PR industry divided on AI: 42% don’t expect AI to change their role while 28% warn of its disruptive potential
New research highlights tension between those who see AI’s practical benefits and those who fear the industry is underestimating its impact.
London, 07 October 2025: The PR, Comms & Marketing 2026 Outlook report from Onclusive reveals a sharp divide in how PR professionals view the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).
While 41% of PR practitioners say they do not expect AI to drastically change their own role in the year ahead, almost one-third (28%) believe the industry is underestimating its broader impact. The findings point to a sector torn between growing confidence in AI’s immediate, practical applications and lingering concerns about its long-term disruptive potential.
The report, based on a global survey of communications and marketing professionals, also shows clear differences between agencies and in-house teams. In-house practitioners are more likely to believe the industry is underestimating AI’s disruptive impact (30% versus 25% of agency respondents). At the same time, more than four in ten (41%) agency practitioners expect AI will free them to focus on more strategic advisory work, compared to just 26% of in-house communicators who share this view.
Across the industry, practitioners are taking a pragmatic approach, prioritising operational efficiency over hype. AI is increasingly being used for content production, translation and localisation, and measurement enhancement - areas that boost productivity without radically transforming roles. Yet ethical considerations remain low on the agenda: only 10% of in-house professionals and 14% of agencies expect ethics to significantly affect their role in 2026. This raises concerns about oversight, accuracy, and bias as adoption accelerates.
Jennifer Roberts, Chief Marketing Officer at Onclusive said:
“Our research shows the PR industry is torn on whether AI is a friend or foe. Many practitioners are moving beyond experimentation into everyday use, taking a pragmatic approach that prioritises efficiency gains. Yet even as AI delivers clear benefits in day-to-day roles, its disruptive potential still casts a shadow over the sector. What’s certain is that PR cannot afford to sit back and wait. Whether you’re an AI evangelist or a skeptic, the industry must engage with this technology - not only to use it effectively, but to ensure it is applied ethically.”
The findings are part of Onclusive’s PR, Comms & Marketing 2026 Outlook, which explores the evolving priorities of communications and marketing professionals worldwide.
Notes to editors
About Onclusive’s PR, Comms & Marketing 2026 Outlook
This research was conducted in June-July 2025 through online surveys distributed to PR, communications and marketing practitioners across agencies and in-house teams. All survey questions used multi-select formats, allowing respondents to choose multiple relevant options. Percentages shown in charts represent the share of respondents who selected each specific option, not ranked preferences. Results should be interpreted as "X% of respondents selected this option among their choices" rather than "X% ranked this as their top priority.
We surveyed 300 PR, communications, and marketing practitioners to understand their expectations for the year ahead. Additional qualitative insights were gathered through structured interviews and email-based consultations with 50+ industry leaders and experts. Surveys and interviews were conducted across Asia, Europe, Latin America, and U.S.