The AI conversation in PR has officially entered its “now what?” phase.
According to Muck Rack’s new State of AI in PR report, generative AI adoption among PR professionals has leveled off at around three-quarters of the industry. We’re no longer debating whether AI belongs in PR, that question has been answered. Instead, the industry is quietly sorting into three camps: adopters, skeptics and a shrinking group waiting for clearer guardrails.
As AI matures, it brings new expectations, risks and opportunities, reshaping how brands are discovered, evaluated, and trusted.
AI Is Infrastructure
One of the most striking findings is how quickly organizations have moved from informal experimentation to formal AI governance in PR:
- 51% of PR pros now operate under an AI use-case policy, up from 21% in 2024
- 43% receive AI training on the job, more than double two years ago
- 63% say their workplace actively encourages AI experimentation
AI for public relations is no longer just a productivity hack. PR automation through AI is becoming core infrastructure, something that requires rules, training, and accountability. For CMOs and communications leaders, this is a good thing. Policies and training do not slow innovation, they make it scalable, while helping resolve tensions around disclosure, ethics and quality control.
Formal guidance also provides a framework for experimentation. Teams are learning how to use AI responsibly, balancing speed and efficiency with accuracy and compliance. The result is a more professional, repeatable approach to AI adoption that benefits the organization as a whole.
Faster and Better, But Still Not Hands-Off
PR pros are nearly unanimous on AI’s benefits:
- 93% say AI speeds up their work
- 82% say it improves quality
Time savings are most pronounced in writing, editing, research and content creation.
At the same time, human oversight remains non-negotiable. Almost all PR pros (98%) say they always or often edit AI-generated output. While edits have become less extensive over the last two years, the need for review shows that AI is a tool, not a replacement. Teams are still responsible for ensuring accuracy, tone, and brand alignment.
This balance that combines efficiency with oversight reflects the broader state of AI in PR. AI-powered PR tools can accelerate routine tasks, but strategic thinking, creativity and judgment remain firmly human domains. The most successful teams combine AI’s speed with human expertise to produce high-quality work consistently.
Until now, the impact of AI in PR has been largely internal. It’s brought faster workflows, better drafts and more efficient execution. But as generative tools increasingly answer questions for journalists, customers and partners, AI’s role shifts from assisting communicators to shaping discovery itself.
When AI becomes part of how audiences learn about brands, visibility is no longer just a PR execution issue. It becomes a strategic, measurable concern, one that sits squarely with CMOs.
SEO Expectations for a GEO World
CMOs understand the fundamentals of SEO. They worry about discoverability. They understand the need for SEO audits and have a budget for visibility measurements.
The same principles now apply to AI and LLM brand representation. Generative engines are becoming a primary way journalists, customers and partners find information, and they shape brand perception in the process. An SEO audit reveals how and whether a brand shows up when people search. That same logic now applies to AI. If large language models (LLMs) are becoming a new front door to information, understanding how your company is represented inside those systems is no longer optional, it is a core visibility issue.
Bospar’s Audit*E solution provides CMOs with this kind of insight. It applies the same discipline as search visibility audits to this emerging landscape of generative engine optimization, or GEO. With Audit*E, marketing strategy leaders can see whether AI tools recognize their brand, how accurately they describe it and where gaps or distortions exist.
In a world where first impressions are increasingly machine-mediated, brands must measure and manage how they appear in AI search.
This approach turns AI use cases in PR from a potential blind spot into a strategic advantage. By proactively monitoring AI-generated brand visibility, organizations can prevent misinformation, highlight expertise and ensure that messaging remains consistent across both human and machine audiences.
AI Usage and Ongoing Fears
Muck Rack data shows where concerns remain. The biggest worry is erosion of fundamentals. More than three-quarters of PR pros fear younger practitioners may never fully learn the core principles of the profession if AI becomes a crutch rather than a tool.
Other concerns include unchecked or inaccurate AI output entering the ecosystem, lowering the quality of conversations and diminishing message discipline. These risks highlight the importance of training, policies, and human oversight at every stage of AI adoption.
At the same time, AI adoption is not slowing:
- 75% of PR pros now use paid AI tools
- Nearly 80% brainstorm with AI at least weekly
This signals that competitive advantage now comes not from whether teams use AI, but how strategically they do so. Brand reputation management and communications teams that actively measure and manage AI-driven perception will have an edge over the passive ones.
