Beyond the Hype: Examining the Real World Impacts of AI on PR

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a futuristic idea, it is here. And now programs like ChatGPT are introducing AI to the world of writing, content creation and public relations, bringing with it a myriad of benefits, questions and ethical concerns.Matthew Pittman is an assistant professor of Advertising and Public Relations at the Tombras School at the University of Tennessee. He has a Ph.D. in Communications and also serves as a consultant. He talks with Sarah Merrell, Fletcher Marketing PR Vice President, about the AI writing software ChatGPT. On this episode of MsInterPReted, Sarah and Matthew discuss what AI looks like in the world of PR and marketing, what the limitations of AI are and what the implications are for humans including:The extent to which AI can be utilized for writing. ChatGPT can be utilized for research, organizing outlines, and cutting down on writing time. Where is the line that separates an article written by a person and an article written by ChatGPT?The ethics behind utilizing AI as a writing assistant. Are PR and marketing professionals ethically obligated to notify clients or the public that AI is being utilized in the writing process? What does the ethical use of AI look like in an academic setting? Are there ways to know when students are using AI to write their entire paper or is AI so close to human writing that it is undetectable?Can AI be used for strategy? ChatGPT is proving to be a creative tool but still lacks a specific element of creativity. That element is human creativity. ChatGPT works based on prompts that are typed in. The program then spits out suggestions and ideas. Without the initial idea from human creativity, ChatGPT would not be able to create an article or blog post for that idea. Will AI remove humans from jobs in the communication field? Will there be a time where PR and marketing professionals are no longer needed due to AI taking over the field? Follow Matthew on:On Twitter:  @matthewcpittmanFollow Fletcher Marketing PR:On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FletchermarketingprOn Twitter:  @fletcherprOn Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/fletcher.pr/Follow Kelly on Twitter: @KDFletcherFollow Mary Beth on Twitter: @marybethwest