If you’ve not heard of OpenAI’s ChatGPT or the growing use of artificial intelligence tools by big players like Microsoft, you’ve been living under a rock.
It seems like artificial intelligence (AI) is all people are talking about at the moment, and, as this technology advances, it’s no surprise that PR professionals and content creators are now starting to wonder: will AI take my job? Reports like the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ on the impact of AI on public relations (PR) practice have further sparked this debate, as they suggest that AI’s impact has been limited in previous years but is now set to explode.
If you’re one of those worried professionals, the good news is that the answer is no – AI won’t take your job. At least, not entirely. AI will change the way we work, and it can also help us improve our capabilities.
As PR professionals and content creators, we have a talent for crafting narratives that captivate audiences, using data and intuition to make informed decisions. I recently put ChatGPT to the test and asked it to create an award entry, providing lots of pointers to ensure the platform had sufficient information. The result? Nothing ground-breaking. While it did provide some useful pointers that sped up the entire structure building of the award entry, its output failed to grab my attention at the beginning. As we know, to win an award, your entry needs to grab the attention of the reader quickly, which requires good creative writing skills and a clear ability to get to the point.
Confession: I also asked ChatGPT to help write this article. I have to say, it provided me with a great base and some language that I’ve incorporated – so thanks ChatGPT! In fact, I recently had discussions with a few colleagues who are non-native English speakers and they confessed they have found it extremely useful for grammar-checking content they have produced. I can already predict that this tool could help save a lot of time for team leads on simple or mundane tasks like proofreading documents and emails.
The point is, while these AI tools are not perfect, they are also not the enemy. Rather, they can help us enhance and streamline our work. Human oversight and decision-making are also crucial in the use of AI to ensure that the results are accurate and ethical.
Real-world examples of AI in action in the PR and communications industry include media analysis and monitoring to identify trends and sentiments (keeping in mind ChatGPT’s data search is limited to 2021), as well as predicting potential crises before they occur. AI can also generate base content such as press releases, blogs and social media posts, but they still require a lot of human input to enhance the content and ensure the messaging is correct.
That being said, it is important to acknowledge the limitations of AI. While AI has huge benefits in driving efficiencies and helping us demonstrate the value and effectiveness of our work, the work we do is ultimately built on personal relationships and human-to-human connection.Often, AI algorithms can be biased, so we need to exercise caution when using them.
We should welcome the advantages of AI as a tool that can help us optimise our time and resources. By automating certain tasks and processes, we can free up our time to focus on more strategic and creative work. However, we must also recognise that the value we bring to our clients extends beyond the purely analytical or technical. Our emotional intelligence and ability to navigate complex interpersonal dynamics are essential to building and maintaining strong relationships. While AI may enhance our work, it cannot replace the human touch that we bring to our interactions.
So, in conclusion: AI is not going to take our jobs, but it will change them. While we acknowledge the limitations of AI, we should also be excited about the possibilities it offers. By combining our skills and expertise with AI, we can deliver better results for our clients and ourselves.
Keen to learn more about the latest trends and developments in PR and communication? Read Sinclair’s insights articles here.
Nikki McLucas
