In an insightful conversation moderated by Doug Simon, CEO of D S Simon Media, Tomás Puig, Founder and CEO of Alembic, and Curtis Sparrer, Principal of Bospar PR, dive into the transformative role artificial intelligence plays in communications. From debunking common misconceptions to examining the future of earned media, the discussion offers a nuanced look at the promises and limitations of AI in the field.

Doug starts by asking Tomás to address a common misunderstanding about AI. Tomás clarifies that while generative AI can repeat facts, it doesn't engage in true intellectual conversations. “AI delivers facts but doesn't truly understand them like humans do.”

Curtis adds an interesting analogy, saying, “It’s like AI is going through puberty.” While it's useful for generating certain business documents, he notes that AI often struggles with more creative tasks like writing press releases. “What you get might look polished, but it lacks the depth that human input provides.”

Shifting the conversation towards earned media, Doug inquires whether AI could elevate its value. Tomás offers a personal story, recounting how a single placement in VentureBeat directly led to a significant client acquisition, even capturing the attention of Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang.

“Earned media gives you direct access to audiences that might otherwise ignore you,” Tomás notes.

Curtis agrees but looks to the future, suggesting that AI-generated content will flood digital spaces, making human-authored stories more valuable. “People will crave stories with human fingerprints. In a sea of AI noise, real interaction will be the differentiator,” he says, emphasizing the balance of AI efficiency with human storytelling.

Doug asks Curtis if the press is more comfortable with AI's growing presence. Curtis acknowledges that while AI is a hot topic, journalists remain cautious, especially when stories rely too heavily on buzzwords. “There’s interest, but also skepticism,” he says.

Tomás agrees, warning of a “gold rush” mentality around AI. “Not all AI tools are as transformative as they claim,” he cautions, urging communicators to focus on solutions with real, repeatable use cases.

Doug asks a pivotal question: “Can we trust AI content to be truthful?” Tomás elaborates on the phenomenon of “AI hallucinations” – instances where AI extrapolates information that doesn’t exist.

Curtis adds “I used to think computers couldn’t lie, but now we’ve got to be careful.”

Curtis also reflected on the ethical implications of AI in content creation. He emphasized the importance of transparency, urging agencies and clients to disclose when AI is used in their content. The goal, according to Curtis, is to maintain trust and ensure that content produced with AI meets the highest standards of accuracy.

Doug asks Curtis how agencies should approach AI moving forward. Curtis stresses the ethical implications of AI in content creation. “We tell clients to disclose when AI is involved,” he says, noting transparency is key to maintaining trust.

As the conversation wraps up, Tomás and Curtis both acknowledge the transformative potential of AI, but also its limitations. While AI can assist in certain technical aspects of communications and content creation, it lacks the emotional intelligence, originality, and ethical reasoning that only humans can provide.

“AI can assist, but humans need to steer the ship,” Tomás says.

In closing, the discussion prompts industry leaders to strike a balance between leveraging AI’s capabilities and safeguarding the human elements that make storytelling, strategy, and earned media truly impactful.

D S Simon Media is well known as a leader in the satellite media tour industry and produces tours from its studio and multiple control rooms at its New York headquarters. Clients include top brands in healthcare, technology, travel, financial services, consumer goods, entertainment, retail and non-profits. Established in 1986 the firm has won more than 100 industry awards.

View all of the interviews in the “PR's Top Pros Talk” series. Interested in taking part? Contact Doug Simon at [email protected].