Will AI replace public relations specialists?

Some tasks are already handled by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 2h 20m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks that AI or robots largely take over. The breakdown: 1h 55m done by people with AI help, 2h 20m that AI mostly does alone. The other 3h 45m (47%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 1.8% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

AI shows up regularly in 7 of 18 tasks, about 4h 15m of a typical shift. The biggest ones:

• Respond to requests for information from the media or designate an appropriate spokesperson or information source. (43m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Study the objectives, promotional policies, or needs of organizations to develop public relations strategies that will influence public opinion or promote ideas, products, or services. (43m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Plan or direct development or communication of programs to maintain favorable public or stockholder perceptions of an organization's accomplishments, agenda, or environmental responsibility. (36m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Plan or conduct market or public opinion research to test products or determine potential for product success, communicating results to client or management. (18m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Write press releases or other media communications to promote clients. (1h 7m a shift, people use AI to help)

3h 45m of a typical shift, or 47%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Post and update content on the company's Web site and social media outlets. (1h 7m a shift)
• Confer with other managers to identify trends or key group interests or concerns or to provide advice on business decisions. (43m a shift)
• Establish or maintain cooperative relationships with representatives of community, consumer, employee, or public interest groups. (30m a shift)
• Arrange public appearances, lectures, contests, or exhibits for clients to increase product or service awareness or to promote goodwill. (30m a shift)
• Confer with production or support personnel to produce or coordinate production of advertisements or promotions. (12m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 82% talk face to face with others every day
• 59% say dealing with the public is very or extremely important
• 52% are in constant contact with other people

We track 1 sourced company move that affects this job. Most recent:

• Feb 2, 2026: Muck Rack launches AI agent that builds media lists for pitches (Announced)

For the 6 tasks in this job where AI shows up and timing data exists, a typical request takes about 5h 31m for a person alone and about 42m with AI. These are Claude's own estimates from real conversations in April and May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index). They describe single requests, not whole workdays, and time saved on a task doesn't mean jobs are cut. The biggest gaps:

• Plan or direct development or communication of programs to maintain favorable public or stockholder perceptions of an organization's accomplishments, agenda, or environmental responsibility (about 11h 17m alone, 1h 7m with AI)
• Plan or conduct market or public opinion research to test products or determine potential for product success, communicating results to client or management (about 10h 2m alone, 30m with AI)
• Study the objectives, promotional policies, or needs of organizations to develop public relations strategies that will influence public opinion or promote ideas, products, or services (about 6h 25m alone, 49m with AI)

On Indeed, job postings in the Media & Communications sector are at 69% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 6.8% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 23,000 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $74,750 a year ($35.94 an hour), 47% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $44,110 and $135,150 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 1.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 320,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 23,000 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 283,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.18% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 138th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 320,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a bachelor's degree: about 91% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 4 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: bachelor's degree. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Time Management, Persuasion, Coordination, Social Perceptiveness
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 3h 45m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: WordPress, Microsoft Word, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Outlook
• Learn to use AI well on the tasks where it already shows up in this job (listed above)

These use similar skills, with less of a typical shift touched by AI or robots. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Marketing Managers (3h 44m touched, $167k median pay)
• Advertising and Promotions Managers (2h touched, $134k median pay)
• Writers and Authors (2h 36m touched, $77k median pay)
• Advertising Sales Agents (1h 35m touched, $65k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 7 observed in real AI use, 11 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.