AI-Generated Quotes Are Tanking Your Clients' Media Credibility
PR professionals face a new reputation risk: clients who use ChatGPT and other large language models to answer reporter questions.
When journalists ask for expert commentary, they want a distinct perspective. AI-generated responses undermine that authority, even when executives edit them afterward. Reporters can spot the generic phrasing, predictable structure, and flattened voice that LLMs produce.
The damage extends beyond a single quote. If a reporter discovers your client used AI, it erodes trust in your agency's judgment and your client's credibility as a subject-matter expert.
Where AI Actually Helps (And Where It Doesn't)
AI tools are useful for research and brainstorming. They're not useful for finishing a response to send to a journalist.
Guide your clients toward this distinction. A client might use AI to organize thoughts or find background information. They should never use it to generate the final quote without substantial rewriting that reflects their actual voice and perspective.
The difference matters. A finished AI response reads like every other AI response. A human-edited one, grounded in real expertise, stands out.
Practical Steps to Set Boundaries
Frame AI guidelines as a company-wide standard, not a client-specific critique. Create a brief document outlining when AI use is acceptable and when it crosses into territory that damages reputations.
Point clients to platforms with built-in safeguards. Qwoted, a media sourcing platform, uses AI detectors to flag AI-generated pitches and has a zero-tolerance policy for inauthentic content. This is concrete proof that the industry is actively screening for AI misuse.
Tell clients directly: media professionals can tell when someone is using AI. LLMs have recognizable patterns-word choice, sentence structure, punctuation habits. These patterns are becoming easier to spot, not harder.
The Real Stakes
Your reputation as a PR professional depends on your clients' credibility. If a client's AI-generated quote gets flagged by a reporter, that reflects on your vetting process and your judgment.
The harder truth is simpler: your clients hired you because they need expert guidance. That includes steering them away from shortcuts that sound polished but read hollow.
Strong media relations come from authentic voices, not generic ones. Your clients deserve guidance that protects both their reputation and yours.
For PR and communications professionals managing media relationships, understanding AI for media relations specialists is now essential to the role.
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