Stories include:

• GPT-5 – What does it mean for PR and communications?
• Perplexity hits back at Cloudflare
• “It’ll [AI] be 10 times bigger than the Industrial Revolution”
• Trump Media launches Truth Search AI
• McKinsey’s 12,000 AI agents
• Number 10 invites influencers
• Unilever’s Beauty AI Studio
• UK’s first virtual MP
• Swedish PM criticised for using AI
• The Economist’s The World Ahead on NotebookLM
• Vattenfall’s video with Samuel L Jackson
• AI indexes 15 years of TV news in under an hour
• NewsWhip acquired by Sprout Social
• UK government spends £2bn on Microsoft licences

Once you've listened to the show, be sure to read the full newsletter.

Lots of you have already tried our fun AI readiness quiz to find out if you're an AI Superhero, but now there's a "scientifically validated" test of your AI competency. Well actually, you self-assess so it won't tell the whole story, but it's still interesting.

In this issue, we've also got Stuart's article in PRovoke summarising the highlights of the AMEC summit, which is also one of the topics discussed on the first-ever live broadcast of Embracing Marketing Mistakes, where Stuart was the guest.

The Wall Street Journal has an article on how the PR industry is using AI, a new tool to help you 'optimise' for AI large language models, a measurement framework for internal communications and a fascinating story about pitting AI LLMs against each other to play Diplomacy, the classic board game.

We cover the Global Alliance's Venice Pledge on responsible AI and Stuart's analysis of the research that helped inform it.

Finally, we have a look at how the BBC is using AI in the newsroom, 70% of Fortune 500 companies using video AI avatars, and a report on how NHS comms is failing to use AI enough.

In this issue of PR Futurist we share a BBC investigation into why people smuggle AI into work, a new AI ethics charter for internal comms, Perplexity's free 'deep research' instead of OpenAI's at $200 per month and the new European AI assistant app from Mistral,

It's also time to blow our own trumpet as Stuart has been named one of the top 100 most influential PR tech leaders in the world. If you want to hear him speak about AI for PR and communications, then there's still time to book a place at the PRCA's Matchmaker NewBizFest25 where he's speaking about 'AI – A Game Changer for New Biz'.

We also cover a law firm called Dumb and Dumber (not really, but given their lack of AI knowledge, it could be) and a case study from the Australian government that purports to be a Copilot fail, but actually proves its value. There's also a new news channel created entirely by AI and a look at what the BBC is up to with AI.

We're all looking forward to see what 2025 will bring. In our New Year issue of PR Futurist we've got news about the World Communication Forum in Davos and new awards for independent PR practitioners.

There's also lots of AI news from the AI minister explaining her ambitions for how the UK can benefit from AI to consultation on copyright law to modernise it for the AI age and a consultation on how NHS communicators should be using AI.

We've also got case studies and examples of AI in the wild from a US school using AI to replace teachers, to MPs using it support their work and a council expanding its use of Microsoft 365 Copilot.

There's also a fascinating report on how AI influences reputation. It's something we've been working on since the launch of ChatGPT two years ago, but most of the PR industry still hasn't considered properly. The new research is more evidence they should.

And finally there is a story about a Stanford University professor who didn't check the output of his AI and provided fake citation as evidence in a court case. Read the story to find the ironic twist to the tale.

Our Global CommTech Report is out. The TL;DR is eight in 10 think AI skills are critical, but six in 10 are doing nothing about it. Go figure. If you'd prefer to be in the four in 10 who do get it then book a call to chat about how you can incorporate AI in to your 2025 budget.

This week's CommTech tool pick is rather special. What I love about it is it is a genuine AI assistant. It doesn't try to do the job (badly) for you, but makes what you're doing faster and better. Read right to the end to find out more about why Cove is the AI tool that could really help you.

Another important report that has just landed is the seventh annual State of AI Report from Air Street Capital. We've read it so you don't have to. Key issues for you to consider are public perception of AI, generative AI misuse, data collection practices, and AI legislation and regulaton.

This week Stuart is in Istanbul speaking at the ICCO Global Summit to launch this year's Global CommTech Report. Make sure you register now to receive notice when it's published.

He'll also be moderating a panel on the impact of AI on public relations.

In this issue of PR Futurist we look at a new crisis communications planning guide from the UK's Government Communication Service and a toolkit to help you combat misinformation disinformation. We share a fascinating article by Rod Cartwright about the crucial role of critical human infrastructure.

We also look at how two big UK publishers are already using AI extensively for news production, as well as how Microsoft aims to bring emotional support to Copilot. PwC has a big report out which says leaders must must lead by example by using generative AI daily.

And finally we see how even a top AI boss can be tricked by AI and how British spy chiefs are cracking down on wannabe spies using AI to cheat in job applications.

I've run it through Google's NotebookLM to create this short AI summary.

Have a listen and let me know what you think.

It was created using the AI audio conversation feature of GoogleNotebookLM.

What do you think is the most important story we've covered in this issue? Is it that AI is now 82% more persuasive than humans? Or is that AI means either eight million UK jobs are at risk or a £306 billion boost to the economy depending on how the UK handles it?

Or maybe it's that there is now an AI tool that can analyse a video of an interview or presentation to provide feedback and tips for improving it? An AI media trainer?

As always, we'd love to know what you think. And if you spot any interesting news or research that you think should be in the next issue of PR Futurist then let us know.

The breaking news this morning was how the British Royal family has apparently used AI to manipulate a photograph of the Princess of Wales. I've fended off media requests to comment on this despite it covering my specialisms of both AI and crisis communications. I haven't commented as those I've heard commenting are mainly providing meaningless or inaccurate opinion as they don't know enough about what's actually happened.

What does the hive mind of PR Futurist readers think of Kensington Palace's response? Why did it take so long to respond? Is it really plausible that the Princess of Wales was simply having an "experiment with editing"?

Let us know what you think.

2) Listen, understand and learn

3) Implement good social media governance

4) Know when to respond and when not to

5) Run a simulation and rehearse everything

Or read the blog post.

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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/prfuturist/message

Hear views from me as well as PR industry luminaries such as Sarah Waddington, Mandy Pearse, Ben Lowndes, Iain Bundred, Rebecca Zeitlin, Michael White and Jason MacKenzie. 

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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/prfuturist/message

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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/prfuturist/message