PR firms push back as clients demand 'AI' labels on ordinary automation
UK communications agencies are increasingly caught between their clients' demands to market ordinary automation as artificial intelligence and journalists who have grown skeptical of the claims. The disconnect is creating friction inside PR departments where executives are pressuring staff to rebrand existing technologies with the AI label to capitalize on investor enthusiasm.
A publicist representing tech and design firms in south London described the problem bluntly: "I've watched a steady stream of companies try to bolt the label AI on to whatever they do, no matter how tenuous the link."
The practice-sometimes called "AI washing"-extends across industries. Recent examples include a property company marketing a handheld floor-plan scanner as AI-powered, and press releases this month promoting AI-powered basketball hoops and AI-powered lasers marketed as women's safety devices on public transport.
An account director at a central London firm said about half the stories he sends out contain language he doesn't believe in. "People are littering marketing with how AI is making a difference. It's an 'AI-driven' or 'AI-powered' product when in reality, it's just better automation than we've seen before," he said.
The credibility cost
Journalists have noticed the trend. "You can almost hear the eyes roll when you mention the word AI to a reporter," one publicist said. The oversaturation of dubious AI claims is eroding the credibility of legitimate announcements.
Some clients are also asking PR teams to position company executives as AI commentators to boost relevance, even when their connection to the technology is minimal. "I have seen some Bikram yoga-level stretches by brands in service of trying to manufacture reasons to talk about AI," said a PR professional at a global agency with offices in New York and London.
Imran Ariff, a media strategist at London-based communications agency Fight or Flight, said the problem stems from internal conviction: "It can be easy for brands to 'drink their own Kool-Aid' when they're so proud of what they're doing and consequently, go too far in their efforts to promote their AI capabilities."
A wider tension
The PR industry's struggle with AI washing reflects a broader corporate challenge. Large companies worldwide are simultaneously cutting thousands of jobs through AI implementation while trying to present the technology as beneficial and growth-oriented. Last week, Standard Chartered's chief executive apologized after describing workers facing redundancy due to AI as "lower-value human capital."
For PR professionals, the pressure to oversell AI capabilities creates an ethical bind. Many communications workers said they're being forced to send pitches they don't stand behind, even as their industry has a reputation for aggressive product promotion.
As AI claims become routine in marketing materials, the risk grows that genuine advances will be dismissed alongside the hype. Journalists and investors are already showing signs of fatigue with the narrative.
For PR and communications professionals, the challenge is distinguishing real AI capabilities from repackaged automation-and pushing back on clients who demand otherwise.
Your membership also unlocks:
