“Artificial Intelligence is transforming Public Relations, but it cannot replace human insight. Discover how AI enhances PR through data, while professionals provide context, ethics and authentic storytelling.”
03 March 2026 | By: Makenosi Maroo | Picture: Supplied
2 minutes read time.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a “future conversation” in Public Relations (PR). It’s already embedded in our daily workflows, from media monitoring and sentiment analysis to risk flagging and trend detection.
I’m learning to embrace AI, and I’m consistently amazed by what it can reveal. That said, let’s be clear: AI does not do Public Relations—PR professionals do.
AI functions very differently in professional practice than it does in academia. While academics, scholars, and students—particularly at my chosen university—engage in debates and raise important questions about AI, this discussion is focused on PR and its practical applications, not on research or scholarly analysis. The academic perspective and its applications can and should be explored separately at another time.
Returning to AI and PR, AI excels at speed, scale, and pattern recognition. It can scan thousands of conversations, predict reputational risks and insights we might otherwise miss. That’s powerful. Impressive, even.
It is impressive but AI cannot replace PR but can enhance it. Public Relations provides what AI cannot: context, emotional intelligence, ethical judgment and authentic storytelling. Simply put, AI cannot sense tension, notice emotional shifts, or understand the unspoken dynamics shaping a moment. Reading the room requires intuition, presence and emotional intelligence.
As PR practitioners, our real responsibility is interpretation. If we don’t interpret AI insights correctly, we risk making misinformed decisions. If we adopt AI blindly, we risk adopting data without context.
Failing to interpret AI-generated insights can mean:
· Amplifying a non-issue into a crisis
· Reacting too quickly or worse, incorrectly
· Delivering tone-deaf messaging that damages trust
AI can tell us what is happening. PR rational explains why it’s happening and whether it actually matters.
The old era of PR was about media lists and reactive crisis control. The new era is data-driven and reputation-led. In today’s PR landscape, success is measured by trust, engagement, and credibility.
My take is that we should use AI, while still thinking independently.
We must allow technology, in this case AI, to inform our decisions, but not make them for us.
The future of PR belongs to professionals who can blend AI with human insight.
To conclude, AI will not replace PR professionals. However, if we choose to ignore AI, we do so at our own peril. Those who overlook it risk falling behind, because reputation is not artificial. It is personal and inherently human, shaped by intuition and emotional intelligence.
Makenosi Maroo is the Spokesperson of Rand Water and a VUT alumna, writing in her personal capacity