Ethics Moment: What Does ChatGPT Say About Ethical Use of AI in PR?
Posted on Feb. 12, 2026 / Subscribe 0
By: Shara Clark’s ChatGPT
In thinking about using AI tools like ChatGPT ethically, I decided to go straight to the source and had a conversation with my computer and asked it to craft a brief article just for you. Below is exactly what my ChatGPT had to say. It’s unedited for your reading pleasure (— and all):
Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming part of the daily workflow in public relations — helping teams draft content, analyze sentiment, accelerate research, and generate ideas. But as adoption grows, so does scrutiny from clients, audiences, and regulators.
For PR professionals, ethical AI use isn’t just a technology issue. It’s a trust issue.
The core values that have always guided ethical communications — accuracy, transparency, fairness, and accountability — still apply. The difference is that AI changes the speed, scale, and visibility of our work. One unchecked output can spread misinformation. One undisclosed AI-generated asset can damage credibility. And regulations around AI use are evolving quickly, especially in advertising and digital identity.
Here are the biggest ethical risk areas PR professionals should be actively managing.
Transparency Is Becoming an Expectation
Disclosure has long been central to ethical PR. AI raises the stakes because audiences may not always be able to tell when content is machine-generated.
Industry guidance increasingly recommends disclosure when AI is used in meaningful ways, particularly for public-facing content or synthetic media. New laws are also emerging that require disclosure in certain contexts, such as AI-generated performers in advertising.
For PR teams, the key question is simple: Would an audience reasonably expect this content to be human-created? If yes, transparency should be part of the strategy.
Accuracy Still Belongs to Humans
AI can produce content that sounds authoritative — even when it’s wrong. It can introduce factual errors, outdated information, or fabricated citations.
AI should be treated as a drafting assistant, not a source of truth. If content is published under your brand or sent to media, responsibility for accuracy still sits with the communicator. Human fact-checking and editorial review should remain non-negotiable.
Bias and Representation Require Active Oversight
AI systems can reflect historical or societal biases in ways that aren’t always obvious. In PR, this risk can appear in language, imagery, audience targeting, or message framing.
Ethical use means reviewing outputs through a diversity and inclusion lens and pressure-testing messaging across audiences. Bias is rarely intentional — but it can still be harmful if left unchecked.
Privacy and Confidentiality Are Critical
Many AI tools operate in cloud environments, meaning prompts and inputs may be stored or processed externally depending on platform settings.
PR teams should establish clear guardrails around what can and cannot be entered into AI tools — especially when working with confidential client strategy, proprietary business information, or protected personal data.
The Bottom Line
AI doesn’t change PR ethics — it magnifies them.
The organizations that will lead in this space won’t simply be the ones using AI the most. They’ll be the ones using it most responsibly — with strong oversight, clear policies, and a continued focus on earning and protecting trust.
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