PR Masterclass: Role of AI & its growing influence in PR & Communications

At the e4m PR & Corp Comm PR Materclass, Abhishek Gulyani, Managing Director, India and Head of Corporate Affairs, Asia Pacific, Zeno Group, talked about the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the communications industry. 

Gulyani set the tone of the session, “I was traveling and there was a lot of conversation that was happening around the role AI is going to play in our lives. There are a lot of doubts, there are a lot of inputs. There's the future that's coming in so I thought why don't we kind of all come together and workshop and experiment what we all can together do and what the role of AI will be in our lives.”

The discussion quickly turned to AI’s growing influence in PR. He asked the audience to answer whether AI could support PR professionals. To this, the audience responded with mixed reactions—some voiced strong support, while others remained skeptical. To put AI’s capabilities to the test, Gulyani divided the audience into four groups and tasked them with a live challenge: using ChatGPT to create PR campaigns for fictional product launches, including a luxury pen for storytellers, a confidence-boosting comb, a smart wristwatch for achievers, and a mindful mirror promoting self-care. 

Instead of a masterclass, he turned it into a hands-on workshop where all the media students presented in the audience actively experimented with AI tools, including ChatGPT, to explore AI’s potential in PR and marketing strategies. He gave each group five minutes and asked them to use AI tools to generate ideas and present their strategies. 

He presented a QR Code and asked the audience to share their views of which areas AI can support PR professionals. Many answers popped up on the screen including creating proposals, analysis, marketing, press articles, research, presentation, and others. Among all, Research emerged as the most important aspect of AI that can support PR professionals.

After this, one student from each group came up and presented their research and information they sought using AI on the given topics. Then, Gulyani turned to the audience again and asked them about their experience of using AI for this test. To this, one student briefed her experience, 

“ChatGPT is really helpful for us as students. It provides valuable assistance, but we still need to fact-check the information it generates. While it offers useful insights, there is a lack of emotional connection when using it.”

Another student mentioned, “ChatGPT provides us with new ideas, as it expands our thinking and offers something extra. Additionally, it serves as another platform through which we can learn and gain additional knowledge.”

In terms of creativity, one student explained, “AI tools like ChatGPT and others are versatile instruments designed to help us save time and enhance productivity. As mentioned, these tools also contribute to creativity, with models like Claude, Sora, and various other AI-driven platforms enabling innovation. For PR professionals, AI can be a game-changer as they can enhance creativity, interactivity, and improve overall efficiency.”

As the session concluded, Abhishek left the audience with a powerful reminder, “You can spend a lot of time outside meeting your clients, influencers, and media. This allows you to bring the human touch into your conversations. Now, you have more time to focus on meaningful interactions, so make the most of it. Utilize this time to learn and grow. One of the best things about being human is our ability to evolve continuously. We can always keep learning and improving. We have the potential to be the best storytellers, and that is what sets us apart from everyone else. So, keep that spirit alive. This session was designed by you, for you, and executed by you.”