ChatGPT in the Field of Public Relations: opportunity or threat?
The launch of ChatGPT marked a milestone in both the history of artificial intelligence and the Internet. While version 3 is already being used by millions of people around the world to perform language-related tasks ranging from translation to generating text in multiple languages, its developer, the OpenAI firm, has just officially announced in launch of ChatGPT-4. This version answers increasingly complex questions and even receives video input to learn from the images shown. In this way, it is capable, for example, of preparing a summary about a conference or a film in a matter of seconds.
Given this exponential evolution, it is time to think about whether these types of tools could replace professionals in the field of Public Relations (PR). Are we facing a threat or, instead, will it help us to enhance our work?
Just one more tool
The advancement of technology always raises questions about the future of work. In fact, when social networks appeared, it was also said that the public relations profession was going to disappear, but that did not happen. However, we have had to develop the ability to use them in our favor.
Along these lines, although tools such as ChatGPT and Perplexity AI (which, unlike the first, adds links and provides references in its responses) could cause some simple jobs to disappear in the future, in the field of PR they are presented as allies to increase productivity and efficiency. In fact, they can speed up the writing of e-mails and the preparation of executive training questionnaires. In the same way that they are used to prepare summaries, create drafts for press releases, provide suggestions or help put together opinion pieces, among others.
It must be taken into account that in the field of PR, the relationship with journalists and the ability to offer them information that adds value is key. This discipline has human interaction to build links between interested parties, and this is something that cannot be replaced by machines. That is why, although artificial intelligence works to optimize PR processes, it does not replace humans.
The strategic use
To take advantage of both ChatGPT and similar tools that will soon appear on the market, the important thing is to learn how to use them and also to know their limitations. For example, you have to know how to formulate the questions so that they provide answers that really add up; and understand that there may be sometimes fake content.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is already here, and we must all adapt to the changes it brings to the future of work. Within the field of PR this means that the new set of skills that public relations professionals must develop includes the ability to combine creativity, knowledge and experience with the power of Artificial Intelligence.
