Public Relations beyond ChatGPT: Concerns and Opportunities

ChatGPT’s parent company, OpenAI founder Sam Altman has no doubt released a cat among the pigeons by accepting the fact that Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer i.e. ChatGPT comes with some dangers where it could replace some human jobs. What does that mean for the public relation (PR) professionals in India? Definitely, it could be an alarming situation, but before pressing that panic button - lets us understand what this Artificial Intelligence ChatBot is all about?

To understand ChatGPT’s “LakshmanRekha” (set boundaries), I decided to do a SWOT analysis of ChatGPT. SWOT analysis is a strategy to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a business, product or project. It is also a framework for assessing the internal and external factors that can impact the success of ChatGPT. Here is a SWOT analysis of ChatGPT:

Strengths:

·????????Large Language Model – ChatGPT is a large language model with advanced natural language processing capabilities, allowing it to generate high quality fast responses to a wide range of questions and queries on any given topics.

·????????Scalability – ChatGPT is designed to scale easily, making it capable of handling large volumes of requests from users within fraction of seconds.

·????????24/7 availability – ChatGPT can be accessed at any time, making it a convenient resource for users who need information outside regular business hours.

·????????Constantly improving – ChatGPT is constantly learning and improving, which also means that its responses and performance will continue to get better and better over time.

Weaknesses:

·????????Dependency on Data – ChatGPT’s effectiveness is highly dependent on the quality and relevance of the data it has been trained on. If the data is biased or incomplete, ChatGPT’s responses may be inaccurate or inappropriate.

·????????Lack of emotional intelligence – While ChatGPT can generate responses to a wide range of questions, it lacks the emotional intelligence and social skills that humans possess. This can make it difficult for ChatGPT to provide appropriate responses in situations that require empathy or understanding.

·????????Limited creativity – ChatGPT is designed to generate responses based on existing data, which means that it may be limited in its ability to come up with new or innovative ideas.

Opportunities:

·????????Integration with other systems – ChatGPT can be integrated with other systems and applications, which could allow it to provide more personalised and customised responses to users

·????????Expansion to new domains – ChatGPT’s capabilities could be expanded to new domains and industries, allowing it to provide specialised knowledge and expertise in those areas.

·????????Partnerships with business – ChatGPT could partner with businesses to provide customer support and assistance, which could help to reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction.

Threats:

·????????Competition from other AI models – ChatGPT faces competition from other AI models and chatbots that offer similar capabilities.

·????????Security risks – ChatGPT could be vulnerable to security breaches or attacks, which could compromise the privacy and security of users’ data. It could be used as part of a cyberattack or to exploit vulnerabilities in computer systems or networks.

·????????Legal and ethical concerns – ChatGPT must adhere to legal and ethical standards around data privacy and the responsible use of AI. Any violations of these standards could result in negative publicity and legal consequences.

·????????Spread of misinformation – ChatGPT can generate responses to a wide range of questions, which means that it could be used to spread false or misleading information. Unethical individuals or organisations could use ChatGPT to propagate biased or discriminatory views.

These are some crucial insights coming straight from the horse’s mouth i.e. ChatGPT itself. Thus, it is important for developers, users, and policymakers to be aware of these issues and take the required steps.

Benefits of ChatGPT to PR professionals

It goes without saying that ChatGPT is a game-changer in the business of communication, as AI tools can provide significant benefits to PR professionals, helping them to streamline their work, analyse data, gain insights and create targeted communication strategies for their clients. Such as:?

·????????Streamlining PR work – ChatGPT and other AI tools can help PR professionals to automate their routine tasks, such as media monitoring, scheduling social media posts and sending out press releases. This automation could free up time and resources for PR professionals to focus on more strategic activities, such as building relationships with the journalists and other stakeholders.

·????????Data Analysis – ChatGPT can help PR professionals to analyse large amounts of data quickly and efficiently. This analysis can provide insights into the behaviours of target audiences, the success of PR campaigns, and the effectiveness of communication strategies. As a result, the PR professionals could make informed decisions and create targeted communication strategies that are more likely to resonate with their target audiences.

·????????Creation of Customised Content – With the help of AI algorithms, PR professionals can analyse the interest, preferences and behaviour of their target audiences and create content that is tailored to their needs. This personalised content could improve engagement rates, increase brand visibility and help to build stronger relationships with stakeholders.

·????????Reputation Management – ChatGPT can help PR professionals to monitor and manage the reputation of their clients. These tools could track mentions of the brand or company in the media, social media and other online platforms. This monitoring can help the PR agency to identify potential reputation issues and take proactive steps to mitigate them before they escalate into crisis.

Do PR professionals have an edge on ChatGPT?

In the event of a crisis, a PR professional would be better equipped to handle the situation than ChatGPT. The AI tool may be able to provide automated responses, but a PR professional can use their experience and expertise to manage the situation in real-time, make strategic decisions, and communicate with stakeholders in a way that is both compassionate and effective.

PR professionals like us, can build fantastic relationships with journalists, influencers and other key stakeholders in a way that is authentic and tailored to their unique needs and preferences. They can use their interpersonal skills to establish trust and credibility, and build long-term relationships that are beneficial for both parties. This is an area where AI tools cannot compete with a human touch.

PR professionals would definitely have an edge on ChatGPT when it comes to building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders. Additionally, PR professionals can provide strategic guidance/PR campaigns and context for messaging that goes beyond the capabilities of AI tools learning algorithms.

It is worth noting that ChatGPT and future AI tools may not have the same level of creativity, empathy and strategic thinking as PR professionals would have, but it is definitely a tool to be hands on and used on a day to day basis. To conclude, as AI technology continues to evolve, it is essential for the PR industry to embrace these tools/chatbots and leverage them to stay ahead of the curve in an increasingly competitive market.

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(Virendrasingh Ghunawat is a Senior Group Head of strategic communication team @Adfactors PR. He is a seasoned media/PR professional with a proven history in strategic communication, crisis management, public relations, digital content direction and investigative journalism. He had successful stints with some reputed organisations such as: Concept PR, Indian Express, India Today Group, Network 18, TV9 Network, Jagran Group, Rajasthan Patrika, Sahara Samay and Business Newsweek, in various capacities.)