Abstract:

In the last fifteen years, developments in the technologies of information and communication tools have radically changed public relations studies. Terms and concepts such as artificial intelligence, big data, machine learning and natural language processing have become a part of corporate communication. The fact that the masses have become content producers at the same time has moved the crises from traditional media to other channels, and customer communication has gained different dimensions thanks to tools such as voice assistant and chatbot. In this article, it has been researched how artificial intelligence affects the public relations sector. The meaning of artificial intelligence for public relations, which we encounter in many different fields today, what kind of contributions it makes to the sector, and which PR practices use artificial intelligence are emphasized. In addition, the difficulties encountered in the use of artificial intelligence, the future of artificial intelligence public relations and ethical issues are mentioned. In the process of writing the article, interviews were held with eighteen public relations experts from different generations, within the framework of semi-structured questions. Evaluations were made about the changes made by artificial intelligence in tasks such as target audience analysis, crisis management, campaign design, measurement and reporting, automation of repetitive tasks, influencer identification, content creation and media monitoring.

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