Artificial Intelligence in PR: why trust and storytelling cannot be automated

“A robot wrote this entire article. Are you scared yet, human?” – this is the title of an article published by The Guardian in September 2020 that made PR professionals, the people who live by everything they write and the ones who believe that their words can make a huge difference for the persons on the other end of the screen, question if AI will simply alter their processes or eliminate the need for public relations positions. Two years later, ChatGPT made its appearance, and caused quite the chaos, with Paul Kedrosky, Economist, Venture Capitalist, and MIT fellow, describing the technology as the “most disruptive change the U.S. economy has seen in 100 years”.

As PR professionals, we should be able to recognise and embrace the opportunities that AI brings into our industry, as well as identify its limitations. So what competitive advantages can AI bring to our profession? And where should we draw a limit? Will there ever be a future when stories will be told by robots? Let’s start with the beginning.

What is AI?

The idea of automation and self-operating machines can be traced back to ancient times. In his book, “Artificial Slaves in the Renaissance and the Dangers of Independent Innovation”, Kevin LeGrandeur, mentioned that “Aristotle’s Politics can thus be considered the foundational text for this idea of AI as a replacement for human slaves”, as Aristotle wrote about robots that could accomplish easy assignments. He then claimed that it is the “first time any writer explicitly suggests that we could replace humans with intelligent machines”.

The concept of automation also appears in the works of other ancient philosophers, including Archytas of Tarentum and Philo of Byzantium. Archytas, for example, is said to have built a wooden pigeon that could fly through the use of steam power.

But in terms of academic research, only since the 1950s, has artificial intelligence become important for numerous researchers, scientists, and engineers from different disciplines such as computer science, mathematics, psychology, or philosophy.

John McCarthy, who is considered one of the pioneers of the field, first invented the term “Artificial Intelligence” in 1956, at Dartmouth College, within a workshop attended by many of the top computer scientists in the world.

In 2004, in his “What is Artificial Intelligence” paper, McCarthy gave the following definition, “It is the science and engineering of making intelligent machines, especially intelligent computer programs. It is related to the similar task of using computers to understand human intelligence, but AI does not have to confine itself to methods that are biologically observable.”

And now, in 2024, when ChatGPT has reached every corner of the world, we are witnessing the future predicted 87 years ago by the engineers who built Elektro, the most famous robot of the 1930s, who moved its head and arms, and even “smoked” cigarettes.

The conversation has just begun

According to the Mazars’ C-suite Barometer, “Bold leadership for a sustainable future”, 50% of today’s leaders are fairly familiar with AI, but when it comes to understanding and exploiting the technology, only 37% of them consider it very important. Until a few years ago, automation was considered the most familiar technology for business leaders, but with the new advancements of AI, such as the DALL-E or ChatGPT models, the popularity of AI among the C-suite has clearly grown.

But what about the PR professionals? “The AI and Big Data Readiness Report”, conducted by The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) back in 2021, revealed that 43,2% of PR practitioners have limited knowledge and feel less confident when it comes to AI, and only 13,9% are comfortable with the emerging technology. I believe that a big reason for such a small percentage is related to fear, and all the things the professionals have heard over the years regarding the replacement of humans in key industries, but that is not the case.

At the moment, in PR, AI can help us analyse large amounts of data, such as social media mentions, news articles, and customer reviews, to identify trends and insights. In this way, we can develop more effective communication strategies and improve our understanding of our target audience. AI can also personalise our communication efforts by using data to create more targeted and relevant messaging for specific audiences or individuals. Another important advantage is that AI can predict a crisis, by monitoring social media and news sources in real-time, to identify potential issues and send us alerts.

While AI can help PR practitioners and communicators to a certain extent, it will never be able to replace the human touch. Yes, AI is fast and can be more accurate, but it is not intuitive, and it is not able to empathise, understand, and connect with others on a deeply emotional level, qualities, and abilities needed in this domain.

AI storytellers? Sorry robots: human intelligence is irreplaceable

Back in 2020, when I first saw the article written by a robot in The Guardian publication, I admit to having been somewhat concerned, because the article was very well written; sure, it was not a thought leadership piece of content, but many business leaders will have agreed that it can get the job done surprisingly good, at the click of a mouse, without having to pay a PR person to do it.

The purpose of the exercise was to use the latest state-of-the-art language-generating program, GPT-3 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3) to write an essay, with the scope of convincing humans that AI comes in peace. As you can imagine, chaos followed in the next few days, with everyone saying that AI can write better than humans and that it will soon replace our jobs. To calm the waters, The Guardian published another article four days later, entitled “A human wrote this article. You shouldn’t be scared of GPT-3”, in which Albert Fox Cahn, the author and founder of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (Stop), explained how the writing process actually happened. In conclusion, they delivered a prompt to the AI and asked it to generate eight separate articles. Cahn said that “… it was human authors who selected how to pare down the resulting material, discarding nearly 90% of what GPT-3 created. And still, after that, the piece was edited.” The technology just did what it had done for decades: helped authors automate parts of the writing process and nothing more. The same goes for ChatGPT, which was launched in November 2022, followed by Microsoft Copilot in November 2023, and Google Gemini in December 2023.

Despite major advancements in natural language creation and processing achieved by AI, developing robots that can write as well as humans will never happen, not for at least a few centuries. The human language is very, very intricate and distinct, and requires more than just connecting words and sentences in a grammatically accurate manner. Furthermore, robots cannot produce truly innovative and authentic content.

Human intelligence has no universally accepted definition because various researchers and thinkers have addressed the topic from various angles and highlighted various facets of it. However, one influential definition was proposed by psychologist David Wechsler, who developed a widely used intelligence test called the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). According to Wechsler, intelligence is “the aggregate or global capacity of the individual to act purposefully, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with his environment“.

This is where the limitations of AI become apparent. AI can analyse data and generate content, but it cannot replicate the unique insights and creativity that come from human expertise. Storytelling requires a deep understanding of human behaviour and emotions, and it is the ability to understand these factors that sets PR professionals apart from AI models.

Similarly, trust is an essential component of PR, which is built on authenticity, transparency, and human connection. It is not something that can be easily replicated by AI, as it requires a level of emotional intelligence that AI cannot currently replicate. Trust is built over time, through consistent messaging, and the ability to connect with an audience on a personal level.

The way forward

In this moment, or in the very near future, PR practitioners should do anything in their power to familiarise themselves with this emerging technology and invest more time in acquiring knowledge about all the tasks an AI model could perform and how much this will improve their projects. As we all know, most C-suite leaders need guidance when it comes to technology, trends, and new visions. Therefore, it is our duty to explain to them how important AI can be for their business, and how much growth they can accomplish if they focus on learning and implementing as many AI tools as possible.

This would be at least a starting point in continuing the conversation. Furthermore, as PR people, we should learn more from the experts and thought leaders in the field. In the past few years, many events and conferences have focused on AI and its impact on PR, and by attending those kinds of events, we can gather valuable insights. We should also follow the publications in the PR industry that focus on AI, such as PR Week, PR Daily, and PR News. They provide insights, analysis, and news on the latest developments in AI, and the opportunities it can bring to the PR industry, as well as the challenges. And finally, I believe that experimenting with AI tools can provide us with hands-on experiences, to better understand how AI can be used in PR. There are many AI tools available that can assist with tasks such as media monitoring, sentiment analysis, and content creation.

Madalina reflects on her studies for the CIPR Professional PR Diploma

For you, what do you see as the key benefits of having the PR Diploma?

Studying for the CIPR Professional PR Diploma has been incredibly rewarding for me, even though I already had a lot of experience in the field. It helped me deepen my understanding of advanced PR strategies and gave me a structured way to improve my skills. The diploma did not just confirm what I already knew; it also introduced me to new ideas and best practices that made me better at what I do.

Personally, this journey has been eye-opening. It has boosted my critical thinking, creativity, and ability to plan strategically. One of the best parts has been connecting with fellow professionals in the programme. Learning from some of the top experts in PR has been inspiring and has really helped me grow and succeed in my career.”

What has been your favourite part of the CIPR PR Diploma course so far?

My favourite part of the CIPR PR Diploma course has been the practical application of theory through real-world case studies. Being able to analyse and develop strategies for actual PR challenges has been incredibly insightful.

It is not just about learning concepts in a classroom; it is about applying them in scenarios that mimic what professionals face every day. This hands-on approach has deepened my understanding and prepared me better for the complexities of the PR industry. Additionally, the opportunity to receive constructive feedback from experienced instructors has been invaluable in refining my skills and gaining even more confidence in my abilities.”

Have you yet been able to apply any of the learning, and if so, how?

Yes, I have been able to apply a lot of what I have learned from the CIPR PR Diploma directly to my work. As someone who writes extensively on thought leadership topics, the course has enhanced my ability to craft compelling narratives and communicate complex ideas effectively. I have integrated new insights from the diploma into my writing process, which has strengthened the depth and impact of my thought leadership materials.

Moreover, the strategic frameworks and campaign planning techniques learned in the course have been instrumental in refining my approach to client projects.

Read our Complete Guide to CIPR Qualifications