How can I help you today? There’s no mistaking ChatGPT’s signature greeting as it awaits its task. So, how do we use it smartly and safely? What if I were to tell you that this entire article was written solely using AI? Would you be surprised, upset, intrigued? It’s not-written by AI, that is- but in a world that is embracing all things AI, how can PR professionals utilize this new tool without letting it take over?
Brainstorm Buddy
Use AI as a brainstorm tool to help rephrase a sentence that isn’t sounding quite right. Maybe a sentence needs a tonal refresh to sound more playful, conversational, etc. Especially in a world of hybrid and WFH workplaces, AI is now akin to bouncing ideas off a coworker in the office, using that collaborative environment we crave from the comfort of your own couch (I mean, desk!).
Content Creation
The busywork that is creating media lists, launch timelines, influencer schedules, and more can be more efficient with AI. Whether it’s an AI-integrated tool within a PR service like MuckRack’s “recommended journalists” feature or the standard AI web searches, you can get your information in a fraction of the time so you can then spend more time personalizing your outreach, finding new opportunities, or re-finding that work/life balance.
Time Saver
We all have 24 hours in a day, why not let AI help save some time? As we get more comfortable with AI we can further use it as a timesaving tool, shaving minutes off tedious tasks/projects to allow more room for creative brainstorming or higher-priority items. Additionally, letting AI do the brunt of this ‘busy work’ gives us back time to be human and build those human relationships where we maybe didn’t have time to foster those relationships before.
Human Touch
The ‘golden rule’ for using AI is to never solely rely on AI for your content. AI is an amazing tool, but at the end of the day it’s still a robot and that comes through in many of its responses. If your content screams AI- you are sending a red flag to your client/employer that you’re not taking the work seriously, and that you may bring no additional value outside the AI-drafted messaging. Make sure that each piece of work that uses AI is read over and given a human touch.
If your plan to utilize AI is to pretend it doesn’t exist, you’ll soon be left behind. PR pros need to take AI for all that it is, leveraging its capabilities to capitalize on the positive possibilities this new tool provides.