Embracing the transformative power of AI

In this edition of the Innovation Hub Series, we invited Alicja Bors from Ruepoint to put on her fortune teller’s hat and share her predictions on what AI might do for PR. Returning from the ICCO Global Summit, held in October in Warsaw, Poland – she also shares some insights from panels during the event.

What are your predictions? Did you attend an inspiring event and want to share your learnings and thoughts? Reach out to the Innovation Hub Series editors here.

By Alicja Bors,

Product Lead at Ruepoint

I represented Ruepoint at the 2023 ICCO Global Summit in Warsaw, an event featuring many AMEC members and friends. One of the highlights of the PR event season, the summit focused on the key challenges the sector is facing in the current age of generative AI and geopolitical shifts.

During one of the panels, a presenter shared the surprising results of a survey on the state of AI and media relations. Only 28% of the respondents said that they are already using generative AI, while the rest either planned to explore it or expressed their uncertainty. Additionally, 15% of respondents indicated that they have no intention of exploring generative AI at all.

The survey also revealed that more than half of PR professionals have concerns about using AI-generated content without a thorough review. They worry about its potential impact on newer PR practitioners and the misconception that AI can entirely replace human content creators. There are also ethical considerations and risks (that I wrote more about in this blog post) that must be acknowledged.

While these concerns are valid, the opposite is also true – “AI anxiety” could cause the PR industry to fall behind what the market expects from us all, i.e., to be more creative, more cost-efficient and get things done faster, to get better at solving formally unsolvable problems. The industry should be looking beyond task automation when it comes to the possibilities AI presents and focus on the transformative capabilities it has.

In this article I would like to get the readers excited about AI by putting on the fortune teller’s hat and predicting what AI might do for PR professionals in the (possibly not-so-distant) future, thus showing why it’s worth acquainting with and befriending this technology right now.

The future of AI in the Communications industry is filled with exciting possibilities. Here are a few potential uses of AI that may not be popular now, but could become prominent in the future:

1. Sentiment analysis of multimedia content: Currently, AI is used to analyse text-based content to determine sentiment. However, as advancements in AI continue, there is a potential for sentiment analysis to extend to multimedia content, such as images and videos. AI algorithms can be designed to recognize emotions and extract sentiment from visual and auditory cues, providing PR professionals with a more comprehensive understanding of public sentiment towards their brand.

Brand monitoring aside, wouldn’t it be great if AI not only generated text, but also assisted PR professionals in selecting the right sound and visual elements based on the reactions we aim to evoke with the campaign?

 

2. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences: As VR and AR technologies continue to improve, PR professionals can use AI to enhance user experiences. AI algorithms can analyse user preferences and behaviours to create personalized and immersive VR/AR experiences. For example, AI can generate virtual press conferences or AR advertisements tailored to individual users, providing a more engaging and interactive experience. Imagine a world where you slip on your AR glasses, and as you walk down the street, AI-powered advertisements seamlessly blend into your surroundings. These ads aren’t generic; they’re crafted to match your preferences and location.

In similar fashion, consider attending a virtual press conference where the AI ensures that the content and interactions are customized to your interests and previous engagement with the brand. This is the power of AI-driven personalization in the realm of VR and AR experiences, where technology transforms mundane interactions into captivating and personalized adventures.

3. Crisis management and prediction: AI can play a significant role in predicting and managing potential crises. By analysing substantial amounts of data from various sources, including social media and news platforms, AI algorithms can identify patterns and detect early warning signs of potential crises. This enables PR professionals to take preventive measures to mitigate and manage issues before they escalate.

Consider a global fast-food chain that uses AI-driven crisis prediction. The AI system continuously monitors social media, news reports, and customer feedback across its numerous locations. One day, the AI detects a sudden spike in negative comments and food quality complaints related to a particular branch. It also identifies a pattern of similar incidents in other locations that preceded serious brand damage. Thanks to these early warning signs, the PR team can swiftly investigate the issue, address the food quality problem, and communicate proactively with concerned customers. In doing so, they prevent a potential crisis, ensuring the brand’s reputation remains intact and customers feel heard and valued.

4. Influencer identification and management: Identifying the right influencers to promote a brand or product can be a time-consuming task. AI can assist in streamlining this process by analysing social media data, user engagement rates, and other relevant factors to identify the most suitable influencers for a particular campaign. AI-powered tools can also help to manage influencer relationships by automating communication, tracking performance, and measuring the impact of influencer collaborations. In conjunction with Crisis Management and Prediction tools, the brand can also swiftly respond to any influencer behaviours that could potentially harm the brand.

A similar mechanism can be used to search for journalists who might be interested in our press release. AI could analyse a journalist’s body of work and tailor the press release title and content to align with their interests, increasing the chances of publication.

5. AI assistants: We are all familiar with website chatbots that can answer the most common questions about available products or services. But what if it could track our activity on the platform, identify the areas where we encounter difficulties and then offer solutions? It could even respond to the specific data we are working on, delivering information and guidance tailored to particular projects. And what if it could accurately record a conversation and “remember” a customer to later help them recreate similar output? This would significantly shorten the time spent on report creation and allow the analysts to focus on drawing insights from the presented data.

A different role I can imagine for an AI assistant is a sparring partner to aid you while preparing a pitch for a client. Or else helping managers playing a devil’s advocate, and helping them prepare for talks with senior leadership, potentially saving time and improving insights.

These are just a few examples of the future uses of AI in the PR and Communications industry. As technology continues to evolve, we can expect further innovations that will revolutionise the way PR professionals work and interact with their audiences. It can make us better at our jobs, more efficient and effective and free our time for creative thinking. By staying informed and embracing these advancements, PR professionals can harness the full potential of AI to enhance their strategies and drive successful communication campaigns. This doesn’t mean that professionals have to be tech experts – instead, they should gain a basic understanding of AI’s current and future applications to provide informed advice to their clients and partners and stay ahead of the competition.

Saying all this it’s important to mention that I see AI as a catalyst for progress, but I firmly believe that human expertise and intuition remain irreplaceable. AI should play a co-piloting role, rather than taking the centre stage. Especially in field of communication where human to human connections and emotions will always be the main focus. So, as we move forward, AI becomes an indispensable ally, ensuring that our potential to deliver a real value for costumers is maximised.