Every few months, there’s a fresh wave of panic that AI is taking over. Reports claim robots are writing press releases, generating social media captions and even responding to journalists.
But how much of it is hype, and how much is actually happening?
Right now, AI is being used across marketing and PR, but not in the way some might think. Studies show that over 80% of marketing professionals already integrate AI tools into their work, mostly for automation, data analysis, and content generation.
In PR, around 60% of industry experts say AI is useful for research and media monitoring, yet only 15% believe it can effectively handle complex storytelling. When it comes to social media, AI-generated posts see lower engagement rates than human-written ones, proving that audiences can still tell the difference.
A report from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations found that while 28% of PR tasks could be at risk of automation in the next five years, the areas most impacted will be admin-heavy roles like reporting, keyword research, and media list creation. The more strategic and creative side of PR – campaign planning, crisis management, relationship-building – is still very much a human job.
AI can speed up some processes. It can summarise reports, suggest content and track trends at a scale no human could manage. But can it read a room? Can it understand sarcasm? Can it adjust a campaign in real-time based on a cultural moment? The numbers say no.
A 2023 survey of journalists revealed that 73% are hesitant to use AI-generated press releases because they lack depth and personality. Another study found that 49% of consumers are less likely to trust brands that rely on AI for customer interactions, showing that when it comes to connection and credibility, automation still falls short.
So while AI is changing the way PR and social teams work, it’s not replacing them. Until robots can build relationships, land the perfect one-liner, and handle a crisis without making things worse, they won’t be running the show anytime soon.
