Communicators and Public Relations (PR) practitioners for both public and private corporate institutions, have been urged to embrace emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enable them stay relevant in a rapidly changing digital field.
The Former President of the Institute of Public Relations (IPR), Mawuko Afadzinu, said AI was reshaping how information was processed and communicated, adding that it was having direct impact on brands and institutions.
“So much is changing in our world today because of the introduction of AI. Now we have tools that require new skills and capabilities and as communicators and PR practitioners, we need a deep-seated appreciation of AI and use it as much as we can to communicate, build relationships and stay relevant in our profession,” he said.
Mr Afadzinu made these statements at the opening of the National Public Relations and Communications Summit and Annual General Meeting held in Kwahu Nkwatia, in the Eastern Region.
The three-day summit which brought together communicators and public relations professionals from across all sectors of the country, was held on the theme: “PR Excellence in the Age of Misinformation, Disinformation, and Information Overload.”
Mr Afadzinu indicated that AI which is about artificial systems mimicking natural intelligence with tools that could analyse real-time data, automate repetitive tasks and identify communication trends, which help practitioners to save valuable time, was changing the narrative and has become an essential part of the industry, including that of strategic communication.
“Back in the days when we were in communication, the skills set was skills pertaining to writing, speaking and creativity in engaging people, but now with the introduction of AI, it is important that we have a deep understanding of it and leverage on this new opportunity to boost our communication skills and build relationships,” he said.
The Former President acknowledged the rapid digitalisation of the media which continued to revolutionize the PR and communication industry, and reiterated the need for them to adapt to the new digital landscape to avoid obsolence.
He said technology had evolved and PR communicators needed to adapt to remain current on recent trends and tools in order to remain relevant.
However, he indicated that every new opportunity came along with some challenges of accepting change and moving towards it, and urged the practitioners to ensure that they invested in learning AI tools to build their capabilities, and capacity in the area to add more value to their brands and institutions.
After the summit, new executives were elected to take over the old leadership of IPR, who have completed their two-year term.
Esther Cobbah, Chief Executive Officer of Stratcomm, was elected the new President of the Institute of Public Relations for 2024-2026, taking over from Mawuko Afadzinu.
Donald Dwira, was elected Vice President, Solace Akomeah, Honorary Secretary; Abraham Otabil, Deputy Honorary Secretary and Gabriel Nii Otu Ankrah as Treasurer.
FROM AMA TEKYIWAA AMPADU AGYEMAN, KOFORIDUA
