Generative AI, a type of artificial intelligence that can produce text or other content in response to user prompts, has gained significant popularity following the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in November 2022. With its ability to create college-level essays, generate code, and create content, ChatGPT has become a go-to tool for various tasks for many PR professionals.

According to a recent report by Goldman Sachs, approximately 18% of work globally could be automated by generative AI, potentially affecting around 300 million jobs. Again, advanced economies are expected to be more heavily impacted than emerging markets. The report also predicts that two-thirds of jobs in the United States and Europe “are exposed to some degree of AI automation,” and approximately a quarter of all jobs could be performed entirely by AI.

The industries most likely to be affected by generative AI involve tasks that can be automated, such as legal and administrative fields, office and administrative support, business and financial operations, sales and our very own media and marketing industry. 

In the marketing world, 84% of marketers reported using AI in 2020, a stark jump from 29% in 2019, according to Salesforce research.  In January, BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti announced the company would rely on ChatGPT to personalise content and enhance quizzes. Kristian Hammond, chief scientist of Natural Sciences, told the BBC that in 15 years, “90% of news will be written by machines.” 

However, history shows that new jobs are often created to replace those lost to automation. In fact, the majority of employment growth, in the long run, can be attributed to new occupations following technological advancements. This combination of cost savings, new job creation, and higher productivity for non-displaced workers could significantly boost economic growth. However, it’s hard to predict when this will happen. In addition, the increase in global labour productivity could also have a significant impact, with estimates suggesting that AI could increase annual global GDP by 7%.

CIPR report on the impact of AI on the PR Industry

In 2018, the #AIinPR panel was founded to explore the impact of AI on PR and business. It promotes knowledge of AI in PR, advises businesses, and supports practitioners to upskill in data, automation, and AI. The most recent report, co-authored by Andrew Bruce Smith and Stephen Waddington with contributions from other experts reviews AI use in PR and identifies future technologies. Here are some key takeouts of the report:

• There’s been a burst of new AI-driven tools, services, and use cases with the potential to impact virtually every aspect of the public relations profession.
• There are 18 categories involving around 5,855 tools that have the potential to be applied to public relations practice.
• Governance questions are crucially important: what does this mean for our practice and, more widely, our organisations? What impact does this have on our stakeholders, for good and bad
• Ignoring AI is not a viable option. However, assuming that AI will completely replace human PR professionals is misguided and pessimistic.
• One of the biggest dangers is that as we move towards using more tools, our actual contact with stakeholders becomes less.
• It’s tough to make hard and fast predictions about the exact impact of AI on the public relations industry over the next 12 months, let alone the next five years.
• PR professionals everywhere must constantly be mindful of the ethical and legal considerations of how they might use AI.

Staying Ahead of the Curve

With the rise of generative AI, PR professionals must have an early adopter mindset towards this technology. Although AI has the potential to automate many tasks in the PR industry, it’s important to remember that it cannot replace the essential qualities that make us human, such as creativity, empathy, and critical thinking. Instead, generative AI should be seen as a tool that can help PR professionals improve their efficiency, productivity, and the quality of their work.

Having an early adopter mindset requires being willing to take risks and being open to experimentation. It also involves having a deep understanding of the technology and its potential impact on the industry. PR professionals must be willing to invest time and resources into researching and understanding generative AI, including its capabilities, limitations, and potential use cases.

Personally, I’ve experimented with a lot of AI tools, and I’ve found the tools ChatGPT, Grammarly, Beautiful AI, and Otter AI to be incredibly helpful in my work as a PR professional. ChatGPT allows me to quickly and efficiently produce high-quality content by serving as a springboard for my ideation process. Grammarly has been instrumental in improving my writing by identifying grammatical errors, typos, and suggesting better word choices, which ultimately saves a lot of agency time spent on editing.  Beautiful AI has been particularly useful for creating visually appealing presentations, and Otter AI has helped me keep track of important information during interviews and meetings by automatically transcribing the audio. These tools have not only helped me save time and effort but have also enhanced the quality of my work.

Horizon scanning is another crucial concept that involves keeping up-to-date with emerging technologies and trends that could impact the PR industry. By doing so, PR professionals can identify new opportunities and potential threats and adapt their strategies accordingly. 

For example, PR professionals can use horizon scanning to identify new tools and platforms to help them automate their tasks and improve efficiency. They can also use it to identify potential risks and ethical considerations associated with using generative AI in their work. Horizon scanning can help PR professionals stay ahead of the curve and remain relevant in a rapidly changing industry. By being aware of emerging technologies and trends, they can identify new opportunities and potential niches they can capitalise on.

PR professionals must be aware of AI’s ethical and legal considerations. Governance questions such as the impact of AI on our practice, organisations, and stakeholders are crucially important. It’s essential to strike a balance between using AI to improve our work and ensuring that it doesn’t compromise our values or harm our stakeholders.

Generative AI has the potential to revolutionise the PR industry, but it’s up to us to embrace this technology responsibly. By adopting an early adopter mindset, engaging in horizon scanning, and being mindful of ethical and legal considerations, we can stay ahead of the curve and continue to deliver value to our clients and stakeholders

Curzon PR is a London-based PR firm working with clients globally. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Business Development Team [email protected]