I’ve been thinking a lot recently about AI in PR.
Mainly because, well, it’s really useful.
I use it myself. It helps speed things up, organise ideas, structure information, pull together research, tidy up notes and get through admin much faster. It will even help me with the SEO for this very blog post (thanks!) And that’s brilliant.
But the more I use it, the more I keep coming back to the same thing: the best PR still relies on people.
Not because AI isn’t clever. It is. But PR isn’t just information exchange. It’s human communication and relationship building.
There are a few things I still think good PR people do, that AI can’t replicate (just yet).
1. Building relationships still matters in AI in PR
This is probably the biggest one and the thing we’ll keep coming back to. A big part of doing PR well is understanding the people you’re talking to.
You learn which journalists prefer things short and direct. Who likes a joke. Who hates overly polished PR language. Who will miss an email but reply instantly to a text message, WhatsApp or Instagram DM.
You learn when not to pitch. Which days their inboxes are chaos. When they’re open to chatting. Even details about their families, holidays, working patterns and what they enjoy outside work. It all builds a picture.
For PR people, journalists are often our first audience and understanding how they work is a huge part of doing the job well.
AI can help draft an email, but it doesn’t really know your relationship with that person. And for us, a lot of PR success still comes from relationships built over years.
2. AI in PR can research, but humans still join the dots
AI is good at finding existing information.
But one thing I still think humans do better is spotting unexpected connections.
PR people consume media constantly. We read features, listen to podcasts, scroll Instagram, overhear conversations, notice trends and absorb….all day long.
Sometimes the best idea for a food or drink brand comes from reading something completely unrelated. A travel feature. A parenting article. A sports story. Even a dog competition.
That sideways thinking is often where the strongest ideas come from.
AI can analyse what already exists, but humans are still much better at connecting ideas, people and stories.
3. Thoughtfulness and personality still matter in PR
There’s also the human side of PR that people remember.
A handwritten note. A birthday bunch of flowers.
Sending someone their favourite mixer with a bottle of gin because you know they love it.
Remembering something small they mentioned months ago.
Putting together a sample that feels personal rather than mass-produced.
Those little details still matter because people remember how you made them feel.
4. Why face-to-face communication still matters in AI in PR
PR has become much more digital over the years.
There are fewer long phone calls, fewer coffees and fewer press lunches (shame!) than there used to be. Even less press events.
But whenever you do meet face-to-face, you nearly always get more from it.
You share stories behind the brand. You bounce ideas around naturally. Conversations about future features, collaborations and angles nobody had thought of before. You have time, maybe not much but much more than a 300 word email.
That chemistry is hard to recreate online.
5. Human judgement is still important in AI in PR
This is probably the hardest thing to explain, but experienced PR people know it instantly.
Sometimes it’s knowing not to send the email. Sometimes it’s knowing a story isn’t ready yet. Sometimes it’s understanding that a pitch technically works, but doesn’t feel right for that journalist, publication or moment.
AI can help generate ideas, but judgement still matters.
And I think that’s probably where the “human in the loop” part comes in.
Final thoughts on AI in PR
AI is already a brilliant tool for PR and I think most agencies now use it in some form.
But the best communications work still comes from people who understand relationships, timing, culture and human connection.
That’s probably the bit we need to hold (or cling) onto.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Hannah