Is PR back in the reckoning in the age of AI?

 At a time when brands can easily simulate seemingly high quality content almost at will thanks to AI, one would have thought that PR as an industry was on its last legs, but actually the reverse is true. That is because people have got so used to the easy availability of AI-generated articles, press releases, e-books, blogs, social media posts, newsletters and marketing literature that they have started valuing it less and less and, in the process, lost much trust and faith in it.

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PR can step in and restore the lost credibility and trust on account of people having to wade through reams of high-sounding content lacking soul, connection and above all honesty. Let us look at the factors that have helped put the focus back on it in the age of AI.

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Trust vs Visibility

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It may be very easy and convenient for founders, CEOs and marketers to generate visibility with the help of AI tools, without using the services of a PR agency or professional,  but the question is whether they will be equally good at generating the required trust as well. The only way that businesses can earn the genuine trust of their target audiences is by obtaining credible media coverage and third party validation.

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Earned Media in the Age of AI

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You cannot escape AI-generated ads and other forms of promotional content, even if you wanted to. But as to how much good this kind of omnipresent content does for a brand is anyone’s guess. In a scenario such as this, if a brand is mentioned in a credible and well-regarded publication, it will be viewed with favour by the intended target audience. That is because they know it is not the company blowing its own trumpet, but the merit of the product or service in question being found worthy of coverage by an independent and neutral medium of content dissemination. According to the Muck Rack State of PR 2026 report 55% of surveyed PR professionals stated that obtaining coverage in high authority websites as their foremost tactic for enhancing AI visibility.

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AI Search is all Important

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Many believe AI search is fast replacing good old Google Search as the default means of online search for most people. That may or may not come to pass, but it is true that large numbers of people would rather use an AI platform like ChatGPT, Claude and Google Gemini than the traditional search engines to obtain information about products, services, companies, businesses and everything under the sun. Any such information that AI systems come across on respectable websites and media platforms has a direct bearing on how any organisation or individual is portrayed in AI generated answers. This is something that PR professionals are best equipped to help their clients excel at. It is not surprising, therefore, that nearly 73% of PR professionals agree that Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO, the ability to make content easier for AI systems to discover), is at least a somewhat important part of their communications strategy, according to the same report.

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Reputation Management in the Age of AI is best left to PR Professionals.

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As efficient as AI is in creating content aimed at advocating the cause of an organisation or promoting the products and services of a business, it is just as easily susceptible to misuse, leading to immense reputational damage for such entities. There are so many instances of fake statements, morphed images and deepfakes negatively impacting the reputation of organisations, individuals and businesses around the world.

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This is where experienced PR professionals can step up to the plate and help in zeroing in on content devised to cause reputational damage and effectively deal with and neutralise it. They can expertly communicate with the relevant stakeholders of a business and help in shaping the required narrative on behalf of a business which speaks to the latter’s core objectives. A PR professional would know exactly when to respond to reputation-damaging content and how best to do that and with whom. They would also know when not to respond. In essence they possess the wherewithal to help a business restore its reputation and win back the confidence of its stakeholders.

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PR 2.0

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PR 2.0 is not about reinventing the wheel as far as PR is concerned, but giving it a makeover that lets it prove its worth in a digital world that is turning to AI in a major and comprehensive manner. What is noteworthy is that in addition to advocating to human audiences via media coverage, it also interfaces with AI systems by helping credible information find its way into leading digital publications.

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The PR practitioner of today has to don several roles- that of a communications strategist, a reputation restorer and enhancer, a content specialist who is also an AI visibility consultant and a corporate storyteller extraordinaire. Besides, their ability to give rise to thought leaders and their adeptness at crisis communication make them indispensable for companies, brands and individuals desirous of communicating effectively with their target audiences.

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PR can indeed be the growth engine of productivity in the age of AI. Technology may be able to manifest visibility at scale, but it is PR that can manifest enduring trust and credibility as well as help foster relationships that matter.