Kangaroo rats can go their entire lives without ever taking a sip of water. They’ve adapted to living in the harsh conditions of the desert by learning to eat seeds that supply them with the hydration they need to survive.
What’s that got to do with Public Relations?
As a profession, PR has been slow to take up new technology. Tech has historically been approached as a hurdle to overcome (or in some cases to avoid altogether), rather than an asset to be embraced. Like the kangaroo rat, public relations professionals can benefit from adaptation — in this case, by building understanding and leadership in the field of artificial intelligence.
For the past two years, Kerry Sheehan has been studying AI and its implications for the public relations industry. As chair of the Global AI in PR panel at the Chartered Institute for Public Relations (CIPR), Sheehan has come to the conclusion that immersion in the knowledge of artificial intelligence and creative/strategic thinking about its implications is a crucial step in the evolution of the profession.
Sheehan joins Mark Pinsent, managing director of Hoffman Europe, in the podcast studio to discuss what it means to work smarter and faster in PR by understanding AI. What is its relationship to data, and what are its potential applications for improving internal processes? How can we best advise clients on managing their narratives around AI, and what are the big ethical questions we should be helping them ask? Most importantly, will AI take our jobs?
Listen to the full conversation below, as they grapple with these important questions and more.
