Artificial intelligence is no longer a topic of the future - it is part of the present in communications, business, and reputation management. But what does this mean for the profession of "Public Relations"?

Career Daily News reached out to leading PR specialists, communication directors, managing partners of PR agencies, and corporate communication experts with one key question:

"How do you think AI will change the role of PR specialists in the next 2–3 years – will it be a threat to the profession or the strongest tool in the hands of communication leaders?"

The answers reveal different perspectives, but also one common trend - the future of PR will not be a choice between humans and technology, but the ability to combine the capabilities of artificial intelligence with human creativity, strategic thinking, and the skill to build trust.

Katya Dimitrova (Managing Partner, Interpartners Group; CEO, InterImage PR; Chairperson of BACA – the Bulgarian Association of Communication Agencies)

"The topic of AI development is becoming increasingly hot in public discussions – and rightly so. It should be viewed on one hand as a tool, and on the other hand as ethics and rules for using this toolkit. The good news is that there are more and more attempts and established documents with recommendations for the ethical use of AI in communications – there are those recognized by communication organizations BAPRA and BDVO, which are based on international principles from the ICCO organization. There is already a document regulating the use of AI in a creative aspect – based on a document from EACA and recognized by the creative association BACA.

In a time when AI facilitates processes and creates content, critical thinking, selectivity, and human intervention to make the final product personalized and unique are of key importance. The profession of PR does exactly that, and our strategic role as consultants and correctives will grow and become increasingly necessary for businesses. There are professions that will be largely replaced by AI tools, but in the hands of PR specialists, it is more of a powerful tool for efficiency and an opportunity for the role of consultants to become primary, while the help of AI will be in implementing recommendations."

Implementing AI without a strategy is like buying a plane without a pilot

 

Gergana Ivanova (President of the Bulgarian Society for Public Relations (BDVO) and manager of The Smarts Group)

"As with anything new, I believe we will witness all sorts of extremes - from complete denial to attempts at total replacement of human activities, experiments will accompany us in the coming years. Whether Artificial Intelligence will be a threat or a tool in the hands of PR will depend entirely on the Natural Intelligence that will manage it. The key word is management, as opposed to letting ourselves be carried away by the whirlwind of changes that are happening anyway. I believe PR people need to be proactive and know and use as many AI tools as possible to understand their strengths and weaknesses and to use them competently, as well as to stay a step ahead of the rest of the world. I do not believe that AI will displace two things - critical thinking and creativity, so this is the starting position from which we should begin using it."

The Power of Storytelling: When HR, PR, Marketing, and Employer Branding Speak Together

 

Kameliya Dimitrova (CEO at PRPlay)

“The use of AI tools has seriously entered our daily work. This is extremely useful, speeds up routine processes, and provides enormous opportunities. For prepared professionals, who know what they are doing and have the necessary knowledge and experience, this is invaluable. Especially when processing large volumes of information, which is a daily occurrence in our work. In the hands of unprepared people, however, AI can even be dangerous. In PR consultants' work, professional judgment, knowledge of the context, and creative thinking are important. Blind use of AI can be fatal for clients' reputations, causing huge damage. Here comes the topic of ethical rules in the use of AI. Questions about the security of client information and how well it is protected and used correctly are subject to serious discussion. I expect relevant regulations to be introduced very soon. The process is extremely dynamic, and as before, the most adaptive will become even better, while the market will be filtered once again.”

 

Ivan Yanakiev (Managing partner of PR agency Propaganda Group)

„In just the last 5–6 years, I have seen how the guild has moved from initial fear to active curiosity, and today – to deep integration of AI into our work. For me, AI is a huge and unprecedented opportunity – a powerful tool that allows us to focus on what machines still cannot: to imagine things that do not exist, as well as on empathy, strategic judgment, relationships, and creatively solving complex cases. The risk exists only if we delegate decision-making and moral judgment to it. In fact, in our profession, I believe it is more accurate to call it not "artificial," but "augmented" intelligence to our own.“

 

Maxim Behar 

CEO of M3 Communications Group, Inc.

„Several months ago, I wrote to my colleagues in the company a short email, just in one sentence. The text of this email was: „AI will not take your jobs, but new colleagues who know how to work well with AI will g o do it“. And with each passing day, this truth becomes stronger… 

However, whatever we say, artificial intelligence is on the verge of drastically changing our business. And not because we can use it to manipulate our photos or create fake videos, but rather because with good professional use, it can certainly provide us with perspectives we have never even thought of. Here, of course, I mainly refer to projects for our clients, or even internal company ones, but now, in the middle of 2026, we know nothing about what lies ahead... We only know that after the "revolution" that social media brought to our business, its second stage is coming, in which they should already start thinking for us and performing tasks by themselves, for which just a year or two ago it required much time, much effort, and deep research. Which is naturally the good news in this whole process. 

So… practically, there are no bad news here. But there are quite a few risks. The most important of them is the risk of over-relying on a digital platform to perform our thinking and creative work. Now and in the future, this will not be possible. Or if it happens, there will be desperately negative consequences, both for our clients and for us as communication experts. And it is not just about checking what we have seen or read on some artificial intelligence platform, but about the very creative process, which must start from us, the experts, and end again with us. AI is already a powerful, very powerful instrument in our hands, but especially in our business, it will never be the strongest; that will be us with our ideas, our experience, specific to each case, and our knowledge.

And finally – I advise everyone who has even the slightest contact with this wonderful and dynamic business – Public Relations – to rediscover every day the opportunities and advantages of AI, to use them to the fullest and to study them in detail. Just remember the most important part of this advice – every day.“

 

Alexander Hristov (Managing Partner at Paragraph 42)

„For about two years, it has become clear that AI does not justify either the overly sugary hopes of some enthusiasts that it will do everything for us, nor the apocalyptic opinions of various conspirators that it will take away both our knife and our bread, and we will die of hunger. PR leaders are already fully aware that it has enormous possibilities, provides broad perspectives for speed and systematization of data and information, but lacks character and creativity. In this sense, AI is an extremely strong tool that is not only not a threat to the profession, but will make it even more significant and successful. I believe in the understanding that we must make AI work for us, not instead of us.
And therefore, the change will be clear - I expect PR specialists to provide smarter and more informed decisions, to be more agile, and thus contribute to the development of businesses and societies.“

 

Svetlozar Karabelyov (Communications Manager at APRA Balkans Communication Group)

„Managing communications is a complex process, at the center of which has always been the mastery of language and the ability to create impactful content. And just as language is a flexible and constantly changing system, so the PR environment does not stop transforming according to technologies. Today, everyone talks about artificial intelligence (AI), which reflects technological progress globally in every field.
 
In my opinion, we should not view AI as a threat to the profession, but rather as an opportunity for development, at least in the short term. In the long term, it is too speculative to make definitive predictions, given the pace at which these technologies are developing.
 
What I can share without a doubt is that AI is already changing the entire PR field and this is completely natural – digital technologies are part of our daily lives for most of the day, they are literally at our fingertips. In this regard, it is natural for AI tools to be a valuable assistant in our operational work.
 
I think we would all agree that AI can create text in seconds. But we need to open an important bracket: without being familiar with the context, AI cannot assess whether the text it has generated is strategically correct. This is where the role of the PR expert remains – to filter, to edit, to provide context, and to take responsibility for every public communication. And for this, it is necessary to have serious natural intelligence and a critical eye to assess whether the information generated by algorithms is suitable for use in the given form, or is a product of the "imagination" of generative artificial intelligence.
 
Moreover – when you talk to someone face to face, when you are "on the ground," organizing an event, or when you need to make an important lightning-fast strategic decision at a critical moment, the personal experience of the PR specialist comes to the forefront, allowing them to react adequately and make the most appropriate decision.
 
Ultimately, the fundamental task of PR – to create value for the reputation of clients and to manage their relationships – remains unchanged. Only the tools for achieving it are transforming. Therefore, the main principle in building a PR strategy today is to ensure sustainable results in an increasingly digitalized environment that is increasingly confidently trying to pass the Turing test."

Anna Lozanova (Corporate & Government Affairs Manager at Mondelez International)

„AI will not replace the PR specialist – it will replace the PR specialist who does not use AI.
AI will take over a large part of the operational tasks: media monitoring, first drafts of press releases, analyses, personalized outreach. What today takes hours will happen in minutes.

But here is where AI stops and the PR professional takes over: strategic thinking, building trust, the sense of context and moment, ethical judgment, and the ability to manage a crisis with empathy, emotion... No algorithm can replace relationships, trust, and emotion – and PR is built precisely on these relationships.
I see AI as a strong additional tool in the hands of PR professionals – provided that we use it with a clear awareness of its limits. The risk is not the technology itself, but blind delegation without human oversight. When AI generates content at unprecedented speed, it is the PR professional who ensures authenticity, accuracy, and value.
AI will make good PR specialists - excellent, while those who rely solely on routine will become irrelevant.“

 

Mila Milenova-Popova (Director “Corporate, Digital and Marketing Communications” § Country Communication Manager at KBC Group in Bulgaria)

„Over the last decade, we have witnessed the rise of digital communications and the decline of PR, if I may paraphrase the title of the bestseller by Al and Laura Reeves. AI creates a historically unique, I would even say epoch-making moment, in which PR has a chance to once again rise and have real meaning and benefit from it beyond long-term reputation building, namely – in feeding algorithms with quality, reliable, and structured content or in other words – what AI likes to “read” AI. A new era in communications. A new chance for rehabilitation of the classic PR toolkit in a digital environment. This is how I see AI. In the era of AI, text content indexed as reliable will be one of the most valuable assets of any company. The question is how quickly PR professionals will realize this new role.“

 

Desislava Elenkova (Chairperson of the Supervisory Board of the “Bulgarian Society for Public Relations”)

„For me personally, AI has already changed the profession of communication specialists and in a positive direction. The various tools we use greatly facilitate us at an operational level, leaving us more time and attention for the strategic part of our work.

Previously, the majority of the workday was spent writing press releases, interviews, articles, and presentations. Now, with the right instructions, we receive content in raw form in seconds. Operational work has largely been done, and we enter our role as strategists, checking facts, editing, and shaping the generated text and giving it "life".

Before, we sent the same press release to dozens of journalists. Now AI can create individual texts with references to previous articles by specific journalists, in their tone and according to their current interests. Our work remains to be the strategists of the messages and to decide which journalist should receive the story from what angle to intrigue them and get it published.

It is also a great facilitation when AI analyzes which headlines will work best, at what time to publish, and in which channel. But here our skills are needed:

• to ask the right questions and instructions (prompt engineering);
• to have media literacy 2.0, namely to recognize deepfakes and AI-generated fake news to protect the reputation of the company or client;
• ethical control – to monitor AI to ensure it does not create false claims or incorrect data and to take responsibility for the final result.

24/7 monitoring of social networks, news sites, and forums is also very useful. You receive a signal within minutes, understand which groups are the most influential, what the emotional charge is, and can respond in time with an appropriate response.

And to the question "Will AI replace the PR profession and how will it change it?" I will say the following: No, it will not replace it, it will upgrade it. Because AI cannot build trust, it cannot sense people's moods, it has no emotion, and it cannot sense "where the wind is blowing" in a crisis.

But the PR specialist who does not use AI tools will be replaced by a colleague who will do in one hour what would take a day and will have time to focus on truly strategic tasks.

And finally, one piece of advice to colleagues: invest in training on how to integrate AI into your work process, so you have more time for live contact with people. Because this is the strength of our profession, namely public relations. It is no coincidence that the oldest organization of communication specialists in Bulgaria is called "Bulgarian Society for Public Relations".

 

Svetoslava Bancheva (PR and Digital Communications Manager at Neterra)

„PR is a specific profession. It requires you to communicate live in a natural way, to create and maintain networks of contacts that are in the interest of the business, but are based on human relationships.

The role of PR is also to create and ensure that everyone in the company adheres to the style of communication of the firm with external audiences, as well as to prepare people for their public and media appearances.

PR knows how to take advantage of every opportunity, situation, news, story, or event around itself to establish the reputation of the company, as well as to react instantly when there is a threat to its image.

All of this happens in physical reality and involves live people. Therefore, in my opinion, AI will continue to be a strong tool in the future, not a threat to the profession."

 

Denitsa Kostadinova (Group Head of Marketing and Communications at AG Capital)

„AI is not a threat to the PR profession and communications; on the contrary, it will be a catalyst for filtering quality content and professionals in the industry.
From my perspective, technologies have always been a means of automating certain processes, with one main goal: to free up resources for the core activities inherent to each profession. And here lies the key, because at the core of PR and communications are interaction and communication, exchange of information, as well as critical perception. This artificial intelligence cannot replace.
We are witnessing an initial spontaneous use of AI with the feeling that we have outsmarted the audience, but in fact, what happened is that communication began to sound hollow, monotonous, and repetitive in its pathos and messages.
I believe that the next stage will be much more mature. AI will establish itself as a valuable tool for research, data analysis, and structuring ideas. But creating content, formulating messages, and building trust will remain human territory. That is why the fight for authenticity will become increasingly fierce, and professionals who can offer an original perspective along with strategic thinking will be even more valuable.“

 

Teodora Atanasova (Marketing and PR Manager Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Kosovo at TP-Link Bulgaria)

„Artificial intelligence has led rather to a change in the very logic by which the profession works.
Yes, AI is already taking over the routine part such as monitoring, research, first drafts. This is not a threat, but a release of time for the things that truly create value: strategy development, media and partner relations, judgment in crisis situations. These things cannot be automated because they are built on trust.
But the more interesting change is another. More and more consumers are not searching in Google, but asking AI chatbots "which product to choose," "which company to trust." And these models primarily form their responses from earned media: independent publications, reviews, expert articles, rankings. In other words, the content that the PR specialist creates and positions no longer only influences reputation - it directly determines whether a brand will be recommended to the consumer at the moment of purchase decision. Thus, PR is now becoming a driver of sales, in addition to building trust and reputation.
Therefore, in the next 2–3 years, the PR specialist who understands how AI models discover, evaluate, and cite content will be more valuable than ever. The threat is not AI; the threat is to remain in the old definition of the profession.“

 

Boyan Bakardzhiev (Manager Corporate Communications and Public Relations at Renalpha)

„AI is a very good tool that is developing extremely quickly, but in my opinion, it will remain just that - a tool to help us. Currently, most AI models allow for a significant reduction in the time for gathering, analyzing, and structuring information, for visualizations and graphics. However, the ready data must be verified and cross-checked. In my opinion, this tool will increasingly allow for the shortening of some time-consuming activities and will facilitate us in our daily tasks, giving us the opportunity to focus on the strategic aspects of communications without losing many hours on activities that AI models can do in minutes.“

Polina Zdravkova (Channel Marketing, PR and Online BD Manager at SONY)

„No one can be completely sure how the profession will evolve. What we can say for now is the following:

-          AI has already automated a large part of operational work in PR – writing texts, monitoring, media analysis, translations, adapting content, etc.

-          The demand for purely executive PR roles will likely decrease because a specialist with AI will be able to do the work of several people.

-          Strategic roles will become more valuable because organizations will need people who take decisions, manage reputation, understand audiences, and take responsibility for communication.

In other words, if the question is: "Will it be a threat or a tool?", in my opinion, this is a false dilemma.

AI will be both:

• a threat to PR specialists who primarily rely on routine tasks;
• the strongest tool for PR leaders who use AI to work faster and focus on strategy.

In short, AI is not a threat to the PR profession, but to the outdated way of practicing it. After 2–3 years, we will not compete with artificial intelligence, but with people who know how to use it better than we do. The winners will not be those who write the most press releases, but those who turn data, technology, and human understanding into trust and real impact.“

 

Ivaylo Velkov (Managing Partner at Ideas Bulgaria)

„I believe that artificial intelligence will not completely replace PR specialists, but it will certainly change the way we work. And this is already happening. Routine tasks, such as content creation, monitoring, and data analysis, will increasingly be automated, which will free up time for the true value of the profession – strategic thinking, reputation management, and consulting businesses.

I believe that crisis communications will remain a human territory because taking responsibility in crisis management is key. And AI cannot take responsibility. In the near future, I believe that competitive advantage will belong to those who are not afraid of AI, but to those who manage to turn it into their strongest instrument. Ultimately, AI will not replace good PR specialists, but it will likely replace those who fail to adapt to the new reality. Because (still) artificial intelligence cannot exist without natural.“

 

Viliyana Staneva (PR and Corporate Communications Manager at Site Ground)

„PR has never been just about generating content. At its core lies something much more human - the ability to sense context, to read the nuances of emotions and public sentiments, and to act accordingly.
Therefore, in crisis moments, with delicate topics, or when it is necessary to build an authentic, recognizable voice, the most valuable remains what no algorithm can imitate - the personal experience of the professional, the intuition formed over the years, and the ability to make the right decision at the right moment, so that it leads to the desired response and result.
In the coming years, artificial intelligence will likely take over a large part of routine tasks: first drafts, monitoring, technical translations, quick references. This does not devalue the work of PR professionals; on the contrary - it frees up time, so we can dedicate ourselves to what makes this profession truly meaningful: strategic thinking, building real trust, and the ability to read the situation beyond words.
AI is one of our new technological tools at hand - it helps us to be faster and to work more quickly with large volumes of information. But the decisions, which require understanding, empathy, and judgment, continue to depend on us - the experts in this profession.“

 

Gergana Totkova-Petrakova (Public Relations Manager at Novartis Bulgaria)

„Artificial intelligence will not be a threat to the PR profession – it will be the strongest instrument in the hands of good PR leaders. In the next 2-3 years, AI will automate a large part of operational tasks – data analysis, monitoring, first drafts of texts, content personalization, and forecasting communication risks. This will free up time for what has always been the essence of the profession – strategic thinking, building trust, and managing reputation.
PR has never been just about creating content. It is the ability to understand people, to read public attitudes, to make the right decisions in crisis situations, and to build authentic relationships between organizations and their audiences. These are competencies that cannot be automated.
I am convinced that the most successful communication specialists will not be those, who oppose AI, but those who know how to use it wisely and ethically. Artificial intelligence can offer ideas, speed up processes, and analyze huge amounts of information, but the human remains the one who carries responsibility for the messages, context, and trust.
Today, we already see that the communication profession is changing. Critical thinking, the ability to fact-check, an ethical approach, and the ability to combine technological efficiency with human empathy are becoming increasingly important. It is precisely these qualities that will distinguish a good PR leader.
I believe that the future belongs to communication experts who perceive AI as a partner, not as a competitor. Because technologies can generate content, but trust, reputation, and meaningful relationships continue to be built by people.“

 

Georgi Lazarov (Head of Communications at Wiser Technology )

„For me, AI is no longer something that is about to change PR – the change is already happening. I use AI daily for a large part of my work – from research and monitoring, through information analysis and draft preparation, to structuring ideas and seeking different perspectives. This saves me a lot of time for operational tasks, but does not replace the most important part of the work of a PR specialist – to assess what is important, how to say it, when to say it, and how different audiences will perceive it. Therefore, I expect that in the next 2–3 years our role will become less operational and more strategic.
There is also another change that I believe is very important. More and more people are seeking information and making decisions with the help of AI, and AI systems, in turn, derive a large part of their information from independent media and from the content in the companies' own channels. An analysis by Muck Rack shows that 85.5% of the sources cited in AI responses are what is called earned media – content earned through media and organic presence. At the same time, more and more consumers are starting their search through AI, and brands with a stronger presence in independent external sources have a much greater chance of appearing in AI responses. This gives even more weight to quality media presence, expert content, and organic channels like LinkedIn.
Therefore, for me, AI will rather be the strongest tool that PR leaders have had so far. But only for those who know how to use it without delegating their own judgment. The more AI takes over content creation and information processing, the more important strategic thinking, relationship building, and trust, understanding of context and business, and the ability to participate in making important decisions will become.“

 

Gergana Ilieva (PR & Communications manager at Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce)

„Even now, AI is changing our work as PR specialists. At least for me, the various models I use have freed up time that I used to spend on writing initial drafts of texts, adapting content for different channels, writing scripts.
I assume that in the next 2–3 years we will direct our natural intelligence towards "decision-making," while allowing the artificial to handle our routine tasks. We will spend less time on execution, but will invest time in thinking, creating, and directing the messages. And now our work is related to the creation of communication strategies and building images with words, but soon AI will do this almost as well as we do. We will need to set the direction, ask the right questions to AI, recognize a good idea from generic content, and most importantly – to know and understand what needs to be said, to whom, when, and why.
I believe, in fact, I hope, that there will be another very important change: the value of human skills will increase. In a world where anyone can generate a decent text in seconds, those who have a position, a sense of the audience, empathy, good judgment, and the ability to build relationships and react adequately in crisis situations will stand out.
AI is already changing our profession and "automating" our work. But it is also starting to show the difference between PR specialists who perform tasks and those who manage communication. Perhaps the biggest change will be exactly this: the PR specialist will need to become less of a "content creator" and much more of a strategist.“

 

Patricia Kirilova (PR & Journalist CEO at Vipcompr.com)

„AI can indeed threaten the jobs of mediocre "operators" in this sector, but for industry leaders, it is a revolution that transforms the PR specialist into a strategist with limitless possibilities. In the coming years, AI may establish itself as our strongest tool for at least three reasons:

Speed and scale:
AI allows us to coordinate global causes and international networks in minutes, overcoming language and geographical barriers. It provides us with quick access to the best international practices.

Crisis management:
Through AI, we can foresee reputational risks in real-time through media and social network analysis.

The human factor as a luxury:
The more flooded the digital space is with AI-generated content, the more valuable and expensive authentic human presence and public engagement will become. There is a threat only for those who rely on templates. For visionaries, AI is an extension of possibilities.

In the next 2–3 years, artificial intelligence will not replace PR leaders, but leaders who use AI will replace those who ignore it. AI is not a threat, but the most powerful accelerator and tool. It can analyze vast amounts of data, optimize routine processes, and free up time for what the machine will never possess – empathy, strategic thinking, moral compass, and the ability to build true human trust.

In the era of digital transformation, the true PR specialist is no longer just a messenger, but an architect of values and socially significant causes. AI will automate the craft, but will elevate the art of human communication to a new, much higher pedestal.“

 

Magdalena Ivanova (Managing Partner at Executive Content)

„AI does not threaten the profession of PR specialists, but changes the way they work. Artificial intelligence can be a powerful tool, but if someone is not a professional, AI will not make them one.
Artificial intelligence gives us opportunities to be more effective and at the same time more focused on the more strategic aspects of the work. AI is a threat only to those who do not know how to use these opportunities.
There are three aspects of the profession that become even more important in the era of AI.
First and foremost is fact-checking. Every text created with the help of AI requires thorough and critical thinking. To check every source, to verify the information we have provided to AI to see if it has been used correctly, if it has interpreted the data correctly, etc.
Secondly, there is editing. Critical thinking is extremely important. We must realize that AI can generate content at a decent level, but only a good PR specialist can make it distinctive and memorable.
Thirdly, there is trust. An extremely important part of the work of PR specialists includes managing relationships, understanding the business, listening to the audience, recognizing risks, and making decisions in various situations. These are areas where human judgment, empathy, and responsibility remain irreplaceable.
So the change we are observing in the PR profession is actually towards greater demands for strategic thinking, editorial judgment, and the ability to build trust.“

 

Nadia Stanoeva (Managing Director at Progresiva Group)

„I believe that AI will not replace the work of PR specialists, but it will certainly change the way we work. I think that in the next 2-3 years, AI will start to take over more and more routine tasks - preparing raw texts, data analysis, summaries, media monitoring, and even creating visual content. This will help PR specialists, as it will give us the most valuable - time.
The true value of a PR specialist is mistakenly perceived as writing texts. Its essence lies in the ability to understand people, to build trust, to manage reputation, and to make the right communication decisions. No algorithm will be able to replace expert human judgment in a crisis situation and strategic thinking.
That is why I would respond that in my opinion, AI is not a threat, but a tool in the hands of a good PR specialist, as long as they use it correctly. The future belongs to professionals who know how to combine technology with critical thinking.“

Laura Petrova (Brand & PR Expert at Unique Estates)

„There is a widespread belief that AI will displace many professions and will replace employees. However, I do not see it as a threat, but as a creative tool that optimizes processes, saves time, and offers new ideas.

Especially in our field, daily adaptation to new trends is inevitable if you want to be competitive both in the labor market and in the industry as a whole. But critical thinking, creativity, in-depth analysis, and the ability to apply innovations are qualities that remain irreplaceable by technology.

I work in communications and believe that the human factor and trust will remain key in creating partnerships and building long-term relationships. AI can facilitate our work, but it cannot replace human judgment, empathy, and responsibility that lie behind every successful communication.

For years, we have been witnessing a digital revolution, and the world continues to evolve, and we must keep pace with it. If you are a good professional without AI, you will be even better with AI. Natural and artificial intelligence should be friends, not rivals.“

 

Desislava Vasileva (Manager at Idea Advertising and PR)

„I believe that in the next two to three years, AI will establish itself as one of the most valuable tools in our profession. The work of a PR expert is extremely dynamic – daily we process large volumes of information, work with clients from various fields, and need to quickly analyze, structure, and translate complex topics into understandable language for different audiences. It is precisely here that artificial intelligence saves the most valuable resource – time.
But AI cannot replace the professional judgment, experience, and strategic thinking of a PR expert. The information it provides is not always accurate, and therefore every statement must be verified by a reliable primary source. Moreover, the quality of the results largely depends on how we ask questions and formulate tasks for artificial intelligence.
The true value of a PR specialist remains in their competencies – critical thinking, the ability to analyze, to recognize credible information, to make the right communication decisions, and to give human meaning, emotion, and authenticity to every message.
Therefore, I believe that in the next two to three years, we will not observe a replacement of the PR profession, but its natural development. Artificial intelligence will be an excellent assistant for routine and analytical tasks, but trust, creativity, ethics, and strategic thinking will continue to be those qualities that only a human can provide. It is precisely these that make a successful PR leader.“

 

Ivanka Georgieva (PR Director at Serpact)

„Artificial intelligence gives the guild superpowers to work more effectively, more qualitatively, and faster. But it does not replace human expertise. That is why I do not see AI as a threat to the PR profession, but rather as a tool.
Recently, I came across a study that states that 93% of PR experts report a tangible acceleration of their projects thanks to AI - it “knows” how to optimize processes, analyze data, perform monitoring, point out trends, make predictions, etc. It is precisely here that I see the opportunity for change in our activity - AI will become our workhorse.
But the same study reveals another thing - 98% of specialists share that they always or often edit the texts generated by AI systems. For me, this shows that trust remains entirely the territory of natural intelligence. Because AI can generate ten working ideas, but it cannot sense the energy in a given communication, build a close contact with a journalist, or assess how a story will resonate emotionally. Empathy, strategic insight, and reliability, characteristic of our profession, are born only in human interaction.
It is also good to think in this direction - AI hallucinations and easy disinformation enhance the role of the PR specialist as a guardian of credibility. And in today’s reality, where we are witnessing a Search Everywhere behavior, reputation becomes more important than ever.
That is why I believe that the profession will not disappear or be drastically reformatted - the vision, trust, and human connection remain our true value.“

 

Ana Dinkova (PR Lead Europe & MENA at Endava Europe)

„If I have to be completely honest, I think the question is no longer whether AI will change the PR profession in the next two to three years. It has already changed it. Today, we are not observing the beginning of this transformation, but its next phase.

Many people still perceive artificial intelligence primarily as a tool for writing texts or generating ideas. However, this is only the most superficial part of its capabilities. The real change occurs in how we manage information, organize processes, and make decisions.

Modern PR has long been much more than writing press releases and creating content. At the core of the profession are gathering, processing, and analyzing information, recognizing trends, strategic planning, managing reputation, and making informed decisions. It is precisely in these areas that AI has the greatest potential to change the way we work.

The biggest change we are already observing is not that we write faster. It is in the way we make decisions. Until recently, communication teams spent enormous resources on gathering information, monitoring, analyzing, and preparing reports. AI is gradually turning a large part of these processes into almost instantaneous. This means that communication specialists can spend significantly more time analyzing data, consulting businesses, managing reputation, and participating in making strategic decisions. In other words, the role of PR specialists will increasingly shift from an executive to a consulting and strategic function.

Therefore, in my opinion, successful PR specialists are no longer just good communicators. They are people who understand how different AI models work, build their own AI agents, automate work processes, and use artificial intelligence for media monitoring, analysis of media presence, managing reputational risk, accountability, and planning communication campaigns.

In daily work, we already see this change, but it will only accelerate. If I had to outline the areas where AI will have the greatest influence on the PR profession, I would summarize them as follows:

• Intelligent media monitoring;
• Data-based planning;
• Personalized communication at scale;
• Reputational and crisis management;
• Automation of operational work;
• AI agents for managing communication processes.

Today, we can already create a first draft of a press release, a social media post, or a media proposal in just seconds. We can analyze and correct tone of voice much faster than we would do manually.

But this does not mean that the human role is diminishing. On the contrary.

AI can suggest a list of journalists, but it cannot build trust with them. It can summarize hundreds of publications, but it cannot understand the political, cultural, or business context as a good communication professional does. It can suggest a crisis scenario, but it cannot assess when an organization should remain silent, when to take responsibility, and when to change the direction of the conversation.

In other words, AI can significantly speed up our work, but it cannot replace professional judgment.

The most valuable skills in the profession remain entirely human – strategic thinking, critical judgment, empathy, the ability to understand the audience, and to build trust. With the advent of AI, it is precisely these qualities that will become increasingly valuable, because the role of the communication professional will not be simply to use the technology, but to ensure that communication remains credible, ethical, and meaningful.

Ultimately, the future of PR will not be "AI versus humans." It will be people who know how to work with AI against people who have failed to make it a natural part of their professional way of thinking. And in fact, I think this division is already starting to become clear.“