What is AI and How is it used in PR?

Artificial intelligence, otherwise referred to as AI, is used in all walks of life, whether this be to help with everyday communication, finding out information or for the use of algorithms. However, what we don’t realise is that some of the biggest companies also use AI in both their marketing and PR strategies.  AI refers to a “technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human intelligence and problem-solving capabilities.”  

AI has been used in PR for things such as automating routine tasks, data analysis, crisis management and content creation. By using AI within PR, it allows the business to spend more time refining their content and producing products that their audience will want. The tasks that AI can automate alongside the data analysis help organizations to keep track of the audience engagement, managing the effectiveness of a campaign and even analysing the different content trends that are being engaged with. This meaning that they can then spend more time focusing of their strategy for what is to come next. Whilst also keeping their data around the engagement current in order to make sure they are creating the right material for their target audience. But AI is not limited to just analysing data. It can also help with an organizations crisis management as it can help identify content that may lead to a crisis before it has the chance. It does this by monitoring online sentiment and media coverage in order to flag what their specific audience has found problematic previously and give an organization an insight into what they should and should not include. 

Although the role of PR and Marketing is always evolving to match the demand of the general public, AI is also developing alongside it. There therefore means that AI has continued to be a useful resource in creating and analysing content within the PR industry. For example, due to recent updates to platforms like ‘ChatGPT’, you now have the potential to create images and text that could be used within a press release or even for use within social media content. However, it still, like any external tool, has its issues when being used within a PR strategy. To hear more about the issues AI poses to PR, take a look at the other articles where we will look into issues such as the ethical and moral implications of using AI and how AI can be used in advertising. 

For more infromation of how you can use AI within your PR strategy, take a look at the CIPR Artificial Intelligence in Public Relations Pannal.