Balancing AI Power with Human Touch in PR
AI is getting more powerful by the day. We love seeing it because it’s making us more effective for our clients and letting us get more done more quickly. These technologies are fantastic for public relations and marketing.
In some cases, this is prompting people to ask why they even need an external PR firm. It’s a fair question.
First, every business executive with responsibility for a P&L has a responsibility to employ the most affordable set of resources to achieve company objectives. In some cases, that means an internal team with new tools and some training. In others, it means choosing the right agency (but when hasn’t that been important).
I won’t use this space to argue that companies would do better by hiring RGA PR. Most companies won’t. We cater to a very specific set of clients. If you have the internal resources to use new AI tools without the support of an outside partner and still achieve your goals, you should do it.
If you’re working with an agency, find out how they are using AI. Hint: they should say, “early and often.” But here’s the key: while AI can enhance PR, it should never replace the human element.
Where AI Fits in PR
AI excels at automation and data analysis. If you need to scan thousands of media outlets for brand mentions? AI tools can do it in seconds. Want to understand which topics are trending or when to post content for maximum engagement? AI can deliver insights.
We regularly use AI to streamline workflows, enhance media targeting, and analyze messaging effectiveness. These tools help us move faster and smarter. What previously took hours or days to plan, create, deploy, and measure can now be done in minutes or hours.
But AI has limits, especially in highly regulated industries where what you say publicly can be used against you. While these tools are good at telling you what everyone else is saying, unless your model is very well trained, it won’t be effective at telling you how to differentiate your voice in the marketplace.
As more companies begin to rely on AI for their content, more of the content your prospects see will start to sound the same. In fact, we’re already starting to see that.
This graph comes from Joe Lazer’s The Storytelling Edge newsletter. It demonstrates exactly what we’re seeing in the market today in terms of content marketing value. He calls it the “Vortez of Mid,” which is brilliant.
The value of quality content is still rising, even though the cost of developing it, thanks to AI, is falling. But if you just shove a prompt into an AI chatbot, the value of the content you get back is quickly approaching zero.
Why the Human Touch Still Matters
There are a number of reasons this is happening. First and foremost, people who rely on AI to develop their content will get back a watered-down summary of what everyone else has said on the topic in the past.
Why would anyone do this if they have experienced subject matter experts they can interview? Get the transcript and then feed it into AI to smooth it out, if you need to. You can even go to AI to get good interview questions. But don’t let it come up with the content for you, unless you’re satisfied with mediocre content.
Once you have the content, you need it to connect with your target publics. Public relations is, at its core, about relationships. Relationships with journalists, audiences, and stakeholders. These relationships require empathy, creativity, and judgment.
AI can draft a press release, but it still struggles to identify the unique angle that will resonate with your audience.
AI also struggles with context. It can summarize content, but it can’t tell you if the timing is right for your message or how to adjust your tone for a sensitive topic. It’s coming.
One day, AI will be capable of doing all of this and much more on its own, but it’s not there yet.
But that should not keep your team from embracing it, either internally or through your agency of choice.
Just remember, relying solely on AI risks sounding robotic or generic. It opens up the company to potential compliance violations and can make your offering sound pretty much like everyone else’s.
Using AI thoughtfully can give your team more time and headspace to focus on what matters most: connecting with people.
We help clients build PR strategies that are tech-enabled and human-powered. That means combining AI tools with experienced storytellers, media strategists, and content creators. Contact us today to find out more about how we do that and how you can start making better use of AI in your own business today.
