The AI shift in PR: What Microsoft's latest study means for communications pros
Originally published Aug. 4, 2025. Republished as part of our countdown of top stories of the year.
PR is changing fast. A corrected Microsoft Research study, built on 200,000 real AI conversations, shows exactly where the ground is moving - and how far.
The numbers that matter
Language-heavy jobs sit at the top of AI applicability. Interpreters and translators rank No. 1 with a score of 0.49 - a clear sign that AI handles language processing and cross-cultural communication with ease.
Public relations specialists rank No. 23 at 0.36, representing 275,550 professionals. The wider category - media and communication workers - ranks No. 1 among all occupational groups at 0.39, affecting more than 602,000 people.
Translation: PR sits in the bullseye. Your daily tasks line up with what AI already does well.
Why PR work is exposed
- Information gathering and research: AI posts high success rates here. Sourcing background, building media lists, and scanning competitor activity are time sinks that AI reduces to minutes.
- Writing and content creation: Writers rank No. 5 at 0.45. Press releases, pitches, social copy, FAQs, talking points - AI drafts passable versions on command.
- Advisory and communication support: The study shows strong performance in coaching and advisory tasks, which touch media relations, stakeholder updates, and client prep.
One more point: the correlation between AI applicability and wages is weak (r=0.07). High exposure doesn't automatically mean lower pay or fewer jobs. It means the work changes.
Where humans win
- Strategic counsel: AI can't read stakeholder politics, weigh tradeoffs in a crisis, or sense when silence beats a statement.
- Relationships and trust: Sourcing, pitching, and maintaining credibility with journalists is human. So is reading the room and knowing when to push or pause.
- Creative problem-solving: Messy issues need judgment, ethics, and synthesis across functions. That's on you.
What to automate right now
- Media monitoring and analysis: Track mentions across thousands of sources, flag sentiment trends, and surface issues early.
- Content personalization: Tailor pitches by journalist history and audience segments with dynamic templates.
- Crisis response: Spin up first-draft statements, monitor social in real time, and reference similar past cases.
- Performance analytics: Grade coverage quality, channel mix, and message pull-through with clear ROI signals.
Your three-step plan
- Treat AI as a teammate: Offload first drafts, research summaries, and spreadsheet grunt work. Buy back time for strategy.
- Build AI-resistant skills: Prioritize judgment, stakeholder management, creative thinking, and ethical decision-making.
- Lead the rollout: Set guardrails, pick tools, and train teams. Be the person who knows what AI can and can't do.
Tools and learning to keep you sharp
Want a deeper look at the research? Start with Microsoft Research. Build your practical skills with focused training for communicators via AI courses by job.
The community advantage: Ragan's Center for AI Strategy
This first-of-its-kind community is built for communicators working through AI adoption. Advisors from brands like Cisco, FedEx, Mars, and Merck share what's working in real time - from policies to prompts to KPIs.
Members get access to a council of trusted advisors, live peer learning, policy templates and vendor scorecards, certificate programs, and briefings with benchmark data. As Diane Schwartz, CEO of Ragan Communications, puts it: "AI is redefining how we work, tell stories and lead. The Center for AI Strategy gives communicators a trusted voice in the room, alongside peers who are equally committed to learning, testing, governing and advancing AI in a way that keeps humanity and strategy at the core."
The moment to move
AI in PR isn't future talk - it's here. The edge goes to the pros who use it to increase their strategic value while doubling down on judgment, relationships, and ideas.
Your next move is simple: start small, systematize what works, and lead your team. Don't wait for a mandate. Set the standard.
Topics: AI and Automation
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