ChatGPT: The Impact of AI Tool in Public Relations Practice By Maryam Na-Allah

By Maryam Na-Allah

A powerful language model created by OpenAI and introduced to the public in June 2020, Chat GPT has gained popularity as a result of its ability to generate human-like responses to prompts entered by users, resulting in debate about the potential impact of this model on the profession of public relations.

Technology is continuously advancing, and our methods of communicating with one another are equally evolving. ChatGPT is a powerful artificial intelligence tool that has the potential to revolutionize the way we communicate online using language models. Initiated by OpenAI, this technology produces responses that are similar to those of a human. A key feature of ChatGPT is the ability to carry on natural and engaging conversations with humans.

We review how ChatGPT is affecting online interactions in the Public Relations industry, from chatbots to virtual assistants and others.”

Despite its efficacy in a wide variety of industries, including marketing, customer service, and public relations (PR), some may argue that ChatGPT holds benefits for the public relations profession while others may have reservations. In this article, we will explore the potential advantages and disadvantages of ChatGPT within the PR profession.

Positively, ChatGPT offers PR professionals the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the tone and sentiment of their targeted audiences by using software chat. With the input of a prompt, the language model can generate responses that reflect the language and tone of the intended audience, allowing PR professionals to tailor their messaging accordingly.

Through automation, routine tasks such as media monitoring, content creation, and social media management can be streamlined. By generating human-like responses, ChatGPT can also be valuable for responding to inquiries from journalists or customers, which allows PR professionals to focus on more complex tasks.

Social media management can also be used by PR agencies on behalf of their clients to manage social media interactions. Social media monitoring, customer service, and even identifying engagement opportunities can all be accomplished with this tool.

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A further benefit of ChatGPT is its capability to analyze data to generate insights that can be used to inform PR strategies, thereby assisting PR professionals in making better decisions.

As desirable as Chat GPT may seem to PR professionals, it nevertheless has its downsides, just as any AI-related application.

There is concern that this may lead to a decrease in creativity and authenticity in messaging. Although Chat GPT can generate persuasive language, it is not able to capture the nuances of human emotion and may be unable to capture a brand’s unique voice. As a result, messages may appear impersonal and generic, ultimately affecting the reputation of the brand.

Secondly, Chat GPT may contribute to the spread of misinformation or fake news. Even though the language model is capable of generating precise and persuasive responses, it does not have the ability to verify the authenticity of information or differentiate between credible and unreliable sources. When PR professionals use Chat GPT excessively to generate messaging, inaccurate or misleading information may be disseminated.

Many critics contend that ChatGPT lacks a human touch, which can negatively impact PR efforts that are crucial to establishing relationships.

There is a possibility that human interaction might be reduced as a result of this technological advancement. Public relations professionals are often required to build relationships with journalists, influencers, and other stakeholders for the promotion of their clients or companies. However, if chatbots begin to replace routine communication tasks, there is an increased risk that human interaction will be devalued and relationships will become less important.

Additionally, ChatGPT may not be capable of comprehending the subtleties of different cultures and languages, resulting in miscommunications and cultural insensitivity. The ChatGPT may not be able to handle sensitive issues or crises as well as a human PR professional.

Public relations expert Ronald Ng’engo believes that AI has the potential to assist organizations in identifying potential crises through use of advanced data analysis tools that identify risks and enable timely response.

Despite ethical concerns, he points out that one can use artificial intelligence to enhance their writing without copying the results produced by the bot

From a security standpoint, AI security is a two-way street: It can be exploited by malicious actors in order to abuse victims, while its own security can be compromised by those same malignant actors.

The chatgpt service poses a variety of cyber threats to its audience. Threats that include information disclosure and privacy violations. The CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, expressed concern about the ChatGBT models, which are becoming more adept at writing computer code, being used for large-scale disinformation.

To date, there has been at least one reported breach of ChatGPT, in the week beginning March 20, 2023, OpenAI took the system offline to fix a flaw that resulted in the exposure of user information. It was later discovered that OpenAI’s original fix was flawed as well, making ChatGPT APIs vulnerable to bypassing.

At present, we are living in an era of artificial intelligence, a time when technology is continuously emerging and developing. While AI and technology can be effective and beneficial in assisting and easing our work life, they also pose a number of risks. Data breach and privacy abuse risks. Among the areas at risk from an unfettered use of AI, privacy will be one of the areas most impacted by ethical or unethical use of the technology.

As a final observation, Chat GPT has both positive and negative implications for the PR profession. Despite its potential to streamline communication tasks, gain valuable insights into target audiences, and save time, it raises concerns about the role of human interaction and deception.

It will ultimately be the responsibility of PR professionals to strike a balance between the advantages and risks associated with using chatbots.

It is imperative that PR professionals be transparent about the use of chatbots and maintain a human touch in their communication strategies to ensure that they are utilizing this technology responsibly and effectively, rather than using it as an excuse to become lazy or to supplement their skills.

Consequently, they will ensure that their communication remains authentic, credible, and effective.

Maryam Na-Allah is Staff Writer with Spokespersons Digest, a sister publication of PRNigeria

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