#WPRD2025 Lebogang Mashangoane Explores What Modern PR Looks Like in a Rapidly Evolving AI-Driven World

Lebogang Mashangoane, PR account director at the Riverbed Agency, says we need to ask what modern PR looks like in an AI-powered world. (Image supplied)

The same transformation is happening across industries, driven by emerging technologies, changing audience behaviours, and an explosion of new content formats.

Rather than asking whether PR is still relevant, we should be asking: What does modern PR look like in an AI-powered world?

The importance of agility

One of the most valuable lessons the Covid-19 pandemic taught us was the importance of agility.

Businesses that adapted quickly were the ones that survived and often thrived.

The same mindset is now essential in the face of AI disruption. The global AI market is currently valued at around $244bn and is expected to surpass $800bn by 2030.

With growth rates like this, embracing change isn’t optional—it’s critical.

The real threat is not AI

There’s a common fear that AI will replace human jobs. But the real threat is not AI itself—it’s the unwillingness to adapt to it.

AI won’t take your job, but someone who knows how to use it effectively might.

Recent data shows that 72% of companies are already using AI and more than 80% are seeing positive returns in less than three months.

Those who resist this shift may find themselves left behind, not by machines, but by more agile, informed peers who are integrating AI into their workflows.

The power of AI

AI has the power to boost productivity and efficiency in unprecedented ways.

It automates repetitive tasks, analyses data at scale and helps personalise communication like never before. But it still needs human oversight.

AI can generate content, but it lacks the instinct to read between the lines, to catch nuance, to know when a message might land poorly with an audience.

It lacks empathy, ethics and judgment. That's where we come in.

A “sea of sameness”

In a world increasingly filled with AI-generated content, there’s a growing risk of falling into a “sea of sameness.”

Prompts may be similar. Outputs might sound the same. The difference—the real competitive edge—will be the human behind the machine.

It’s our creativity, cultural intelligence and storytelling ability that make messages resonate. AI may draft the copy, but humans give it heart.

Be curious

Think of AI as your digital intern. It starts out helpful but basic—an assistant that speeds things up.

But the more we teach it, feed it and correct it, the more intelligent and capable it becomes.

Over time, it evolves from intern to collaborator and eventually to a kind of expert in its own right.

That’s not a reason to fear it—it’s a reason to understand it better.

We need to be curious about how it works, how to get the best out of it, and how to use it responsibly.

The growing trust gap

At the same time, we must address the growing trust gap.

Many professionals still feel uncomfortable admitting they use AI.

Others use it without verifying the output.

Worse still, some upload sensitive company data into unsecured tools.

This signals an urgent need for training and policy, not to stop AI use, but to make it smarter, safer and more strategic.

PR professionals are especially well-positioned to lead that charge by promoting transparency, accountability and clear communication.

The mindset

Across the globe, major companies are embracing AI at full speed.

Nearly half of Fortune 1000 firms are now integrating AI into their core operations, and leaders from sectors like finance, retail and consulting are setting the tone.

But the most important element in all of this isn’t the tool—it’s the mindset. Are you ready to learn, adapt and lead in this new era?

AI is transforming the PR industry, but it’s still a tool, not a replacement.

The real differentiator in this new world will always be people.

Those who combine human intelligence with AI’s capabilities will unlock new levels of effectiveness, creativity and strategy. PR is far from dead—it’s being reborn.

Let’s stop asking if PR is over and start redefining what it can become when powered by AI and led by humans.