Artificial Intelligence Molding the Future of Public Relations

By Sarina Sherman

Artificial intelligence is taking over the public relations industry, propelling companies and consumers into a new world of technology. The use of artificial intelligence will enhance all capabilities by public relations practitioners in the future, and it is the new trend to watch. Artificial Intelligence is the usage of machines to perform tasks typically done by humans.

Increased Accountability and Mistrust
Public relations is the practice of transparent two-way communication between a brand and its publics. The foundation is built on trust and honesty. This balancing act requires human emotions and bond between the stakeholders and brand. Replacing human efforts with machines will lead to a lack of necessary “personable interaction” (Galloway & Swiatek, 2018). While artificial intelligence will increase data analysis, algorithms, and overall capabilities, it lacks the human capabilities that are difficulty to replicate through technology.

Human Behavior Change
With increased technological capabilities at everyone’s fingertips, customers have higher technological expectations from brands and decreased patience. Each brand that can tackle the technological difficulties of converting historical forms of communications into modern will have an automatic advantage against those who cannot in targeting its customers. Artificial intelligence will supply consumers with an endless amount of information, causing the consumers to expect greater speeds and never settle for less than seamless omnichannel experiences. From store layouts to purchases of products, customers are seeking out ways to shop in newer fashions than before.
A New Platform of Interaction

Customers now expect brands to interact with them in new formats. Now, advertising and public relations must go beyond the written word. With this new technology, there will be less reliance on billboards and traditional forms of communications and an increase in creative forms of interaction between the brand and publics. The brands that can adapt to this change the fastest and most creative will be the ones to win this race.

Data Availability

Public relations’ progress and tracking relies on data. Through an increased usage of technology, public relations professionals will have better access to data than before, allowing the practitioners to adjust campaigns and efforts accordingly. With increased tracking and data, practitioners can have campaigns with higher target accuracies and pursue realistic goals. Artificial intelligence will also save human capital from developing this necessary data as it can create such reports and analysis.
As a constantly growing technological tool, artificial intelligence will continue to change the way public relations is conducted. An increase in technological advantages will allow consumers to be connected into the world of the brands they follow and hold each brand to a higher level of accountability. With this comes increase in accountability comes a new pressure for brands to evolve and meet the consumer elsewhere. Advertisements will become 3D, store visits will become completely automized, and maybe even press releases will change!
At the end of the day, however, public relations practitioners have emotions and connections that cannot ever be completely automated and replaced by artificial intelligence. As an industry built on bonds and its people, public relations’ change in the future due to artificial intelligence is questionable. How do you see public relations evolving from artificial intelligence?


Galloway, C., & Swiatek, L. (2018). Public relations and artificial intelligence: It’s not (just) about robots. Elsevier.
Kaput, M. (n.d.). 20 Ways AI Could Transform PR and Communications. Retrieved from https://www.marketingaiinstitute.com/blog/how-ai-could-transform-pr-and-communications
Mediafrenzyglobal. (2019, July 03). AI in PR: Why Trust and Storytelling Cannot be Automated. Retrieved from https://mediafrenzyglobal.com/ai-in-pr/