• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, May 16, 2023

AI is now a big buzzword in the communications industry. But companies have fears about using it, the biggest one being factual errors and misinformation, according to Fascinated and Frightened: How are communications professionals viewing the AI opportunity ahead?, a study from WE Communications, conducted by Qualtrics and the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations. 

Of those polled, 80% say AI will be extremely or very important to the future of public-relations work.  

But a mere 16% now say they are extremely knowledgeable about applications of AI in communications. And only 23% say their organization is now making changes to the way they work due to new AI tools.  

However, those numbers may signal an improvement. 

“In an earlier survey we conducted, only 4% of PR professionals said they were very familiar with AI,” says Fred Cook, director of USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations.

Email is at the top of the list of the types of content being created with AI input by the professionals using it:

• Email — 31% 
• Executive summaries/key findings — 29% 
• Social posts — 27%
• Articles — 27% 
• Blogs — 25% 
• Press releases — 22% 
• Presentations — 21% 

On a larger scale, AI is showing up in these areas in daily communications work: 

• Content creation — 57% 
• Background/landscape research on sectors, industries, etc. — 43% 
• Data analysis — 40% 
• Language translation — 34% 
• Audience insights and targeting — 32%

But the respondents have these reservations about adopting AI: 

• Factual errors and misinformation — 61% 
• False information/disinformation — 58% 
• Algorithmic bias — 50% 
• Data privacy — 45% 
• Information security — 44% 
• Unknown/potential legal ramifications — 43% 
• Limited industry knowledge on how to use the tools — 39% 
• Algorithmic transparency — 33%
• Tools are not built with accessibility in mind — 18%
• Financial burden to companies — 15%
• Lack of need — 14%

Despite this, 88% say AI will have a positive impact on the speed and efficiency of certain work tasks, and 72% feel it will help reduce workloads. 

Looking forward, these are the resume items that will become more important: 

• Ability to write good AI prompts and queries — 87%
• Human-computer interaction knowledge — 82% 
• Strategic thinking — 79% 
• Data and analytics experience — 75% 
• Creativity — 71% 
• Interpersonal communications skills — 68% 
• Social media knowledge — 55% 
• Media relations expertise — 58% 
• Writing skills — 57%
• Ability to code — 53% 

However, 23% say the ability to code will be less important. 

Qualtrics and the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations. surveyed 394 communications professionals.