What will remain of the PR profession when AI writes the texts and automates monitoring?

Katharina Scheyerer-Janda, member of the ikp management team and certified AI manager, explores the question of whether PR agencies and the profession of communicators are still needed at all in the ikp Expert Talk. 

When did you first feel that AI was really changing your profession – not theoretically, but in your daily work?

KSJ: Actually, it was back in early 2023. At that time, I produced an entire magazine for the Druck Medien association with the support of ChatGPT. We spoke to many experts and used this information to generate texts with AI, which were of course clearly marked as such. At that time, it was still a lot of trial and error. But it was precisely during this process that I realized that large language models would change the communications industry forever. Not sometime in the future – but right now.

Writing texts, creating press reviews, monitoring, reporting – that sounds like a large part of the classic PR craft. What else is there?

KSJ: Investing a lot of time in press reviews, monitoring, or reporting is actually already outdated. These tasks have already been greatly simplified by digitalization and algorithms. The situation is different when it comes to texts. For many years, writing was considered the classic PR craft of ” .” And yes, AI can already write very well today. But only if it is briefed correctly and receives the relevant information. And this is where our competence and expertise as communicators comes into play. AI is not replacing us. It is only shifting the focus of our work.

To ask a provocative question: Will clients still need an agency in the future, or will a good AI tool and an internal communications manager suffice?

KSJ: That depends. What nobody really needs anymore are pure writing offices. But strategic consulting, creativity, an external perspective, project management, a strong network, or the ability to identify trends early on and make them usable for clients – all of these are clear arguments in favor of agencies. Added to this is a new task: visibility in the AI world. In the future, communication will no longer take place only in traditional media or social media, but also in the responses of AI systems. If you want to be present there, you need strategic communication work.

What advice would you give today to someone who wants to study PR or enter the industry?

KSJ: Definitely do it. Professional communication has been my passion for over 20 years. There is hardly any other profession that is so varied and constantly reinventing itself. It is precisely this dynamism that makes the industry so exciting – and AI is simply the next big change.

What skills will be crucial in five years’ time – skills that hardly anyone is explicitly teaching today?

KSJ: Three things are often neglected in traditional PR training: economic understanding, project management, and systemic thinking. When it comes to AI, there are currently many offerings related to prompting. That’s a good start – but AI is not just a better version of Word. It’s about strategic application: rethinking processes, changing workflows, assessing risks, and integrating tools in a meaningful way.

Who is liable if AI-generated communication makes a mistake – in terms of content, legal issues, or reputation?

KSJ: The current legal situation is clear: responsibility always lies with the human being, not the program. Developers can be held liable for gross errors in the code, but this is legally complex and rarely the direct route. In practice, therefore, whoever publishes content bears responsibility. That’s why AI-generated content should always be checked by humans. After all, the sender is always held responsible for bias, hallucinations, discrimination, or manipulation – regardless of whether AI was used or not.

However, it is just as important to consider risks in advance as it is to carry out final checks. This includes non-discriminatory prompts, clear guidelines, training for AI users, and transparent processes.

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