Ethically Navigating the Waves of AI Integration

New research with advanced adopters of AI depicts a recipe for disaster when describing the current state of AI ethics in public relations.

First, organizations are pressured to adopt new AI tools quickly to improve efficiency while providing little to no training or ethical guidelines; some employees are experimenting with unauthorized tools and may be compromising confidential or proprietary information, and content is being shared publicly without proper verification.

Senior-level practitioners are well aware of the risks, and they are significant: data privacy concerns, copyright/plagiarism violations, AI hallucinations, noise (i.e., AI slop), loss of transparency and trust. As one study participant articulated:

“The biggest risk of using AI is losing the trust of your stakeholders, customers and your publics. AI can get in the way of building trust and connection — two pillars of public relations.”

These concerns are further supported by research conducted by the Global Alliance for Public Relations & Communication Management in 2025, which revealed that while adoption of AI is far-reaching, only 39.4% of organizations reported having responsible AI use guidelines and 38% reported having none. In addition, 57.5% of PR and communication managers completing the survey reported that they did not have any role in AI governance.

Through an open-ended survey referred to as Delphi research, a team of researchers with the PRSA Board of Ethics & Professional Standards and Baylor University examined the ethical risks and consequences associated with AI integration and identified the core ethics skills that are necessary for public relations practitioners to guide their organizations through this sea of change. 

A total of 33 PR leaders completed the first round of the survey, and 26 of the same participants completed a follow-up survey or the second round. The practitioners had an average of 22 years of experience in public relations and their self-reported evaluation of their level of experience with AI was 3.16 (i.e., proficient) on a seven-point scale ranging from expert (1) to novice (7).

Navigational skills for the AI surge

The most essential ethics competencies they identified were (1) appropriate use / AI literacy/compliance literacy, (2) critical thinking, (3) knowledge/awareness of risks, (4) ethical judgment, (5) privacy awareness/confidentiality (6) intellectual and ethical curiosity, (7) ethical awareness, (8) accountability, (9) discernment, and (10) developing policies/ governance/oversight.

More specifically, they explained that AI literacy should include awareness of the risks associated with AI use, being able to identify content created by AI, being able to identify when content needs to be revised or edited, whether or not it’s appropriate to use for a particular task, understanding how the tools work and are trained, and recognition of the tool’s limitation. As one participant expressed:

“Ethics involves a commitment to honesty, the truth, facts and objective reality. AI-enabled PR without this just ends up being disinformation and noise at scale.”

We also inquired which of these ethics competencies they perceive as lacking in our industry in general. The list in order includes 1) critical thinking, 2) adaptability, 3) collaboration, 4) tenacity, and 5) appropriate use/ AI literacy/ compliance literacy.  

For PR practitioners to fulfill a strategic role in our organizations, we need to develop and enhance our competencies in each of these areas through continuous learning. One participant described the ideal:

“The practitioner has to be the strategic thinker and provide ethical decision-making.  They have to provide the ‘why’ and strategy behind the messaging, even if using AI as a thought partner to develop the message, and they serve as the ethical conscience on deciding when to use the information and when to change or reject it.”

Identifying the headwinds

We also identified the personal, organizational and system barriers that limit our abilities to engage in ethical decision-making when integrating AI into public relations practice. No surprise, the top issues were around financial pressures, lack of time and pressure for efficiency. As one practitioner explained:

“When leadership prioritizes efficiency over quality or does not model ethical AI practices, practitioners may feel discouraged from slowing down to question or challenge AI-generated outputs.”

Another participant stressed the need to take time for good decision-making:

“Do not be in a rush to share information with AI and use the information received from AI without multiple rounds of verification. Take your time. Be slow not sorry.”

Others pointed out that annual training is insufficient because the tools are changing so quickly. That becomes daunting because everyone is already finding it difficult to schedule time for training and organizations are not providing the resources internally.

A path forward

So how do practitioners develop these skills when time is limited and when their organizations are not providing the necessary training and ethical guidelines?  

Fortunately, the PRSA Board of Ethics & Professional Standards has issued guidelines in “Promise & Pitfalls: The Ethical Use of AI for Public Relations Practitioners Versions 2.0.” and the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management released “Responsible AI Principles.”  

Practitioners can also take advantage of online training programs focused on AI such as certification programs offered by PRSA and the Institute for Advertising Ethics. 

By actively engaging with these resources, practitioners can strengthen their ethical compass and master the navigational skills required to steer through the crashing waves of the AI surge. Rather than being swept away by the headwinds of financial and efficiency pressures, these resources empower public relations professionals to lead with ethical discernment, ensuring that even in a perfect storm of technological change, they remain anchored in transparency and trust.

Each September, PRSA recognizes Ethics Month to bring increased attention to the communications profession’s core foundation. Please visit prsa.org/ethics and PRSA’s social media platforms for programming updates.

PRSA’s website offers a wealth of ethics-focused resources and practical insights for communicators.