Curiosity, Control, and GEO: How PR Pros Adopt AI Without Losing Their Voice

AI in PR: Curiosity with Control

Tue., Sep. 16, 2025

Artificial intelligence is changing how communications teams work, but adoption works best with a blend of experimentation and restraint. On PR's Top Pros Talk, Moon Kim, Executive Vice President and Corporate Practice Lead at M Booth, spoke with host Doug Simon, CEO of D S Simon Media, about practical ways to get value from AI without losing the human edge.

Stay curious, but keep your hands on the wheel

Moon's first rule is simple: use AI often enough to build judgment. "Stay curious and schedule play time with AI," she said. "Make sure you're still at the driver's seat and not over-relying on AI."

That time isn't just for tinkering. It's for learning where AI helps, where it hurts, and how to guide it.

Inputs determine outcomes

Moon framed AI quality as a prompt and briefing problem: "It's all about good input begets great output." When teams provide clear structure, tone, audience, and examples, AI can deliver "gold star work, consistently and at scale without the burnout."

Translation for PR teams: treat prompts like creative briefs. Show an outline, paste a writing sample, define voice, share must-include facts, and state constraints.

From SEO to GEO: why earned media matters more

As search shifts toward generative AI optimization (GEO), brand visibility depends on what AI systems find and summarize. Moon's take: earned coverage is the source material. "Earned media has become even more valuable in the era of AI... because those are actually where AI is scraping information."

She referenced research showing certain outlets, like Axios, are frequently cited by AI. Press releases are also regaining importance as structured, brand-controlled sources. For more on GEO, see this explainer from Search Engine Land here, and a view of which outlets AI often cites from Nieman Lab here.

AI anxiety is normal-and useful

Moon acknowledged the tension many feel. Anxiety can push better thinking if you don't hand over your authority. "Don't let AI be a crutch," she warned. Overreliance produces "sameness output" where audiences can tell the human voice is missing.

Skills first, tools second

Moon shared a conversation with an account coordinator who insists on doing the work first, then checking with AI. She called it "very noble." The point: build fundamentals so judgment stays sharp as tools get better.

Client policies, disclosure, and reputation in AI answers

Some clients restrict AI use with proprietary information. Know each policy and set clear guardrails. Moon also urged transparency about how teams use AI.

Her team now assesses how a brand "shows up" in AI responses compared to competitors-an emerging layer of reputation management that belongs in pitch and planning conversations.

A personal lesson: reps build resilience

Early in her New York career, Moon volunteered as a docent at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum to push past a fear of public speaking. The experience built resilience, adaptability, and curiosity-the same traits that help teams succeed with AI today. As she put it: "Stay agile, stay curious, stay flexible."

Your PR AI playbook

• Block weekly "AI play time" to test prompts, compare outputs, and log what works.
• Create prompt templates: structure, tone, audience, examples, constraints, and fact sources.
• Double down on earned media. Target outlets AI is likely to reference; publish accurate, quotable facts.
• Upgrade press releases: clear headlines, bullets, quotes, data, and links to source docs.
• Plan for GEO. Track how generative systems answer key queries about your brand and competitors.
• Set guardrails: client policy matrix, usage disclosure, data privacy rules, and human review.
• Protect the voice: use AI for drafts and options, then edit for perspective and precision.

Explore practical training to accelerate your team's AI workflow: curated AI courses by job here and prompt engineering resources here.

Watch more conversations in the PR's Top Pros Talk series. Interested in taking part? Contact Doug Simon at dougs@dssimonmedia.com.