It’s impossible to escape the noise around AI right now. In PR and comms, the conversation seems to swing wildly between two extremes: those who are terrified it’s coming for their jobs, and those who have thrown the keys to the bots, hoping they’ll do the heavy lifting.
Both camps are getting it wrong.
I teach digital PR strategy at university level. I also run a consultancy where strategic comms isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s the thing that justifies funding, protects reputations and drives audience engagement. I’m not here to scare anyone, nor am I romanticising the human touch for the sake of it.
But here’s the truth:
AI isn’t going to replace experienced comms professionals any time soon. What it will do is ruthlessly expose those who never really had the skills in the first place.
AI Makes the Pretenders Obvious
We’re already seeing it. Bland, tone-deaf crisis statements pumped out with ChatGPT prompts. Social media feeds stripped of personality because someone thought the robot could mimic human insight. LinkedIn posts that all start the same: “In today’s fast-paced world…”
You can spot this stuff a mile off. So can your audience. So can your clients.
I’ve seen email pitches to journalists clearly spat out by an AI tool — impersonal, irrelevant, riddled with recycled buzzwords. These aren’t just ineffective; they’re brand-damaging.
I’ve seen press releases with no decent news angle and no journalistic insight – again, people wrongly thinking ChatGPT has all the answers.
The Real Client Risk
The real danger here isn’t AI itself. It’s the comms ‘professionals’ who don’t know how to apply judgement, context or strategic thinking before hitting generate.
Client care doesn’t mean churning out content faster. It means understanding when not to use AI. It means knowing that a crisis response can’t come from a chatbot prompt. That an audience insight needs real human interpretation before you even brief the tech.
How I Use AI
Am I using AI? Absolutely. My output has never been higher, nor the strategic value I offer more visible. I use AI to accelerate research, generate options, simulate audience reactions. But it’s a tool in my arsenal — not the answer.
When I write, teach or deliver client campaigns, AI is the assistant I could once only dream of. But I’m still very much the architect.
The Future of PR Isn’t AI. It’s AI + Expertise
PR and comms will thrive with AI in the mix — but only for those who know their craft. Those who understand narrative. Strategy. Audience psychology. Ethics. Measurement.
For everyone else? The ones who’ve survived on templates and jargon? AI will replace them. Because clients won’t pay for what a bot can do in 30 seconds.
And frankly, nor should they.
If you’re serious about future-proofing your comms strategy — or if you want to debate this — I’d love to connect. PR isn’t dead. But lazy PR is. And good riddance.