Few innovations have impacted the PR industry like generative AI. With 75% of us now using it at work, it’s fundamentally changing our jobs, while becoming a regular feature of conversations both on and offline. But, as we embrace the benefits we must also acknowledge the ethical concerns AI brings to the table and the role PR plays in addressing them.

The numbers surrounding AI’s rapid adoption are staggering. ChatGPT's user base alone grew from 180.5m to 1.6bn in just a year, while DeepSeek has topped the app charts since it launched its latest model last month. Though the potential benefits are significant, they also present a host of ethical challenges. Not only do these tools have a habit of simply making things up, they can also promote bias and misinformation, highlighted by the recent Global Witness report, which found evidence of chatbots perpetuating greenwashing energy claims, including those made by oil and gas companies. This is an issue we must confront head on.

As stewards of brand reputation and earned media, we are in a unique position to tackle some of these challenges.

While we champion the value of earned media in informing and shaping public perception, we are also attuned to its biases, mistakes and inconsistencies. When generative AI pulls disproportionately from these sources — according to the latest research from Hard Numbers, earned media drives the majority of answers related to brand reputation on platforms like ChatGPT — it inherits and amplifies their strengths and vulnerabilities. Unchecked, it risks amplifying biased narratives, perpetuating misinformation, and undermining public trust.

This is where our role as trusted guardians of corporate and brand messaging becomes crucial. We aren’t impartial but we should be promoting accurate and ethical representation of the sectors, businesses and brands we represent.

It's up to us to scrutinise the narratives we create for clients by asking ourselves if we’re presenting considered perspectives, or are we unwittingly feeding AI a lopsided diet of hyper-optimistic viewpoints? Communications campaigns should champion honesty and transparency, especially in sectors prone to green/blue/pinkwashing.

The ethical implications of AI aren’t just theoretical — they have real-world consequences for both brands and wider society. The findings from the Global Witness report should be a wake-up call for us all. Without intervention, generative AI risks becoming another tool for perpetuating biased agendas rather than fostering informed discourse, and our industry has a vital role to play in addressing this.