Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

The MAC Arts Centre in Belfast was the venue for an important event on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) within the public relations industry. Co-hosted by the Public Relations and Communication Association in Northern Ireland (PRCA NI) and the Chartered Institute of PR (CIPR), AI in PR took place on Friday 17 May with the focus on this now commonplace technology, which is disrupting the industry and effecting change.No longer a futuristic concept, AI sets the pace, driving innovation, opening up new possibilities and constantly evolving, while in its wake, causing transformational change to traditional PR practices.

Renowned AI expert Andrew Bruce Smith (Esherman.com) delivered an engaging discussion and insightful journey into the dynamic role of AI in public relations and discussed the importance of staying informed regarding this ever-developing technology.

Andrew said: “Predicting the impact of AI in the next 5 minutes, let alone the next five years, is an ambitious task. What can safely be said is that AI is already having a transformative effect on the PR profession, reshaping how we engage with audiences and measure success. AI will become a core component of PR strategies, fundamentally altering practitioner behaviour by automating many routine tasks and amplifying creative and strategic outputs. The AI in PR event provided invaluable insights into harnessing AI to not just keep pace with changes but to set the pace, ensuring PR professionals remain at the forefront of AI innovation."

Andrew runs Esherman, a specialist consultancy delivering world-class social media, SEO, PPC and analytics training. As an expert in artificial intelligence and its applications in digital PR, social media, SEO, and analytics, he developed a keen interest in AI early in his career, further honing his skills in AI programming languages in the late 1980s, a time when AI was still nascent, later pioneering the adoption of AI content tools such as Wordsmith in the early 2010s.

PRCA NI Chair, Eamon Deeny said: “Andrew has consistently stayed at the forefront of technological innovation. This, coupled with his leadership as the Chair of the CIPR’s AI in PR panel, makes him a much sought-after speaker and commentator on the impact of AI. With a remarkable career spanning 38 years, he has strategically integrated AI into digital communications programmes for some of the world’s largest brands. His expertise in AI and its integration with social media and analytics has earned him five Google Analytics Individual Qualifications and the status of an approved Google Partner in search advertising. We were delighted to welcome Andrew to our Belfast event.”

Joint Belfast event addresses impact of artificial intelligence on the PR industry