Technology an enabler, not a replacement

Lateefah Jean-Baptiste, Strategic Columnist.

There is a great deal of uncertainty in the industry about what the future of communications will look like, particularly with the rise of AI. Which is why, starting the day with a panel discussion on the future landscape of communications felt like a deliberate choice, in a good way, at the PRCA UK | PA Conference 2025: Fit for the Future.

The Future Foundations: Building Tomorrow’s Communications Landscape was chaired by Kirsty Leighton, Founder and Group CEO, Milk & Honey PR. The panellists included Jo-ann Robertson, CEO, Global Markets, Ketchum, Daniella Lebor, Managing Director, APCO, and Elizabeth Adams, Senior Managing Director, FTI Consulting.

Together, they reflected on the opportunities and challenges shaping the profession today. The conversation helped to address some of the questions and anxieties many communicators hold, while also highlighting reasons for optimism. It was a really interesting discussion and a strong way to begin the day, one that I suspect left many attendees feeling more confident about what lies ahead.

Technology as Partner, Not Replacement

All three panellists agreed that technology should be viewed as an enabler, not a replacement. They also stressed the importance of proper education and upskilling, emphasising that people need to be shown how to use these new AI tools effectively. As Jo-ann put it: “We can’t just tell teams they need to integrate AI, we have to show them how.”

All of the panellists acknowledged that while AI tools are evolving at lightning speed, leaders must keep people at the centre. Elizabeth reinforced this point: “No amount of AI can replace human input.” For her, the challenge is to anticipate what will change and what will not, so communicators can stay ahead of their clients. Building on this, Daniella highlighted the need to strike the right balance, suggesting that we want to use AI for efficiency and produce quality work, but we need the humans to do the deep work and think holistically across different elements in society.

Don’t Let AI Kill Your Curiosity

Everyone on the panel agreed that communicators must remain curious, as curiosity allows for creativity to flourish. Leaders, they argued, have a responsibility to nurture inquisitiveness and cultural awareness across their teams.

Jo-ann stressed that curiosity is fundamental to success: “Curiosity fuels great ideas and great solutions.” She also described technology as a tool that enables smaller agencies to “move at the same pace of larger ones,” while insisting that organisations should continue to invest in creative specialists.

Daniella shared how APCO fosters experimentation through internal “show and tell” sessions, where staff demonstrate their use of AI tools before opening the floor for discussion. “It’s about enabling people to speak up and share their ideas,” she explained, adding that organisations must allow space for risk-taking.

Despite the focus on technology, the human element remained central. Daniella reminded the audience: “It takes people to connect with other people, we can’t forget that” She also highlighted empathy as an irreplaceable quality.

Communications at the Heart of Business

The panellists closed the discussion by highlighting the evolving role of communications within organisations: “Communicators are having more business conversations now, and that’s a good thing.” As too often communicators are brought in at the end of a process, almost as a clean-up crew. The shift, the panellists argued, must be towards having communications at the table from the very beginning, shaping strategy rather than simply executing it.