AI in PR: How do PR experts see the development?

How artificial intelligence takes over parts of PR work

At the end of the development, computers and machines have taken over, people only play a subordinate role or are fought against. This is the dystopian future in many science fiction movies. Reality, on the other hand, is still in its beginning with the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Step by step it will play a role. But only where it makes sense. So there is no reason to panic. PR is a field where it is easy to assess how AI can be used sensibly.

A survey conducted by news aktuell and Faktenkontor asked 415 PR professionals for their opinion on the three areas in which artificial intelligence will be used most in the coming years. With 45 percent in the first place, the PR professionals see media monitoring as the area where algorithms give AI the greatest opportunities.

This is followed by keywording of content, i.e. the analysis of texts and images in order to automatically enrich them with meta-information (41 percent). The PR experts see Artificial Intelligence in communication controlling almost on a par with 40 percent.

Almost no influence of AI in media relations

AI is given the least importance in the areas of reputation management (4 percent) and press relations (1 percent). Apparently, people are considered to be better at a job than algorithms when it comes to more strategic or textually demanding requirements.

Human or algorithm?

The opinions of the 413 PR professionals were less clear in the following areas: 37 percent gave AI a good chance in image recognition, 30 percent in topic and trend research, 23 percent in competitive analysis, 15 percent in content creation and 14 percent in target group definition. This is followed by verification (twelve percent), influencer marketing (eight percent) and crisis prevention and management (seven percent).

Impact of AI on HR

This is of course only an opinion and does not necessarily correspond to reality.  For example, a study by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations entitled “Humans still needed” comes to the conclusion that currently around 12 percent of competences in the PR sector can be supported by AI. Nevertheless, it is interesting to see how PR professionals assess this development. Because this will have an influence on how companies, organizations and agencies will position themselves and where they are most likely to be prepared to give more space to the new colleague algorithm. It will also have an impact on human resources and job descriptions in the communications industry in the (near) future.