If you are a PRSSA member, you have probably wondered what artificial intelligence means for your future career. Will employers still value entry-level professionals when AI can brainstorm, summarize research, draft a news release and generate social content in seconds?
That concern is understandable. AI is already part of the professional toolkit, and its capabilities will keep growing. But staying relevant will require more than learning to produce work faster. Employers will need communicators who can review an output, spot what is missing, and make a responsible recommendation when the right answer isn’t obvious.
The ethical question belongs to you
Students and young professionals are already making choices that once seemed theoretical. Can you trust an AI-generated claim without verification? Should audiences know when content was created with AI assistance? How should a communicator respond when a system reproduces bias?
Say you are preparing a client pitch with an AI-generated competitor analysis. The summary includes a statistic that supports your recommendation, but you have not checked the source. Once you place that statistic in the presentation, the ethical question belongs to you. Will you verify it before putting it in front of the client?
If your name is on the work, you are accountable for the choices behind it. That accountability includes verifying claims, protecting confidential information, considering who could be affected and being able to explain why you made the recommendation.
The PRSA Code of Ethics still works
Although AI feels new, the underlying ethical challenges are familiar. The PRSA Code of Ethics provides a practical framework for addressing them. Advocacy means representing clients responsibly while still serving the public interest. Honesty requires accuracy and appropriate transparency. Expertise calls us to understand the capabilities and limits of the tools we use. Loyalty reminds us to protect confidential and proprietary information. Fairness asks us to identify bias and consider who may be harmed or excluded.
Independence deserves particular attention in the AI era. The Code calls professionals to provide objective counsel and accept responsibility for their actions. An AI tool may help you identify patterns or test ideas, but you still have to decide which recommendation you are willing to stand behind.
The technology changes. The principles do not.
Use AI to prepare for the moment
Early in your career, AI may help you sound polished in emails and Teams messages. But you will still need to answer questions and respond when a conversation moves in an unexpected direction. That is where preparation matters.
Use AI before a meeting to anticipate questions, identify weaknesses in your argument, generate questions different stakeholders might raise and rehearse a difficult conversation. AI may help produce the outputs, but its greatest value may come from helping you enter the room with a clearer understanding of the context, the stakes and the people involved.
Build the habits now
You don’t need a senior title to start developing professional judgment. Verify AI-generated information before sharing it. Protect confidential and proprietary data. Look for bias and missing perspectives. Disclose AI use when a client, employer, professor or platform requires it, and whenever failing to disclose it could mislead someone about how the work was produced.
Ultimately, practice explaining your reasoning. Do not stop with what the tool suggested. Be ready to say why you accepted, changed or rejected its recommendation. That habit will prepare you to counsel a manager or client who needs more than a polished draft.
As you work, ask more than whether AI can complete a task. Consider whether you should use it, who could be affected and what evidence supports its output. Answering those questions may take additional time, but sometimes responsible judgment requires us to slow down.
PRSSA members will help shape the profession’s use of AI through choices like these. The communicators who earn greater responsibility will be those who use the tools well, explain their decisions and can be trusted when the situation is uncertain. The habits you build now are part of becoming that kind of professional.
You don’t have to navigate these challenges alone. PRSA and PRSA’s Board of Ethics and Professional Standards (BEPS) are committed to supporting the next generation of communicators through resources such as “Promises & Pitfalls,” ethics case studies, current research, and practical guidance designed to strengthen your ethical decision-making.
We hope you’ll join us throughout Ethics Month by exploring BEPS resources, participating in the conversation, and investing in the ethical foundation that will serve you throughout your career.
Holly Kathleen Hall, J.D., APR, and Devin T. Knighton, Ph.D., APR, are members of PRSA’s Board of Ethics and Professional Standards.
Illustration credit: Krittamet
