This episode is a replay of special podcast hosted by PRWeek about the 2025 USC Relevance Report.

This special PRWeek podcast, "AI Activated," brought together three PR industry leaders and PRWeek Hall of Famers to discuss AI's impact on public relations. Hosted by Steve Barrett, Editorial Director of PR Week, the conversation featured:

• Frank X. Shaw, Chief Communications Officer at Microsoft
• Melissa Waggener Zorkin, Global CEO of We. Communications
• Fred Cook, Director of USC Center for Public Relations and Chairman Emeritus at Golin

The discussion centered on research from Microsoft, We. and USC about AI's transformative effects on PR practices.

• AI's Impact on PR and the Role of Humanity 0:02
• Balancing AI and Humanity in Storytelling 2:31
• Fostering an AI-Ready Culture 5:49
• Challenges and Opportunities in AI Adoption 12:48
• AI in Media Relations and Measurement 16:21
• Preparing the Next Generation of PR Pros 22:17
• The Future of AI in PR 27:34

Key insights include:

AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement

The panel emphasizes that AI should enhance human storytelling and relationships rather than replace them. Frank Shaw compared current AI adoption to the early days of personal computers, suggesting we're just beginning to understand its potential.

Creating an AI-Ready Culture

Melissa Waggener Zorkin highlights the importance of employer encouragement in AI adoption, noting that organizations should empower employees to experiment with AI tools and celebrate early adopters who can share knowledge across teams.

Education and Skill Development

Fred Cook shares his experience incorporating AI into USC student projects, revealing how prompt engineering skills significantly impact results. He notes that students who crafted detailed prompts received better AI outputs than those using basic instructions.

Practical Applications

The conversation covers AI applications in content creation, data analysis, media relations, and measurement. Frank Shaw discusses using AI for strategic planning and information capture, while Melissa emphasizes AI's democratizing effect, allowing professionals at all levels to contribute innovative approaches.

Future Outlook

The panel agrees that AI will make PR more exciting for young professionals by automating routine tasks and allowing them to focus on more strategic and creative work. The podcast referenced two reports for further reading: "Energized by AI" and "The Relevance Report."

The USC Relevance Report of 40+ forward-looking essays about the current and future use of AI in public relations is available for free download at annenberg.usc.edu/relevance.

A production of the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations at the University of Southern California.
Host, Fred Cook
Executive Producer, Ron Antonette
Season 6 Producers, Javiera Contreras, Anahita Mehra, Joe Carreon, Marshall Winfield
Created by ZaZu Lippert

LINKS
Follow the USC Center for PR (@usccenterforpr) on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Follow Fred Cook on LinkedIn.
Find all our reports at annenberg.usc.edu/cpr.