Public Relations | AI and human touch: Learn to leverage both

Aphiwe Faku says public relations needs both AI and the human touch (Image supplied)

According to 2024 State of the Media Report, journalists receive hundreds of pitches per week, yet only a fraction are relevant to their scope and are aligned with current news affairs.

Pitch within seconds

Into this high-pressure environment steps artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT that can draft, summarise and even pitch within seconds.
The benefits are undeniable.

AI can produce first drafts in record time; assist in developing campaign ideas, and even adapt messaging for multiple platforms and audiences.
In many ways, AI is the turbo-boost PR professionals didn’t know they needed.

Where we once spent hours drafting, rephrasing and restructuring, AI can now deliver a solid starting point in minutes - freeing us to focus on higher-level strategy and relationship building.

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Relationships: The currency we trade in

But here’s the thing, in PR, relationships are not a nice-to-have - they are the currency we trade in.

Journalists aren’t just looking for a grammatically correct press release; they value stories that align with their editorial style, interests and beat; they are interested in PR people who show interest in their work, like reading their previous articles and referencing that coverage, to suggest a news angle tailored specifically to their readers.

AI, on the other hand, may be brilliant but isn’t able to “know” a journalist personally - it can’t pick up on the subtle preferences they’ve shown over years of interaction.

The real magic

I’ve seen AI-generated drafts that tick all the technical boxes yet miss the emotional connection and cultural nuance that make a pitch irresistible.

For example, AI might identify that a journalist covers tech trends, but only a PR professional who has engaged with their work over time will know the journalist's preference, which could be real-world case studies over generic product announcements.

The real magic happens when AI and human expertise work hand in hand, although AI can do the heavy lifting - pulling stats, drafting outlines, rewording for clarity - PR professionals apply their insider knowledge, expertise, empathy and relationship equity to craft something that feels personal and intentional.

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The future of PR

The future of PR is not about replacing people with machines, but about empowering people with knowledge and skills on how to use those machines.

As AI continues to evolve, it will undoubtedly get better at mimicking human tone and style of writing and message delivery.

However, it will never replace the years it takes to build trust with a journalist, to understand their “unwritten rules,” or to know instinctively when a story will resonate.

In short, AI may be able to help us expedite our duties, but the human touch still makes us relevant. The most effective PR professionals are those who learn to leverage both — blending AI’s efficiency with the authenticity and intuition only humans can provide.

Because at the end of the day, algorithms don’t open emails. People do. AI can be word-smithing at its finest, but only humans can build trust.

And in PR, trust is the story