If I have to use one word to define this week’s Newhouse Speaks, the word would be technology. Not only we have Google’s Vice President of Global Communications and Public Affairs Corey Dubrowa talking about the combination of technology and human, but the advertising department also has the Eric Mower Forum throughout the whole week talking about technology. And back to the question, the answer is no.
It is said that AI is a threat by taking over jobs like drivers, receptionists, clerks and the lists could go on and on without an ending. When I was doing my undergraduate, I wanted to be an interpreter. There is an on-going debate about whether machine translation, could take the place of translators and interpreters. I used to put texts into Google Translation and then edited the output. Indeed, Google Translation is achieving some progress, but it still needs human beings to polish the outcome.
I still think AI could not replace me, I mean, as a PR practitioner, because I believe what we do is to humanize branding with the help of technology. Mr. Corey Dubrowa’s key message yesterday is that technologies like AI are shaping the world, specifically the communication field. He also believes that the future is the combination of technology and human capital. As I said, technology is evolving in an unimaginable past, but we are the ones who come up with the ideas of how to use these technologies to connect with the audience.
Another reason I think PR practitioners won’t be replaced is that we are keeping learning new things every day. Almost every Newhouse alumni who come back and share their working experience told us it is acceptable that one has zero background in finance or health care as long as they are willing to embrace new knowledge. One advantage of working in an agency is that you would be exposed to various industries, numerous ideas and concepts. This means you are not doing routine tasks that are being taken over by automation.
Thus, life-long learning is a must process. Even generations before me are taking online courses, like Newhouse PR online program, to refresh their ideas and expand their viewpoints. As a generation of the Internet, we have access to most of the useful resources and we should take advantage of attainable information to make sure that we are keeping up with the trend.
This resonates with what Mr. Jack Myers said at The Eric Mower Advertising Forum. We, as media people, especially our generation, are also reshaping the business. The good news he brought to us is “ Knowledge is no longer a pre-qualification for responsibility”, and “Experience is no longer a proxy for knowledge”. Mr. Myers mentioned that “60% of media professionals have been in the business for fewer than 8 years.” I had a mixed feeling when hearing that. I am glad that the communication industry is easy to penetrate but I couldn’t help thinking about what happened to those experienced media persons? Is it that the field has difficulty in keeping talents or some other reasons?
Still, I have good faith in PR, a job that requires social intelligence and creative problem thinking, will not disappear. Also, I interviewed my classmate Maya Bingaman who summed up 3 key takeaways from Mr. Corey Dubrowa’s speech on 2019 Newhouse Social Commerce Days. The video is attached at the end if you don’t have the time to stop by his speech. Thank Maya for sharing her ideas and I would like to know your views about AI, technology and PR.
Nice article Lori. AI should really make us stop and think for a second. It seems like AI has a ton of benefits, but a lot of dangers associated with it, too.
It can do a lot of tasks that humans can do. Companies are turning to it to replace employees. At Walmart, there are self-scanning registers that are steadily replacing cashiers, for example. Even in some fast food restaurants, what used to be a cashier has now been replaced by a kiosk that now takes your order.
In public relations, AI may have some benefits, but I sincerely hope people will see how it cannot replace humans. People connect with people more than they do with machines. PR needs…
I think the topic of AI scares all of us. Whether you are a PR practitioner, a salesman, or even a hair stylist, we are all wondering if our jobs will be taken over by technology in the future. I think your blog post makes an important distinction between AI and people. Although we can use AI to do certain tasks, it is really up to humans to make sure everything is working smoothly. If you look at the new "self check out" systems they have at grocery stores, there is always still a human standing by to help. Honestly 95% of the time, the human always has to come over to help the customer anyway.
Also, think about the…