As public relations practitioners, we’ve spent the past year hearing that AI is coming for our jobs.
As a professor with one foot in academia and one firmly planted in industry, I can tell you the concern is valid and echoing through the audiences I work with. For example, while my students’ parents communicate how worried they are, many employers remain unsure about the future of AI in our industry.
The truth is: we’re being asked to embrace new technologies in a variety of ways to enhance our very emotional, people-forward work in public relations. As a result, the next generation of communications professionals is trying to figure out how to effectively work with AI while also sharpening their own unique skillsets.
Earlier this semester, I took a group of students to NYC, and one of the standout moments of the trip wasn’t just our visit to The PRMuseum, but attending one of their highly anticipated learning sessions with industry professionals.
Our group had the opportunity to sit in on a live demonstration from the Porter Novelli leadership team, where they introduced NovelliGPT, the firm’s proprietary generative AI platform. Inspired by Bill Novelli’s founding philosophy and pioneering principles, NovelliGPT offered a compelling look at how agencies can preserve institutional knowledge and thought leadership while welcoming the new generation of talent coming into the PR world. The experience reinforced a powerful idea for today’s communications professionals: Innovation does not require abandoning legacy. It requires finding smarter ways to carry it forward.
Below are some key takeaways from this compelling session and thoughts on how AI serves as a companion in this context:
1. An AI “buddy” can capture legacy insight
Industries change. Expertise evolves. And over time, the voices that shaped public relations risk being lost. Creating a unique AI companion that reflects the personality, values, and wisdom of those who built an organization can help preserve its character. Even more importantly, it gives the next generation access to mentorship and institutional insight they might not otherwise experience.
2. Lead with emotion and examples
AI is only as strong as the material shaping it. What we learned from the Porter Novelli team is that real stories matter. Recording and documenting actual experiences, supported by examples, documents, links, and media hits, helps ensure accuracy and depth. Because AI does not intrinsically emote, emotion must be embedded through anecdotes and lived experience.
3. Use AI companions to drive culture
Agencies attract talent and clients based on reputation, values, and vision. As new employees enter an organization, maintaining that underlying character is critical. People connect far more with stories than with employee handbooks. We saw firsthand how Bill Novelli’s personality and values were reflected in his AI companion. This ensures his voice continues to guide the agency even as the times evolve.
One thing I hadn’t fully considered before attending this session was how AI could extend beyond monitoring audience sentiment, analyzing reporter profiles, or identifying story angles. In this context, AI became a tool to analyze, harness, and protect the core of the organization itself.
Of course, technology cannot and should not replace us. But in this unique use case, it can help replicate some of the thinking, problem-solving, and soul of the people who built and led impactful campaigns.
Our group was inspired by Porter Novelli’s thoughtful and intentional approach to AI. Not simply for client needs, but to build culture, preserve legacy, and retain what truly matters.
This blog was written by Kristina Markos, PR Club Board Member