From virtual assistants to customer service chatbots to cybersecurity, the use of generative AI in the workplace has exploded in the last two to three years. With AI’s widespread adoption for everything – from writing to coding to data analysis – it begs the question: What about PR? Couldn’t ChatGPT just do that for me too?
While, yes, there are some basic elements of PR which ChatGPT could lend you a hand with, there is a difference between this and developing and implementing a strategic, targeted and comprehensive creative campaign that successfully delivers on both objectives and ROI – something the technology is still far from being able to do.
The key is finding balance between using AI strategically to effectively support your PR efforts, without letting it undermine your business acumen. After all, who knows your company better than you? You are the expert here, not the algorithms.
Just ask Toys “R” Us. Its 2024 AI-generated video advert triggered an online backlash. Imperfections in the ad, including distorted toys and unnatural character movements, saw some describe it as repulsive, ghoulish and even soulless.
The risk
While it’s easy to be lulled into a false sense of security by the authoritativeness of AI (hello super-fast answers and a commanding delivery), your business is unique. Something that draws on general information for its intelligence is never going to give you the nuance, individuality and originality your specific business deserves.
Not to mention it could also give your competitors exactly the same suggestions if they asked it the same questions. If you’re considering PR it’s because you want to stand out, so why start on the back foot with generic content that, far from standing out, will only make you fade into the background? Not the place you want to be in a competitive market.
Think about it. Your brand is the heart of your business, the reason your customers choose you over your competitors. It encapsulates your business’ unique selling points and key messages, and holds the feelings and memories every customer associates with your brand when they hear its name. This is personal and individual. But AI can’t do that – it runs a group think based on the best available information (and by “best available” we mean from sources that have consented to its mining their data – many haven’t).
Group think dilutes creativity, plays it safe and reaches for the known (what’s worked for others) rather than thinking outside-the-box and embracing the potential of the unknown (what could work for you). If something hasn’t been done before, AI isn’t going to suggest it (remember, it can’t think – it can only draw on what’s already there). If you want to differentiate yourself, then you need to think differently. Rely too much on AI and you risk homogenising your messaging and losing your brand personality.
For fashion brand Mango, this reminder came in 2024 when it began using AI-generated models in advertising campaigns. It didn’t go down well. While, yes, the clothes looked beautiful on these models, customers questioned how they could accurately judge the fit of clothes, and their real-world application, if the models in the images weren’t real. Some even accused the brand of false advertising. The key takeaway? Over-reliance on AI can lead to a lack of trust and, if audiences can’t trust your brand, why would they choose your business over your competitors?
The need-to-knows
Authentic and original content is always what sells. If you’re going to use AI, then make sure it’s as a co-pilot, not the driver:
1. Be specific in your prompts to ensure content aligns with your brand voice – not “professional and friendly” but specifically, how opinionated are you? Is your humour dry or playful? Do you like to provoke or do you prefer a more measured tone?
2. Use AI for structure, not soul – while AI can summarise complex ideas, generate news hooks or review draft content for you, humans connect with humans. The overarching narrative of your content should always be human-centred and reflect real-life lived experience.
3. Fill AI content with first-hand insights (“what we’re seeing is…”), concrete examples (not generic claims), clear viewpoints and genuine quotes – vague, over-polished copy is easily recognisable as AI, so use details to make it real and credible.
4. Don’t be too smooth – humans aren’t perfect, and neither are their sentences, so copy should reflect that. Keep your audience front of mind – does the content speak to them and tell them something new? Or is it just a fancy-sounding, but bland, soundbite?
5. Ask yourself: could this content be attributed to a competitor? If the answer is yes, it needs more personality.
The most important thing to remember is AI is not infallible and it can’t replace strategic human oversight. If AI makes mistakes, especially in PR, you’re risking your reputation, your brand and potentially your business, which is why you always need a human professional at the wheel. So, tread carefully. From a legal, cultural and ethical perspective, check, check and check AI-generated content again.
Pakistan’s English daily newspaper, Dawn, learnt the hard way in November 2025. The newspaper went to print with an article in its business section completely written by AI. How do we know? Because the newspaper also left in the ChatGPT prompt offering to “…create an even snappier ‘front-page style’ version with punchy one-line stats and a bold, infographic-ready layout perfect for maximum reader impact.” Needless to say, the backlash was immediate – the newspaper was trolled, the blunder was covered by publications across Asia, it went viral on social media, triggered a debate about journalistic ethics, and the newspaper even had to issue an editor’s note admitting the article violated its AI policy. While AI might speed up work, its faux-pas’ can also spark reputational damage – and it’s your business that will shoulder the blame for mistakes.
The final verdict
From cutting down research time to providing a second pair of eyes on a piece of written content, AI can genuinely be useful. That usefulness, however, has a limit – and when AI moves from a supportive to a leading role, you’ve reached it. We’re not saying don’t use AI, we’re saying use it well. Don’t look at what it produces (whether information, ideas or content) as the finished product, look at it as a starting point – one you can then build on with your own expertise. Your messaging, your way, for your business. With a little help from your co-pilot.
Becca Krug
