There’s no denying it: artificial intelligence (AI) is here to stay and will continue to impact the world of public relations—among most other industries.
As an expert in PR consulting, I’ve seen firsthand how tools like ChatGPT have been put to smart use over the past few years. At the same time, I’ve heard from many who are understandably concerned about the ethical implications of using AI for PR purposes.
Let’s take an honest look at AI’s benefits and risks for public relations before reviewing some best practices for making the most of AI-driven technologies in an ethical manner.
The Benefits and Risks of AI-Driven PR
I’m convinced that AI tools like ChatGPT are wonderful resources that PR professionals can draw on to spark creativity across a range of formats, including:
- Written content: Whether I’m offering PR consulting or crisis management services to my clients, ChatGPT helps me to conduct research, brainstorm ideas, draft outlines, and generate templates.
- Video generation and storyboarding: Tools like Fliki, HeyGen, and CapCut provide shortcuts for generating and editing videos and storyboards.
- Image creation: Users can rely on Ideogram, Gamma, and Midjourney to support their visual content needs, including social media images or slide decks.
- SEO: Interested in SEO but not sure you can afford it? SEO Writing and MarketMuse offer ways of analyzing and improving your website’s SEO performance.
Having used many of these tools in various contexts, I can attest how much time and money they can save PR professionals. These experiences have also taught me something important: that AI is a supplement—and not a substitute—for human creativity and authenticity. (More on this later!)
Unfortunately, AI tools aren’t without their risks. Because large language models like ChatGPT draw on invisible datasets to generate text, for instance, they can lead users to unknowingly perpetuate biases, misinformation, and conspiracy theories or even break copyright law. Worse still, bad actors can use these tools to produce “deep fakes,” which some see as threats to democracy itself.
While these risks are among the most sinister, AI-driven public relations also has another serious side-effect: it often makes brand voices bland and even indistinguishable from one another.
Thankfully, PR professionals can follow a few best practices to make their content really stand out in the crowd.
3 Best Practices for Ethical AI Use in Public Relations
As the head of Goodwin Consulting, I know the value of using AI in public relations. At the same time, it’s clear that AI is no match for human-led judgment and creativity.
With that in mind, communicators can look to three best practices that will help them ethically leverage AI to complement their public relations or marketing strategy—all without becoming overly reliant on it.
1. Maintain your brand’s voice
The primary goal of every PR strategy is to maintain a brand or individual’s voice. While AI tools like ChatGPT are capable of generating content that sounds “good,” this same content often feels completely devoid of personality, which is a huge problem given how much audiences today crave authenticity.
Whether you’re writing email campaigns, a product description, or a press release, never pawn AI-generated content off as your own. Instead, use these tools to spark your own creativity by generating draft plans, preliminary research, or title ideas (but never for anything that might contain confidential information)! From there, edit that content yourself to give it that essential human touch.
2. Don’t forget to fact-check
If stories about AI and misinformation have taught us anything, it’s that AI-driven technologies aren’t infallible. When using AI for public relations work, remember:
- Maintain a healthy degree of skepticism—never take AI output as truth
- Always fact-check and verify any information generated by AI
- Always verify sources that AI provides
- Ensure your AI content isn’t violating copyright claims or the privacy of individuals or larger organizations
At Goodwin, for example, our policy is to never let AI have the last word. Similarly, if it’s your PR strategy, project, or content, the buck needs to stop with you—not with a machine!
3. Be proactive about your corporate AI policy
In weighing the advantages and risks of AI, leaders from PR consulting to marketing have begun rolling out corporate AI policies. This practice does more than help these organizations adapt to new regulations. Because the ethics of AI represents the next frontier of corporate responsibility, these moves are also critical to bolstering a brand’s image.
In addition to establishing ethical guardrails to steer employees toward AI’s benefits and away from its dangers, companies must clearly communicate those policies to teams. In other words, responsible AI use starts with a smart internal PR strategy.
Get Ready to Adapt—AI Regulation Is Just Around the Corner
It’s not just PR professionals who are coming face-to-face with the pros and cons of AI. The developers of these technologies have begun publicly calling for the ethical use of their tools. Even the United States government has voiced concern, with President Biden issuing an executive order on the subject, meaning AI regulation is likely soon to follow. In some places, like the EU, it’s already here.
In light of these developments, it can be hard to strike a balance between healthy skepticism and responsible use of AI. How are you and your company using these technologies? And what are you doing to ensure that that use remains ethical?
