What PR pros need to know about new PRSA AI ethics guidelines

FOR too long, Andrea Gils Monzon says in an article in prnewsonline.com, PR professionals have been navigating AI adoption alone—making judgment calls in the moment, hoping for the best, and end up as a cautionary tale in someone else’s ethics presentation.

- Millie F. Dizon

That uncertainty ends now as the PRSA’s Board of Ethics and Professional Standards (BEPS) released the updated “Promise & Pitfalls: The Ethical Use of Al for Public Relations Practitioners” late last year.

Monzon, a long time PRSA member and a current national board member, who has BEPS committee members, describes it as “practical handbook the profession desperately needs as AI tools moved from emerging trend to daily reality.”

Here, she shares some excerpts with her article PRSA Updates AI Ethics Guidelines: What PR Pros Need to Know.

When to disclose AI use: Transparency guidelines

PRSA's AI Ethics Guidelines states: "Be transparent about the use of AI in most public relations practices. Clearly disclose when content, decisions, or interactions are significantly influenced or generated by AI, especially when this information could impact how messages are perceived, how relationships are built and how trust is maintained." Transparency is not always a yes-or-no decision, and it exists on a continuum. The guide acknowledges what we all know from experience: If AI is used to support your thinking and the final product is meaningfully shaped by human input, disclosure may not always be required. The key question is whether AI use could affect trust, transparency, or audience understanding.