CommsForward Conference 2025, a landmark biennial business communication conference by Citrine One Group, explored the seismic shifts that AI brings to the PR industry and how these shape the future.
The inaugural event, which ran from July 2 to 3 at Aloft KL Sentral, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, gathered together more than 250 influential leaders and communicators from Southeast Asia and beyond. It had the theme “Shaping Stories, Inspiring Results.”
CommsForward 2025 emphasized the urgent need for the PR industry to embrace AI’s vast potential while addressing the ethical complexities and human-centered challenges that the technology and its adoption bring. The conference spotlighted a future where AI’s powerful capabilities enhance — not replace — the creative, strategic and ethical role of communicators.
The conference speakers included Ana Pista, APR, founder and CEO of Ardent Communications and CEO of the AI Centre of Excellence (ACE); Ivlynn Yap, executive chairman of Citrine One Group; Chris Seto, managing director of Dataxet Malaysia; Nia Novelia, co-founder and CMO of Imagi PR Indonesia; Nurulhuda Abd Aziz, multi-award-winning journalist and former press secretary; and Azmi Yaakop, group chief comms officer of FGV Holdings Berhad.
Pista, in her session on “The Future of Public Relations: AI in PR, Transformation & Innovation,” offered a comprehensive roadmap for the industry’s evolution as it adopts AI. “AI serves not as a replacement for human PR professionals but as a hyper-efficient, data-savvy co-pilot, enabling an enhancement of strategic capabilities through intelligent augmentation,” she stated.
Pista’s talk detailed how AI is transforming the industry — from automating routine tasks and optimizing audience engagement to supporting crisis management. She highlighted examples such as real-time media monitoring, AI-generated press materials and chatbot-powered customer service, all of which allow PR professionals to focus more on high-level strategy and creative storytelling.
“The integration of AI into public relations presents both extraordinary opportunities and profound responsibilities,” Pista noted. “As communicators, we must navigate these tools thoughtfully — leveraging automation and data insights while staying grounded in ethics, empathy and the human connection that defines effective communication.”
She emphasized that as AI systems become more embedded in media relations and strategic messaging, practitioners must also remain vigilant about algorithmic bias, misinformation and transparency. “It is our duty to ensure that these tools are applied responsibly and inclusively,” she added. The session underscored that while AI can identify patterns and generate content at scale, it is the human touch — judgment, creativity, cultural sensitivity — that ultimately builds trust and drives meaningful engagement.
Following her talk, Pista joined the panel discussion titled “The AI-Driven Communicator: What Skills Will Define the Future?” moderated by Ruzanna Muhammad (News Hub Asia). The panel also included co-panelists YBhg. Datuk P. Kamalanathan (PRactitioners & Malaysian Qualification Agency) and Sharon Goh (Syuen Zens Resources).
“The skills landscape is shifting rapidly,” emphasized Kamalanathan. “Future communicators won’t just be storytellers. They’ll be data interpreters and ethical gatekeepers.”
Goh added, “This event helps demystify how to adapt AI into your business and personal life. We’ve been discussing its advancements and how organizations can prepare for this ongoing revolution.”
Pista concluded the discussion by reinforcing the need for “human-AI synergy,” saying: “The future of public relations in the AI era is not about choosing between human expertise and machine intelligence but rather about finding the optimal synergy between the two. Our challenge is to amplify what makes us human — insight, empathy, ethics — through the intelligent use of technology.”
The landmark conference CommsForward 2025 provided invaluable guidance as it spurred a crucial dialogue about the ethical and innovative path forward for the PR sector in an AI-powered world.
To learn more about the event, visit www.citrine.com.my/commsforward25.
