Back to the core of PR, with AI as a sidekick

Let’s be honest: every time a new technology comes along, someone proclaims the end of our jobs. With AI, in all its forms, it’s no different. But PR and marcom professionals really don’t need to worry. We won’t be replaced by AI, but we might be replaced by colleagues who learn how to use it smartly. It’s time to embrace that reality and to highlight where our true value lies.
afbeelding blog karlijn stoelinga progress juli 2025

Because with the right approach, AI actually gives PR agencies the opportunity to do what we do best: build relationships, follow the news, spot opportunities, and advise clients strategically. With AI as our smart sidekick, we get to focus more on the heart of our profession: Public Relations.

From fear to focus
AI tools are no longer just nice-to-haves. They help us plan, co-create content, analyse data, and even anticipate client needs. But they won’t take our jobs. In fact, they can give us back the time and headspace to focus on what really matters: maintaining and building relationships.

Thanks to AI, we can finally spend less time on repetitive tasks and more on genuine PR: nurturing media contacts, staying on top of the news, and spotting risks or opportunities before they surface. We become the eyes and ears of our clients again, not just ‘press release machines’.

AI as an ally
Using AI doesn’t mean giving up creativity or the human touch. It means working faster, sharper, and more efficiently. AI can support us in generating content, but PR and marcom consultants still set the tone, the strategy and, most importantly, we build the relationships.

Because no matter how advanced AI becomes, it won’t pick up the phone to brief a journalist. It won’t share a coffee during an interview. It won’t sense when a story resonates or when it doesn’t. That’s still very much human work.

Back to what the core
Ultimately, AI allows us to return to what PR is truly about: building trust, maintaining meaningful relationships, listening closely, offering solid advice, and helping brands connect with their audiences in an authentic way.

By Karlijn Stoelinga, Senior PR Consultant at Progress Communications

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