The German PR Day 2026 in Berlin was dominated by artificial intelligence (AI). Under the motto "The New AI Code," communication professionals from companies, agencies, media, and institutions discussed how roles, processes, and expectations in PR are changing through AI.

f.l.t.r.: Arne Pflugrad, Hanna Dudenhausen, David Busch (Photo source: Reinhardt & Sommer Photographers)

Our key insight: It is no longer a question of whether AI is used – what matters is how it is used. The speakers agreed that the phase of experimentation is over. Now, solid structures, clear workflows, and legal guidance are needed. Furthermore, a comprehensive understanding is required of where AI can support and where human communication competence remains indispensable.

Particularly prominent was the question of how content will be found, evaluated, and distributed in the future. GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) complements classic SEO logic. Indeed, as AI systems formulate answers, the machine readability of content is becoming increasingly important. The media landscape is also changing due to AI search: automatically generated search engine summaries lead to less traffic arriving on media websites. Nevertheless, AI providers rely on high-quality content. This area of tension needs to be explored.

AI writes the text. Humans decide what it means.

At the same time, it became clear that technological efficiency is not synonymous with communicative quality. AI can speed up text editing, structure topics, and simplify processes. However, it does not develop its own stance. AI knows no nuances based on experience, no true empathy, and has no sense for trust. This is precisely why strategic thinking is becoming more important. Because anyone engaging in communication does not just produce content. They provide context, mediate, and build relationships.

For us, the PR Day was above all a confirmation: nothing works without AI anymore – but communication remains, at its core, a people's business. The difference in the future will not lie in whether AI tools are used, but in how they are applied with substance, judgment, and a clear understanding of target groups. Trust is not created through automation. It is created through relevance, reliability, and attitude.