While the degree to which artificial intelligence will revolutionize certain industries is debatable, there is little doubt it’s already having an impact in public relations. One of the areas The Wilbert Group specializes in is providing thought leadership opportunities that position our clients as experts in their areas of expertise, but we now live in a world where anyone can use ChatGPT to generate “thought leadership” content. This has created significant challenges for PR pros and journalists alike, and we’ve identified the following best practices to both keep our clients in the news and maintain trustworthy relationships with the media.

Educating our Thought Leaders

Many of our thought leaders have used AI tools they weren’t aware were problematic. Reporters use a variety of filters to determine whether commentary is truly original, and some are so sensitive that using Grammarly will trigger them. To ensure we stay ahead of potential issues, we have proactive conversations with our thought leaders that ensure they understand what programs are/aren’t considered AI.

Leaning on our Expertise

A client recently told me they used Grammarly after penning content to make sure their punctuation and spelling were correct. Rather than relying on AI, work with your PR team to check for typos and mistakes. It’s our job to make our clients look good in print, and that means leaning on our language skills to help our experts communicate their opinions and expertise as clearly as possible.

Relying on Relationships

One of the ways PR reps best show their value is through relationships with the media; trust is everything. The more journalists we build a rapport with over time, the more likely that reporter is going to trust that what we provide them is genuine. Many of the AI detection tools produce a percentage on the odds a selected passage is AI-aided. If you have a strong relationship with a journalist and have earned their trust, your ability to vouch for your client will hold significantly more weight than from a PR rep they don’t know.

We are in a period of upheaval and uncertainty when it comes to AI, but when it comes to staying grounded as PR pros, these steps provide a solid foundation to continue delivering meaningful thought leadership results for clients.