In this episode of AI Loves PR, Matt Oakley, SVP of Analytics & AI at Hotwire and AMEC board member, unpacks how what was once a specialty, experimental tool has become a mainstream force, with AI dominating professional discussions and accelerating the urgency for communicators to adapt.
Oakley discusses AI’s impact on measurement and effectiveness at length, pointing out that AI offers the possibility of elevating PR’s role by linking communications activity more directly to business outcomes. By automating repetitive reporting tasks, practitioners can focus on deeper insights, while simultaneously advancing measurement standards championed by AMEC. This positions AI as both a disruptor of old habits and a catalyst for long-needed progress.
PR now has two audiences: humans and machines. Beyond crafting narratives for stakeholders, communicators must optimize content for AI-driven answer engines that increasingly shape information discovery. This shift requires content to be structured, clear, and indexable, so that PR-driven stories are recognized and surfaced by large language models (LLMs). While traditional outlets remain vital, niche websites and sources carry new weight as AI systems draw from them disproportionately.
Finally, Oakley stresses the idea that success with AI will come from experimentation, ethical testing, and a willingness to evolve. For PR, operationalizing AI is a cultural shift that redefines influence and accountability.