The Story Behind 'AI for Public Relations' with Ben Verinder and Stephen Waddington

What this episode covers

Is uncritical AI adoption risking the future of PR? In this episode of PR in the Real World, host Tony Garner sits down with industry leaders Stephen Waddington and Ben Verinder to unpack their book, AI for Public Relations.Stephen and Ben have spent two years examining how machine cognition is rewriting the boundaries of PR. Moving past shallow "techno-optimism," they address structural disruptions like the "vanishing career ladder", detailing how automating entry-level tasks risks hollowing out middle management and cutting off vital tacit knowledge for the next generation.The conversation explores deep strategic shifts, including Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) and System Zero Thinking (the unthinking handoff of human cognition to machines). This episode provides a vital framework for any leader determined to shape the technological future of the industry rather than simply react to it.From a strategic management perspective, this episode covers:System Zero Thinking: The cognitive risk of letting LLMs replace rational human sensemaking.The Vanishing Career Ladder: The hollowing out of junior and mid-management roles as machine workflows scale.Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO): Navigating brand visibility, indexing and citations in AI search models.The Cognitive Handoff: Creating training systems to preserve human expertise in automated workplaces.Risk & Data Taxonomies: Overcoming institutional paranoia by properly classifying public vs. proprietary data.The Gender Adoption Gap: Addressing the documented divergence in AI adoption rates across demographics.Stephen and Ben explain why they used handwritten collaboration instead of AI to write the book, ensuring deeper analytical rigour. They also discuss the University of Arizona's "trust penalty" research and why all book royalties are donated to Socially Mobile to support mid-career practitioners from underrepresented backgrounds.This milestone discussion is required listening for:PR Agency Directors: Rebuilding team structures, pricing models and workflow boundaries.In-House Comms Executives: Navigating procurement, risk registers and change management loops.Researchers & Ethicists: Studying the long-term impact of AI on white-collar labour markets.Public Affairs Leads: Assessing how automated sorting algorithms shape institutional reputation.Links and ReferencesAI for Public Relations — https://www.koganpage.com/marketing-communications/ai-for-public-relations-9781398625037 Socially Mobile — https://www.sociallymobile.org.uk/ AI for PR Conference, Communicate magazine — https://www.communicatemagazine.com/conference/ai-for-pr-conference-2026/ AI for Public Relations course — https://wadds.co.uk/ai-for-public-relations-one-day-online-course Similar EpisodesWhat AI Means for PR Measurement with Liam Kelly https://www.vivapr.co.uk/pr-in-the-real-world-media-intelligence/Why GEO is ‘PR's Biggest Opportunity in 20 Years’ with Darryl Sparey https://www.vivapr.co.uk/darryl-sparey-on-why-geo-is-prs-biggest-opportunity-in-20-years/Strategy, AI and Regional Powerhouses with Sarah Waddington https://www.vivapr.co.uk/pr-in-the-real-world-strategy-ai-regional-powerhouses/The Truth About AI with Ben Verinder https://www.vivapr.co.uk/the-truth-about-ai-with-ben-verinder/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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