AI in PR

Public Relations has evolved from writing press releases to being true storytellers, and it’s such an exciting time to be a thought leader in this space. There’s so much that keeps us up at night these days. But in our industry, with shrinking newsrooms, widening divides among readers and expanding fears around AI, we see this era as an opportunity.

I recently did a challenge between myself and ChatGPT for ideation around a grand opening event. ChatGPT produced results based on what’s been done. No matter how hard I pressed, the answers that came back to me were boring at best. They were expected solutions and no match for the creative solutions I was able to produce with just five minutes of uninterrupted focus time.

So, while AI can be a tool we use for research, I firmly believe it’s no match for the creative storytellers on our team.

Some suggestions on how PR people can use AI in their daily lives:
– Researching work by a specific reporter
– Researching media outlets that fit into certain categories
– Creating a competitive audit between different brands
– Gathering solutions for a specific campaign (like a grand opening) to know what’s been done in the past

Some suggestions on where NOT to use AI:
– Writing press materials
– Gathering ideas to deliver to clients
– Writing any kind of plan or strategy