AI Insight: How PR teams actually use AI without breaking trust or quality

The Public Relations Podcast

Content provided by ThePublicRelationsPodcast. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by ThePublicRelationsPodcast or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

5d ago 14:44

MP3•Episode home

NOTE: This was recorded in late October 2025

AI is already inside the tools you use. Waiting it out is no longer an option.

In this episode, I speak with Karen Sutherland, author of Artificial Intelligence for Strategic Communication, who, at the time of the recording, was fresh from a Marketing AI Conference in the US.

We cut through the noise and talk about how PR and comms teams are actually using AI day to day, what works, what breaks, and where people are getting it wrong.

This is not about replacing people or chasing shiny tools. It is about saving time on the work you hate, protecting quality, and building skills your team will still need in five years.

If you run an agency or work in-house and feel stuck between curiosity and fear around AI, this episode gives you a clear place to start.

We cover

Why AI agents change how work gets done, not just how fast
The real risk for junior staff and how to avoid hollow skills
How teams are using custom GPTs to speed up reporting without sounding generic
A simple framework for integrating AI safely and sensibly into comms work

Map your tasks before touching tools. Start with repetitive work that drains time, not creative judgment.
Use AI as a first draft assistant, then edit like a professional. Quality control becomes a real job, not an afterthought.
Train AI on your own writing and reports so outputs sound like you, not the internet.
Regularly check whether AI is saving time and protecting standards, not just pushing content out faster.

DescriptionPractical takeaways
GUEST
Karen Sutherland - Senior Lecturer, Public Relations, University of the Sunshine Coast
LOCATION: Sunshine Coast, Australia
Book: Artificial Intelligence for Strategic Communication by Karen E. Sutherland
NEW TO PR?
- Check out the new podcast 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.com
SUBSCRIBE
- Video and Audio links here - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/listen/
Or search for "The Public Relations Podcast" on all good podcast apps
CONNECT WITH ME
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/
- Website and newsletter - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/
- 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.com
FUTURE GUESTS
- Check out: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/one-sheet/

180 episodes

#Business #ThePublicRelationsPodcast