Attitudes towards AI in public relations and the general public


Muck Rack recently released The State of AI in PR — a survey of 500 communications professionals that collected their attitudes towards AI and professional use of AI tools. Among the report’s findings: 

  • The percentage of respondents using generative AI remained around 75%, similar to the previous year, after growing from 25% in 2023.  
  • Fifty-one percent of PR pros say they work somewhere with an AI use case policy, up from 21% in 2024. Forty-three percent say their work offers AI training, up from 21% in 2024.
  • Agentic AI has not yet taken off in public relations. Only 12% who currently use AI say they use AI agents (AI systems designed to operate on behalf of a user). A further 59% say they’ve heard of agents, but do not utilize them in their work.
  • Public relations professionals who do not use generative AI tend to cite environmental or ethical concerns in their decision. They say there is very little that could encourage them to use AI. Among those who are undecided about using AI, many say that training and practical examples could get them to pick up AI. 
  • Seventy-five percent of PR pros say they use a paid AI service, an increase from 57% who said the same last year.


By contrast, a September 2025 Pew Research survey about views of AI and society suggests the public at large remain more doubtful about AI than PR professionals. Larger percentages of U.S. adults surveyed believe that AI will worsen people’s ability to think creatively (53% “worse” vs. 16% “better”), make difficult decisions (40% vs. 19%) and solve problems (38% vs. 29%). As AI use becomes commonplace across higher education and public relations, communicators may want to keep a variety of perspectives in mind. 

When using AI, remember to follow University Marketing Communications’ guidance on the use of generative AI. The University of Minnesota Libraries provides additional AI resources, including a tutorial on AI use for research and secure access to Microsoft Copilot for students, faculty and staff. If you have questions, reach out to University Public Relations at [email protected].  

Topics: Media Relations Web