Message from the IPRA President: Welcome to the Future: January 2024

My dear friends and colleagues, at the beginning of my presidential year, first let me say a big thank you to outgoing President Dr. Anne-Gret Iturriaga Abarzua . She has led IPRA with style and intelligence throughout her year. And as we enter a new year maybe, just maybe, we are entering a new era.

That is the era of Artificial Intelligence. That’s what we hear and read daily. But what does it mean? Are we ready? Do we have the capacity to cope with the rapidly evolving landscape of AI?

Why are we here?

I would like to ?discuss with you not only a revision of our current strategies and tools in the light of AI, but the very purpose of our profession.

When talking about AI we mean assistance in content creation, in content optimization, and in content distribution. But we also must consider AI’s understanding of platform-specific dynamics, and its ability for advanced analytics. All these are advantages in efficiency which will save time and energy.

AI and PR guidelines

To ensure that your communications are trustful and ethical you may rely both on the original IPRA International Public Relations Association Code of Conduct and the new IPRA AI and PR Guidelines. The Guidelines are built upon a fundamental recognition. AI learns from the Internet and thus it suffers from the flaws of misinformation on the Internet. And remember also that AI is not really intelligent or able to empathise or operate with emotion.

A new hope

But what should we do with that saved time and energy? Let us address that first question: the purpose of our profession. If AI offers us more time, and we continue to take an holistic approach to communication, then we should be able to focus on a deeper understanding of human needs and human behaviour. Combine that focus with our current purpose to create messages that influence change, and we can hope that future changes bring about a better world. Indeed this is the very creation of a better world. Einstein once said that every creature on the planet leave traces of its existence, but only human beings are able to leave traces of their creation.

It is not the content that I see and enjoy every year when we celebrate winners at the IPRA Golden World Awards Gala, but the activism, passion, and influence leading to the creation of change in real life. That is why the Golden World Awards are more than just prizes. They are recognition.

So what can we conclude from all this about AI? I believe that the AI era has the potential to bring communications to a new level of importance. And we must be fully aware of our purpose and our impact in this new era.

Kind regards,

Nata?a Pavlovi? Bujas IPRA President 2024