As communicators commemorated World PR Day under the theme “The Golden Age of Strategic PR,” attention fell on artificial intelligence. What began as a productivity tool has become a strategic partner, reshaping the gathering of insights and crafting of messages.
Data from Muck Rack’s 2026 report shows 76 per cent of PR practitioners are using generative AI – a level that has steadied after rapid early growth. It is easy to understand AI’s hype and appeal: speed, scale, and the ability to distill complex ideas into clear language.
In newsrooms and agencies alike, AI helps accelerate research that surfaces patterns in media coverage, simulates how messages might land and rote tasks that consume valuable time for pros looking to focus on high-level advice and execution.
That said, discussions reveal caution: AI is a powerful assistant, not an oracle. It’s still building critical intuition needed to navigate cultural sensitivities, ethical dilemmas or fast-moving crises.
The real test is not if practitioners embrace AI, but whether they do so without surrendering the judgment that defines the profession. This raises challenges that strike a pervasive balance – building forward-thinking teams that experiment with AI as a learning, thinking partner that can, for instance, model market scenarios or analyse competitor narratives – while embedding human review to guard against shallow insights.
Organisations should invest in identifying training gaps, data privacy concerns and the risk of over-reliance.
An emerging front is Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO). As AI-powered search tools increasingly answer questions directly and influence purchasing decisions, visibility now depends on organisations retooling their content to be AI-friendly and get cited as a trusted source. PR teams should retool earned media and thought leadership into authoritative, well-structured content and genuine expertise. Media monitoring, comms audits and measurement stand to gain from AI-driven insights.
Critics point to risks that demand human oversight. Generative tools can hallucinate facts, amplify biases or produce plausible-sounding misinformation. Ethical lapses embarrass and erode the trust PR exists to build. While strategic roles may rise, entry-level and tactical positions face pressure, as AI commoditises routine tasks.
The flipside is that demand is growing for professionals who can blend data with empathy, creativity and ethical counsel. The most effective teams treat AI as a collaborator. The message is one of cautious optimism. AI is rewriting the rules, but it has not rewritten the need for human wisdom. The golden age is here. Whether it truly shines depends on how wisely we navigate this space.
The writer is a PR Manager at Ascent Group
