AI Is Changing Public Relations — Here's How to Stay in Control
Artificial intelligence is altering public relations by changing how brands are found and portrayed online. As AI tools increasingly influence what information appears in search results and summaries, PR professionals need to adapt their strategies to maintain control over their brand’s narrative.
Why AI Matters for PR
Recently, researching a client caught up in a PR crisis required gathering comprehensive information fast. Traditionally, this meant manually scanning multiple sources — websites, news, social media, reviews, forums — which could take hours. Today, AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok can summarize public data in seconds, providing quick snapshots that save time.
However, these AI models don’t just present facts; they interpret and summarize information based on data from across the web. This means your brand is now filtered through machine learning systems, not just human eyes. While AI can be powerful, it’s also prone to errors, known as hallucinations, where it generates false or misleading information.
Examples of AI Hallucinations
- Claims that Gouda is the best-selling cheese in the U.S.
- Suggestions to add non-toxic glue to pizza to keep cheese from sliding off
- Recommendations that drinking urine helps treat kidney stones
These examples may sound absurd, but they highlight a real risk: AI can spread incorrect information quickly and widely. Even on less extreme topics, factual errors slip through. For instance, an AI tool once incorrectly summarized a Marine veteran as having served in the Army Airborne.
Why Your Brand’s AI Presence Matters
As people rely more on AI-generated summaries instead of traditional search results, the accuracy and visibility of your brand within these models become crucial. You want your brand to be correctly represented and to appear prominently in AI-generated answers — especially in industry-related contexts.
How to Influence AI Representations
Simply feeding AI your preferred narrative won’t work. These models prioritize information from trusted and credible sources. Your official website helps, but third-party credibility carries more weight. This makes high-quality editorial media coverage the most effective tool in modern PR.
There are two main elements to focus on:
- Editorial Features: Stories in reputable media outlets that quote or spotlight your work. These carry significant trust signals because they require effort and validation to publish. The more your expertise shapes a story, the stronger the signal to AI systems.
- Press Releases: While press releases are easier to publish, they undergo some editorial screening and can prompt journalists to cover your story further. However, their influence is more limited compared to earned editorial content.
Interviews and contributor articles offer opportunities to share deeper insights and increase your chances of appearing prominently in AI summaries.
Text-Based Content Still Holds the Most Influence
AI models pull data from various formats — text, audio, video — but text-based articles deliver the quickest and most reliable impact when shaping AI outputs. Prioritize producing and securing comprehensive written content to improve your brand’s AI presence.
Bottom Line for PR Professionals
AI is reshaping public relations, but the core principle remains: earn quality media coverage. Now, those media features serve a dual purpose — reaching human audiences and influencing the AI systems that shape public perception. Brands that act on this can maintain control and gain a long-term advantage. Those that don’t risk being overlooked by both people and AI.
To learn more about how AI tools can assist in PR and communications, explore AI tool databases and specialized training courses tailored for communication professionals.
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