A seismic shift is underway in the world of public relations and communications, with AI redefining industry norms. The rapid technology adoption, however, underlines the need for responsible, ethical use.
At a recent workshop titled “Power of AI for Communications and Beyond” hosted by the AI Center of Excellence (ACE) in partnership with Ardent Communications, School of Communications & Reputation (SCoRe) and LSPR-Jakarta, industry leaders explored how AI is no longer a futuristic fantasy but a present-day reality demanding immediate attention.
The event, headlined by AI guru Hemant Gaule of SCoRe, revealed a startling statistic: A staggering 90.7 percent of PR and communication professionals are already utilizing artificial intelligence tools, according to a collaborative survey by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) and ACE.
This rapid adoption, however, is shadowed by a critical need for practical training, with 73.3 percent of respondents calling for hands-on education in artificial intelligence. More alarmingly, 68 percent expressed serious ethical concerns, in particular regarding misinformation and bias, with 74.7 percent highlighting the dangers of AI-driven misinformation.
Gaule’s analogy of artificial intelligence as a highly intelligent yet inexperienced intern resonated deeply with the attendees. “Imagine hiring an intern from a top university. They process information rapidly, but their initial output often needs refinement. That’s artificial intelligence. It requires training, clear instructions and continuous feedback,” he noted.
This perspective framed artificial intelligence not as a job-replacing monster but a powerful tool demanding careful guidance.
Gaule brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the workshop. An education leader based in Mumbai, India, he is passionate about education, artificial intelligence and behavioral psychology. After graduating from the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad, he has counseled several private, social, political and government initiatives.
AI’s potential to revolutionize PR tasks explained
The workshop showcased the potential of artificial intelligence to revolutionize PR tasks from generating press releases and social media content to conducting sophisticated audience sentiment analysis and media reports and streamlining crisis communications.
Demonstrations of tools such as ChatGPT and Claude revealed their ability to perform real-time web searches, generate campaign guides and create interactive data visualizations. The ability to upload survey results and secondary sources and generate comprehensive reports left attendees awestruck.
A central concern was the “human touch” deficit in AI-generated content. Gaule emphasized the importance of “training” artificial intelligence with examples of desired writing styles to effectively turn the tool into a personalized writing assistant. “If you want it to write like you, talk to it like a human and give it references,” he stated. “It learns best with clear examples.”
Ethical considerations also underlay the discussions. The risk of “hallucinations” — fabricated data — and reinforcing biases were repeatedly highlighted.
“Artificial intelligence is not infallible. It can hallucinate, fabricate data and reinforce biases. PR professionals must guide it, ensuring AI enhances credibility not undermines it,” Gaule warned. This underscored the urgent need for robust ethical guidelines and human oversight in the use of AI.
AI will take away tasks, not jobs
One of the most promising applications showcased during the workshop was AI’s ability to automate sentiment analysis and trend identification. By integrating artificial intelligence models into tools such as Google Sheets and Excel, PR teams can now analyze vast amounts of text, enabling them to categorize themes and detect consumer sentiments in minutes rather than hours.
Despite the anxieties surrounding job displacement, Gaule reassured attendees that artificial intelligence would primarily take away tasks but not jobs. “Artificial intelligence will cut the amount of time it takes to do tasks. But it can’t replace strategic thinking and human creativity,” he clarified.
With AI adoption picking up steam and the technologies continuing to evolve, the “Power of AI for Communications and Beyond” seminar served as a crucial call to action. PR professionals must embrace literacy, develop ethical frameworks and recognize the technology’s potential to amplify, rather than replace, human intelligence. The future of communications hinges on the ability to responsibly harness artificial intelligence, ensuring it enhances, rather than undermines, the art of strategic communication.
