"Seismic shifts are transforming the communication landscape of Australia and New Zealand. At the epicentre of this transformation is the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI), its influence poised to dictate the future trajectory of the industry."

The above quote is not from one of the nine senior PR industry professionals across Australia and New Zealand we spoke with about the year ahead, it is from a brand and content AI platform, Talking Brands.

And while it might be a tad dramatic, it is not far off the mark. As Shane Russell, CEO of Havas Red Australia said: “The story of the year will continue to be AI’s impact on literally everything.” 

Deakin University Lecturer, and Vice Chair of IABC Asia Pacific, Ross Monaghan was inclined to agree: “Predicting future trends is a fraught business; however, pointing out that AI will continue to be a major issue for professional communicators in the coming year seems like an uncontroversial and safe bet.”

Having really only hit the scene in the past year or so, generative AI tools and platforms have rapidly become important tools for PR professionals, helping us do our jobs more efficiently and effectively. 
 
“When harnessed properly by PR and comms people, AI can be the co-pilot to supercharge content creation at scale and with flair.” - Shane Russell, Havas Red 

Most are using AI as a creative or content tool, including Special PR in New Zealand, as GM Kelly Grindle explains: “We use it as a creative resource predominantly - whether that’s Midjourney to help with visualisations and mock-ups, or ChatGPT to prompt ideas or quick copy-liners.”

Havas recently launched a partnership with Adobe: “At the centrepiece of this partnership, is full creative access to Adobe Firefly; a suite of tools powered by Gen AI, that will supercharge our creative outputs,” Shane said. But he recognises that the technology has its limitations: “AI is still a long way off replacing the very best original ideas or strategic thinking.”

Ross Monaghan also recognises the productivity benefits of AI, but is conscious of the potential downside: “Generative AI is undoubtedly going to play a role in productivity, but at what cost to critical thinking, quality, and wellbeing?”

This perceived gap in generative AI’s capabilities has prompted educational institutions to adjust their focus, including at UNSW’s School of Arts & Media, as Dr Nicholas Richardson explains: “We are encouraging students to engage with new AI tools to understand the opportunities they could facilitate as well as their limitations (which are still considerable at this stage). And, from a bigger picture perspective, we are renewing our emphasis on developing student capacity for critical and creative thinking because these are the functions that AI is furthest behind on.”
 
“AI is not going to replace people. But people will be replaced by other people who understand AI.” - Kelly Grindle, Special PR 

The leadership team at the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ), CEO Susanne Martin and Chair Heather Claycomb, agree with Kelly Grindle’s view: “...communications people who use AI will replace those who do not over coming years.  So, at PRINZ we are initiating new training courses to keep our members abreast of these changes.”

The need for upskilling and training on how to use and get the best out of AI tools was a common theme across our panel of experts. Havas Red have begun agency-wide learning sessions and conversations to continue educating their team on the rapid evolution of AI. Special PR also offered everyone in their team the chance to take part in a three-part global training course on AI.

Network Communication’s GM, Gez Johns had a slightly different perspective: “Let’s just say it’s been a great opportunity for our younger, digital-savvy staff to actively participate in some reverse mentoring!”

Universities have also recognised the need for new skills on the tools, as well as the more analytical skills to ensure effective use, as Ross Monaghan explains: “Savvy employers will be looking for graduates who know when and how to use AI responsibly, and not just blindly use AI to quickly produce content. Critical thinking, at least for the foreseeable future, will remain a vital skill that complements someone’s ability to exploit AI’s potential.”
 
“Many CEOs and communicators have missed or ignored the reputational and regulatory risks of AI, and this oversight will rise as a significant issue for organisations in 2024.” - Ross Monaghan, IABC Asia Pacific / Deakin University

The year ahead also presents challenges around how AI is used and governed. As Ross pointed out: “Many organisations I’ve dealt with are still leaving AI governance and risk issues in the hands of IT. Those specialists undoubtedly need to be involved, but so do legal, regulatory, HR, corporate affairs, and professional communicators.”

Kelly Grindle also expects to see legislative changes and some concrete decisions taken from businesses and organisations around the use of ethical AI: “In my opinion, a lot of the fearmongering we’ve seen around AI is just hype, but the technology is obviously moving at lightning speeds, so the establishment of clear legal and regulatory frameworks will (and should) be put in place over the coming year.”

Our panel of experts are also looking beyond the obvious content and creative uses of AI, and how it can be put to good use against the broader challenges communicators are facing in our digital reality.

Havas Red’s Shane Russell sees AI’s “bigger calling” in 2024 as the fight to slow down the spread of mis/disinformation online: “The algorithms, platforms, and people that enabled the dismantling of truth will begin to institute new measures to help us parse fact from fiction. AI must succeed - humanity and public discourse is relying on it.” 
 
“The possibilities of the future of AI are mind-blowing.” - PRINZ

Gez Johns said we shouldn’t be surprised by the speed at which AI evolves: “The curmudgeon in me worries that it will encourage a kind of banal homogeneity to the way we present and absorb information (like an omni-channel Instagram), but this may be the trade-off we have to pay for the instant access to data and research that will be as transformative to the way we work now as Google once was to those of us old enough to remember that far back.”

Gez is also curious to see if AI can itself help solve the carbon conundrum it poses in mitigating the enormous footprint of the data centres that power it.

PRINZ’s Susanne Martin and Heather Claycomb are excited at what might be down the track: “Our industry is looking toward the not-to-distant future where AI won’t just help us generate content, but will help our profession predict community sentiment and reactions to future projects, media reactions to announcements and crises, etc.”
 
“Beyond the complex algorithms and the data centres, the enduring power of human creativity and ethical responsibility remains paramount.” - TalkingBrands.ai 

Given our subject matter, it only seems fair we give AI the last word and the chance to summarise its role in the year ahead in our sector: 

“As the industry charts its course in this brave new world, it does so with a clear understanding of AI as a collaborator in progress, not a replacement for the human touch.

“For communicators and PR practitioners, the year ahead is not merely about keeping pace with AI, but about guiding its trajectory - one that seamlessly blends technological expertise with the irreplaceable value of human connection.”