This is an op-ed piece written by Ronn Torossian, Founder & Chairman of 5W Public Relations.
Artificial intelligence has reshaped public relations, offering tools that analyze audience behavior, predict trends, and generate content at scale. But while AI can process data faster than any human, it lacks the authenticity and emotional depth that make stories resonate.
PR professionals now face a fundamental question: How can AI-driven insights be balanced with the trust-building human touch? The answer lies in using AI as a tool, not a replacement, ensuring that technology informs storytelling without stripping away the emotional elements that truly connect with people.
The Power of Data, The Need for Emotion
AI excels at gathering and interpreting data, providing PR teams with a clearer understanding of audience preferences. It can analyze sentiment, track engagement, and identify patterns that would take humans weeks to uncover. This enables more targeted messaging, ensuring that stories reach the right people at the right time.
But data alone doesn’t create compelling narratives.
The ability to weave facts into stories that stir emotion, inspire action, and build relationships is something only humans can do effectively. AI can suggest themes based on past engagement, but it can’t grasp the subtleties of human experience the way a skilled storyteller can.
When Creativity Meets Computation
The most effective PR campaigns combine AI’s analytical power with human creativity. AI can help identify which stories are likely to resonate, but it takes a human to craft a message that feels authentic and emotionally relevant.
Think of AI-driven personalization in marketing: it customizes content, but it’s the humor, empathy, and relatability—the human touch—that makes a campaign memorable. A well-told story does more than inform; it creates connection. Without that connection, even the most data-driven strategy falls flat.
Authenticity Is Still the Ultimate Currency
Authenticity remains the foundation of trust in PR. Audiences can tell when a message feels robotic or overly polished. AI-generated content, while efficient, often lacks the natural imperfections and emotional layers that make human storytelling compelling.
Smart PR professionals understand this. They use AI to gather insights but rely on intuition and empathy to shape stories that resonate. AI should enhance, not replace, the storyteller’s voice.
The Ethics Behind the Algorithm
Ethical considerations are critical when using AI in storytelling. Transparency matters. Audiences should know when AI has been involved in content creation. Moreover, organizations must ensure that AI-generated narratives do not distort facts or manipulate emotions.
Data privacy is another concern. AI relies on vast datasets—often including personal information—to generate insights. PR professionals must handle this data responsibly. Trust, once broken, is difficult to restore.
Personalization Without Intrusion
AI gives PR pros the ability to personalize messaging based on behavior, preferences, and demographics. This kind of customization makes communication more relevant—but it must be handled with care.
A message that feels too targeted can backfire, making audiences feel watched rather than engaged. The key is to strike a balance: personalization should enhance the experience, not compromise trust or comfort.
Looking Ahead: AI as a Partner, Not a Replacement
AI will continue to evolve, offering increasingly powerful tools for PR professionals. Generative AI can already mimic human writing styles, and future innovations will only sharpen that skill. But no matter how advanced AI becomes, it cannot replace the nuance, emotion, and authenticity that human storytellers bring to the table.
The role of PR professionals is shifting. They must now master the art of blending AI insights with emotional intelligence to deliver messages that not only reach audiences—but move them. The core of PR will always be storytelling, and great stories are told by humans.
The Bottom Line: Trust Is Human
For PR professionals, the takeaway is clear: AI is a powerful ally—but not a substitute for human creativity and connection. The most successful strategies will use AI to support and refine storytelling, not to automate it.
Trust is built through genuine stories, shared authentically—and that’s something only humans can deliver.
About the Author
Ronn Torossian is the Founder & Chairman of 5W Public Relations, one of the largest independently owned PR firms in the United States. Since founding 5WPR in 2003, he has led the company’s growth and vision, with the agency earning accolades including being named a Top 50 Global PR Agency by PRovoke Media, a top three NYC PR agency by O’Dwyers, one of Inc. Magazine’s Best Workplaces, and receiving multiple American Business Awards, including a Stevie Award for PR Agency of the Year.
