and beat changes, and providing recommendations for new contacts based on past searches. As anyone in PR knows, building media lists can be an incredibly time-consuming exercise. After building an initial list of media contacts, keeping the list up to date is an ongoing time suck. Media programs like Cision have incorporated AI to ensure their reporter database is up to date.
Scenario Planning
As PR professionals, we’re trained to be prepared for worst-case scenarios. AI can support these efforts by proposing potential scenarios that humans may not have considered. Plug your client’s situation to an AI platform and see what potential outcomes are given. It’s important to note here that any proprietary or confidential information should never be input into an AI platform. But even when generic information or made up “facts” are entered, the output can still be useful.
Statement Testing
AI can also be useful in providing potential positive and negative reactions to media statements, allowing PR professionals to further refine the message, or be better prepared for a range of feedback.
Translation
AI-powered translation tools like DeepL can quickly and accurately translate content into multiple languages, enabling PR teams to reach global audiences efficiently. This is particularly useful for multinational companies or campaigns targeting diverse markets.
Image and Video Generation
AI tools like Midjourney and DALL.E can generate high-quality images and videos based on text prompts, allowing PR professionals to create visually appealing content for social media, websites, and other digital platforms without the need for extensive design skills or resources.
While AI offers numerous benefits in PR, it’s important to remember that these tools have limitations. One major concern is the potential for AI to perpetuate biases present in the data it was trained on, leading to inaccurate or offensive content. Additionally, an over-reliance on AI could result in a lack of authenticity and human touch, which are crucial to building real connections with audiences. PR professionals must maintain oversight, apply critical thinking, and ensure ethical use of AI to mitigate these risks including addressing concerns about data privacy, transparency, and the potential manipulation of AI technologies. Finally, at its core, public relations is about building genuine personal connections, with clients, with the media, and with stakeholders. This is not something that AI can replicate. It is simply a useful tool that affords PR professionals the ability to work efficiently, effectively, and with better impact.
Posted In Public Relations