Generative artificial intelligence is transforming the communication landscape at great speed and is becoming an indispensable tool for communication and PR profiles. With technologies like ChatGPT at the forefront, the demands on communications professionals are fundamentally changing. Not only do they have to be able to communicate and write convincingly, but they also have to integrate the new applications and tools into their everyday work. Today, job offers in the PR sector that explicitly require AI skills are no longer uncommon, but are increasingly part of the requirements profile of communications professionals.
AI is no longer just a supporting tool, but is becoming a key tool that rewrites the rules in the world of communication. The ability to process enormous amounts of data and derive relevant insights from them in real time makes AI an indispensable player in media and public relations.
Communication experts face the challenge of not only having traditional skills such as strong communication skills, excellent writing skills and analytical thinking, but also having in-depth knowledge of modern AI technologies such as ChatGPT. This development is underlined by the significant growth in the market for AI in Germany, which the digital association Bitkom has identified: an increase in spending on AI software to around 4.1 billion euros, supplemented by investments in services and hardware. This year, according to Bitkom, spending is expected to rise again by 30 percent to 8.2 billion euros, and in 2025 the 10 billion euro mark could even be exceeded.
Demand for AI skills is growing rapidly
This economic dynamic is also reflected in the labor market, where AI skills are increasingly becoming a decisive competitive advantage. A study carried out by the Index agency in cooperation with the TU Darmstadt confirms this trend. The analysis of all job boards and around 400,000 websites showed that the demand for experts in generative AI in particular is increasing in contrast to other AI areas.
There are already many concrete examples of the use of AI in public relations and they are part of everyday life. Customer service chatbots that respond to inquiries and answer frequently asked questions are just a start. AI is also revolutionizing social media monitoring to identify trends and efficiently analyze public opinion. In political communication, AI enables precise target group targeting by analyzing voter sentiments and trends and supports the creation of personalized messages.
The challenges of AI in communication work
Although AI enables impressive advances in public and media work, its risks should not be ignored. One of the main concerns is the risk of echo chamber effects, where AI systems can unconsciously reinforce biases and biases. This happens when algorithms analyze data based on existing opinion trends and thus promote one-sided views.
In addition, the use of AI in communication also poses ethical challenges. Data security and data protection issues are of central importance, especially when AI systems process users' personal data. There are concerns that such data could be misused or used for manipulative purposes.
For the application of AI tools in public relations, it is crucial that experts and specialists in this field not only understand the technical aspects of AI, but also consider the potential ethical and social implications of its application.
Navigating the complexities of AI integration
The right way to implement it is certainly one of the central questions for many companies in the field of AI this year: After the initial enthusiasm and trying it out, it is now often a matter of implementing generative AI in a data protection-compliant manner and in your own infrastructure.
However, challenges quickly emerge: On the one hand, the specific requirements that communications departments have when working with generative AI cannot be easily implemented. The ChatGPT interface now spoils us with many functions such as saving and sharing chats or your own bots in the form of so-called custom GPTs, which are very valuable for productive work.
On the other hand, it is not enough to provide an interface: AI models continue to develop - in their performance, but also in the parameters with which they can be used. So if you decide on your own solution, you need a development team that continuously monitors, maintains and regularly updates it.
Further links and information :
German AI market grows by a third
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