In 2026, U.S. companies will integrate artificial intelligence more and more into their operations, “at even advanced levels, within every part of the organization,” Gina Larson said. The automation technology will touch “every project [and] workstream, all of our roles and levels.”
Larson, an executive coach who runs her own human resources consultancy, StandUp HR in New York, was the guest on Dec. 18 for Strategies & Tactics Live, PRSA’s monthly livestream presentation on LinkedIn. (Watch the episode here.)
Her latest piece, “The Future of Work: 6 Workplace Trends Shaping 2026,” will appear in the January issue. For 2026, Larson predicts a “fundamental shift in how we refer to AI — no longer as a tool, but as an integrated partner,” she said.
Another trend she foresees in the new year is that companies will place “a premium on people skills and interpersonal skills, with organizations focusing on culture and employee engagement.”
John Elsasser, editor-in-chief of Strategies & Tactics and host of S&T Live, asked how PR leaders and their teams will be affected by workplace consolidations and disruptions in 2026.
“We see this playing out right now in our industry, with recent mergers, and also outside of our industry, the disruption and consolidation,” Larson said. “Practically, leaders can first acknowledge that this environment will create fear and uncertainty — they’re going to see that in themselves and [in] the people that they manage.”
She cited research from the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management, which found that 91% of PR firms use AI, but only 39.4% have established frameworks for its responsible use.
“We’ll see more and more” PR firms setting those parameters for how they use AI, as “we wrap our heads around the chaos in the year ahead,” Larson said.
Your AI coworker
Elsasser asked how communications leaders can fit AI into their teams and workflows.
“It’s a scary thing to think about, having an AI entry in the org chart,” Larson said. Today’s leaders will be the last to have managed workforces of only human beings, she said, citing a quote from Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.
Such statements deliver “shock value, and I think we’re already there,” she said. Leaders “can rethink the way AI fits into our teams” by seeing the technology as a colleague that’s “taking on more significant work,” something “that you can delegate to.”
A concern she often hears: How will AI affect entry-level positions for young professionals eager to land their first jobs in PR?
Larson suggests it’s time to reimagine the nature of entry-level roles. “The skills required at the starting line have changed and evolved,” she said. Entry-level job descriptions will now include words such as “manage,” “oversee,” and “strategic thinking.”
As AI performs basic tasks, the employees who would have performed those tasks themselves until recently will need to raise the level of their work, Larson said. Some companies will start apprenticeship programs for entry-level hires so that those young professionals can understand the context of the work they will do alongside an AI agent, she said.
Watch Gina Larson tackle the S&T Live lightning round below:
Image credit: lucadp
