Artificial intelligence is transforming the communications industry at an unprecedented pace, but public relations professionals who rely solely on AI tools risk losing the very capabilities that make them valuable.
Brand Communion conducted a panel discussion at its flagship event, Convergence Summit 2026, on the topic 'Skills PR Professionals Need to Thrive in the Next Decade as AI Reshapes the Industry.
The session was moderated by Madhavi Khanna, Vice President, Brand Communion; the panellists included Madhurima Bhatia, Head of PR, Media Engagement & Partnerships at IPSOS; Abhi Mahapatra, Founder & CEO, AMPERA; Pradeep Wadhwa, Founder, Kritical Edge Consulting; and Shivani Gupta, Managing Partner, Spag Finn Partners.
Opening the discussion, Khanna noted that AI has become inseparable from everyday communication, from drafting messages to seeking healthcare information.
However, she said the more important question is not what AI is capable of, but how communication professionals can adapt and remain relevant in an AI-driven world.
AI literacy isn't the problem; judgment is
Responding to whether today's graduates are industry-ready, Shivani Gupta said the communications sector is witnessing a "judgment literacy gap" rather than a technology gap.
According to Gupta, young professionals are already comfortable using AI tools and writing effective prompts, but struggle with analysing information, editing AI-generated output and making strategic decisions.
She argued that educational institutions teach students how to create content but not how to evaluate it, while also offering limited exposure to strategic counsel and boardroom-level decision-making.
Madhurima Bhatia echoed the concern, saying academic curricula have failed to keep pace with the rapid evolution of AI technologies.
She questioned whether institutions are teaching skills such as prompt engineering or responsible AI usage, especially when organisations themselves are rapidly shifting to enterprise AI platforms to safeguard proprietary information. Using IPSOS as an example, she explained how the company had transitioned towards Microsoft Copilot to better protect client data.
Bhatia cautioned that many young professionals are becoming overly dependent on AI for even basic writing tasks.
"I write everything myself, and then I ask Copilot to sharpen it," she explained, adding that AI should function as an assistant rather than a replacement for original thinking.
She stressed that professionals must continue reading widely, understand geopolitics and current affairs, and develop independent perspectives instead of depending entirely on AI-generated summaries.
Data interpretation is becoming a core PR skill
Abhi Mahapatra argued that communications education continues to focus heavily on writing while neglecting data literacy.
He said the larger challenge is creating ecosystems where professionals can use AI to enhance instinct-led decision-making rather than replace it.
Mahapatra also highlighted a significant disconnect between academia and industry, noting that future communications leaders must become comfortable interpreting analytics and data rather than relying on specialists.
Apprenticeship opportunities are disappearing
Offering another perspective, Pradeep Wadhwa argued that graduates have never entered the workforce fully prepared, even before AI.
Citing a Mercer study that found fewer than half of graduates are job-ready, he said the real challenge lies in the shrinking opportunities for apprenticeship. Earlier generations learned through routine responsibilities such as updating media lists, preparing meeting minutes and conducting media rounds, tasks that AI can now automate.
Those seemingly repetitive assignments, he said, helped professionals understand relationships, newsroom dynamics and client expectations over time. With automation removing much of that entry-level work, organisations must create new ways for young professionals to develop similar experience.
Senior leaders also need reskilling
Bhatia observed that AI readiness is not just a concern for fresh graduates.
She pointed out that while Gen Z employees are digital natives and adapt quickly to new technologies, many senior professionals, particularly in traditional organisations, have not developed hands-on AI capabilities.
According to her, companies must invest in reskilling experienced leaders as much as they invest in onboarding younger talent.
Human skills will become the biggest differentiator
Asked which AI skills organisations should prioritise, Wadhwa shifted the conversation towards human capabilities.
Rather than focusing exclusively on AI tools, he said organisations should strengthen critical thinking, ethical decision-making, relationship management and crisis communication. These skills, he argued, become even more valuable as AI automates routine work and creates increasingly complex communication challenges.
He warned against "outsourcing thinking" to AI, stressing that judgment remains irreplaceable.
Mahapatra concluded the discussion by posing what he described as the fundamental question for organisations adopting AI: whether they intend to use AI to make their best employees even better, or simply enable average employees to produce average work faster.
"If the answer is the latter," he said, "we will have an issue," arguing that prioritising cost reduction over talent development could ultimately weaken the communications profession.
