Analysis of Public Relations in the New Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI): The Case of Selected Public Relations Professionals in Addis Ababa.
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Date
2024-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
AI (AI) is swiftly remodeling many industries and promising to significantly affect the sphere ofpublic relations (PR). While AI gives new capabilities that might enhance the work of PR experts, itsintegration additionally introduces challenging situations that practitioners ought to cautiously copewith. The overarching purpose of this research is to conduct an evaluation of both the opportunitiesand challenging situations associated with adopting AI technologies in the PR industry. Theresearcher employed a qualitative method, conducting interviews with 20 PR specialists who arecurrently using numerous AI tools in their day-to-day work. Additionally, a review of academicliterature was on established PR theories in relation to modern AI capabilities. Findings from theinterviews revealed major areas where AI is proving beneficial by using big data, to conduct mediamonitoring, sentiment analysis of large datasets, 24/7 content generation and rapid responsecapabilities. Professionals noted these applications have allowed them to dedicate more efforts torelationship building andstrategicplanning.However, challenges associated with AI adoption werealso identified through the discussions. Issues such as potential biasinalgorithmsdueto lack ofcontextual understanding, loss of the human touch in communication, and ethical concerns arounddata privacy emerged as areasrequiring address Based on these qualitative findings, a number of keyrecommendations were proposed. It was advised that PR practitioners develop expertise in AI toavoid over-reliance, carefully select tools proven to avoid bias, and continue focusing on essentialhuman qualities like empathy which technology cannot replace. Ethicalguidelines for data use andstrategies for human-AI collaboration were also suggested. Areas for future research identifiedinclude more rigorous testing ofAI tools before adoption, studies on job disruption versusenhancement, as well as education programs to build practitioner competencies working with AI.
Key Words: AI, Public Relations, Big Data.
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Keywords
AI, Public Relations, Big Data