Motivations of Public Relations Professionals to Use Artificial Intelligence: A Study on Türkiye

Abstract

As all the other sectors, PR sector, which is evolving from traditional to digital, must also integrate AI into its process of change and development. This study is inspired by the latest digital developments and it examines the role of AI in the Turkish PR world. The study aims to identify PR professionals’ experiences, perceptions and attitudes regarding AI, as well as their approaches to AI tools and their motivations for using these tools, within the framework of a phenomenological research design. This study seeks to answer questions such as how the digitalized communication and PR sector is evolving with AI, how professionals in the industry are approaching this change, what opportunities and risks AI will bring to the field, and what positive and negative developments might be encountered in the future. The sample of the study consists of PR/Communication agency professionals selected among members of two of the largest PR professional organizations in Türkiye: TÜHİD (Public Relations Society of Türkiye) and İDA (Communication Consultancies Association of Türkiye), the Turkish representative of ICCO. Within the framework of the qualitative research method, in-depth interviews were conducted with 24 volunteers from both associations. AI, which is considered as an important assistant in organizing routine tasks, provides significant convenience in data analysis, target audience, and media analysis. Within the field of PR, AI applications are frequently used to support tasks such as text design, content creation, media relations, reporting, and targeting. However, despite this, it has been observed that senior PR professionals in Turkey are still cautious about AI and display a rather conservative attitude toward it, and that some do not use, or even trust it.