How to Introduce AI into Your PR Workflow: 5 Tips from an Expert

AI is having a significant impact on the PR industry. According to the 2025 Comms Report, three in four comms professionals feel confident in their organization’s ability to take advantage of AI, while 37% are actively using it to review or optimize content.

Introducing AI into your PR workflow isn’t something that can be done overnight. Before firing up your ChatGPT or Gemini prompts, careful planning, consideration, and stakeholder buy-in from across the company is required.

So how exactly should PR teams go about bringing AI into their day-to-day efforts? That was a topic of discussion in the first episode of Cision’s new Deep Dive podcast, in which PR expert Hajira Amla, founder of Nectar Marketing Communications, spoke to our VP of Account Management, Nadin Vernon, about all things AI.

The full podcast is available to watch now, but before then here’s a taste of what to expect from the conversation with some tips on integrating AI into your public relations workflow.

Tip 1: Start with Value Stream Mapping

Value stream mapping (often referred to as VSM), is a technique commonly used in business to implement improvements in processes and identify where you might be wasting resources. For the purposes of PR, VSM might be used to show the process of creating a product launch campaign from start to finish.

Amla believes this is a valid way to look at implementing AI into your PR workflow. “Whatever that process looks like, get it down on paper and map it out, and you can see then where the inefficiencies are,” she explains. “Maybe AI could help to take time off this [task] or cut part of this process out and streamline it a little bit more.”

For example, think about how long it takes to get a press release from idea to distribution. From conducting research to writing multiple drafts, to building media lists and finally pressing send, there are points in this process that can be made more efficient with the use of AI. It might be adjusting the tone of your copy with ChatGPT or using an AI-driven platform (more on those in tip 2) to quickly identify relevant journalists and curate them into a media list.

Using VSM is a great starting point because it helps break down any PR process into its constituent parts. From this granular perspective, it’s easier to identify where AI can help you save time and resources.

Tip 2: Evaluate Your Options (Free vs. Proprietary Tools)

Once you’ve identified where AI can streamline your public relations workflow, the next step is deciding which tools to use. This isn't always a straightforward decision, and Amla recommends being methodical in your evaluation.

"You need to weigh up and do a pros and cons list," she says. "Are you going to go with free models that are available depending on the task, or are you going to use a proprietary model that you have to license and purchase?"

Tools like ChatGPT or Gemini might be perfect for text-driven work – think brainstorming ideas, writing initial press release drafts, or summarizing research documents – but there are AI platforms designed specifically for PR that are better suited to undertaking your day-to-day tasks.

There are several factors that should inform this decision. “Does it integrate with our other systems that we're using?" Amla asks. "What about data privacy and security? If we're using a public model, what happens to our data? Because then we're not owning it, [the data is] going somewhere else, and AI models are being used to train it."

Data privacy concerns are particularly important for PR teams handling sensitive client information, embargoed product launches, or business strategies. Using a free AI model for these tasks may not be the best solution if there’s a risk of exposing confidential information.

The key is matching the right AI tool to the right PR task. For routine work like crafting a social media caption, free models might suffice. For strategic planning or anything involving confidential data, investing in a secure, licensed solution is worth the cost.

Tip 3: Avoid FOMO-Driven PR Workflow Decisions

It’s easy to rush into AI implementation, particularly as it’s such a buzzy topic and dominating headlines. However, Amla warns against jumping on the bandwagon without proper forethought.

"Don't just go into AI because you have this FOMO [fear or missing out] or you feel like, 'Oh, everybody else is doing it, so I should be doing it,'" she says.

Rushing into adoption without proper consideration can lead to significant loss of investment, she says, both in terms of money and the time spent training teams on tools that may fast become obsolete.

Instead, take some time to consider the long-term viability of any AI tool you're evaluating. Will it still be relevant in your workflow two years from now? Does it solve a genuine problem you've identified through your VSM exercise?

Just because your competitors are implementing a specific AI tool set doesn’t mean it’s the right move for your team. Sometimes the best course of action is to wait and see how the technology develops before committing resources.

Tip 4: Keep AI as Your Copilot, Not the Pilot

When creating a PR AI workflow, remember:  You want your AI to augment human capabilities, not replace them completely.

"It has to be the copilot, not the pilot," Amla explains. This distinction is crucial for successful AI implementation in PR, where human judgment, creativity, and relationship-building remain critical.

To this idea of automation, Amla cites a viral social media post from author Joanna Maciejewska. The post says: You know what the biggest problem with pushing all-things-AI is? Wrong direction. I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do my laundry and dishes.

For Amla, the same notion applies to her approach to AI. "I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can concentrate on my work," she says.

In practice, this means using AI to handle time-consuming administrative tasks like monitoring media coverage, generating initial draft content, analyzing brand sentiment data, or identifying trending topics. This gives PR professionals more time to focus on strategic thinking, crafting compelling brand stories, maintaining media relations, and managing crisis communications.

By positioning AI as a supportive tool rather than a replacement, you’ll maintain the human elements that make PR effective while benefiting from AI's efficiency and data-handling capabilities.

Tip 5: Prioritize Outcomes Over ROI

When evaluating AI tools for your PR workflow, it's tempting to focus on cost savings and return on investment. However, Amla suggests a different way of thinking.

"It's not about how you can save money or what the return of investment is," she explains. "It's about the outcomes." In other words, the true value of using AI in PR often lies in improved quality, deeper insights, and enhanced strategic capabilities. If implemented correctly, AI will ultimately lead to ROI in the longer term.

For example, an AI tool might be costly up front but deliver better media targeting, resulting in higher quality coverage and stronger relationships with key journalists. Another benefit may be a sentiment analysis tool that helps you spot potential issues before they become crises, preventing reputational damage.

When evaluating AI solutions, ask your team: Will this improve the quality of our work? Will it provide insights we couldn't access before? Will it enable us to plan more strategically? These outcome-focused questions will guide you toward selecting tools that genuinely enhance your PR capabilities, rather than selecting solutions based solely on cost savings.

Deep Dive with Cision

For more insights on AI and its impact on the PR and comms space, listen to the full Deep Dive AI discussion with Hajira Amla. Look out for future podcast episodes addressing the shifting audience landscape and the secrets to social media success.

Find out how our AI-driven platform CisionOne can transform the way your PR team works. Speak with one of our experts.