A company should evaluate a PR agency's AI use by asking what the agency uses AI for, who checks the output, whether it discloses AI use, and how it bills for the time AI saves. Muck Rack's survey of PR professionals, reported by Axios in January 2025, found that three in four use generative AI at work, yet only 20% of agency staff disclose all of their AI use.
Last updated October 21, 2026.
How widely do PR agencies use AI?
PR agencies use AI widely, and the share of professionals using it has roughly tripled since 2023. Muck Rack's 2024 report found 64% of PR professionals using generative AI in November 2023, up from 28% in March of that year, and the 2025 survey put the figure near 75%.
The same Axios report lists what the tools are used for: brainstorming (82%), first drafts (72%), editing (70%), and research (59%). That list tells a client where AI is likely already at work on its account: ideas, early drafts, and background research, not relationships or judgment.
What should a company ask an agency about its AI use?
A company should ask five questions before signing or renewing, and the answers should be specific. Vague replies such as "we use AI responsibly" are a warning sign, because they cannot be checked.
| Question | What a good answer includes | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Which tasks on our account use AI? | A named list, such as research, first drafts, and monitoring | "It depends" with no examples |
| Who reviews AI output before it reaches us or a journalist? | A named role that checks facts, quotes, and tone | No review step |
| Will you tell us when AI helped produce a deliverable? | A written disclosure practice | Disclosure only when asked |
| What happens to our confidential information in AI tools? | Approved tools, and a rule against pasting client material into public ones | No tool list or data rule |
| How does AI change what you charge us? | A clear explanation of time saved and how it is priced | Same hours billed for work AI now speeds up |
Why does the AI disclosure gap matter?
The disclosure gap matters because agencies and their clients disagree about what should be disclosed. In Muck Rack's 2024 report, about one-third of PR professionals at brands said agencies should always disclose AI use, while 19% of agency professionals said they met that standard, and around one in five said they never disclosed.
A client who wants disclosure should put it in the contract. The Public Relations Society of America gives a benchmark: its guidance, Promise & Pitfalls, first released in November 2023 and updated since, applies the PRSA Code of Ethics to generative AI and stresses human review of every output.
Does the agency have an AI policy and training?
An agency should have a written AI policy and train its staff on it. Muck Rack's 2026 report, as summarized by the University of Minnesota's marketing communications office, found that 51% of PR professionals worked somewhere with an AI use policy, up from 21% in 2024, and 43% said their employer offered AI training.
That means roughly half of the profession still works without a policy. Ask to see the document, and ask when the team last trained on it.
How does AI change what a PR agency should charge?
AI changes agency billing by weakening the link between hours worked and value delivered. Aaron Kwittken, founder and CEO of the PR technology company PRophet, argued in 2023 that hourly billing assumes work takes a long time, and that agencies would need to move to value-based billing as AI speeds tasks up, as reported by WorkLife.
| Billing model | How it works | Risk for the client |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly | Pays for time spent | Pays full rate for work AI has shortened |
| Retainer | Pays a fixed fee for an agreed scope | Scope may not reflect AI efficiency unless it is reviewed |
| Value-based | Pays for outcomes such as coverage quality or leads | Needs clear metrics agreed in advance |
Whatever the model, review the scope at renewal and ask what has changed because of AI. An agency that saves time should be able to show where that time went: deeper media outreach, faster monitoring, or more senior attention.
What does AI mean for the agency's junior staff and quality?
AI puts pressure on junior staff development, and clients should ask how the agency handles it. Three in four PR professionals who use AI told Muck Rack that the biggest risk is talent development, if younger practitioners become too reliant on the tools.
The question matters to a client because junior staff do much of the monitoring, drafting, and list-building on an account. An agency that has stopped training them on those tasks may lose its next generation of strategists, and the quality of its judgment with them.
PR agency AI FAQ
Should a PR agency disclose that it uses AI?
Yes, and the practice should be written into the contract, since in Muck Rack's data only 20% of agency staff disclose all of their AI use.
Which PR tasks does AI handle most often?
Brainstorming, first drafts, editing, and research, according to Muck Rack's survey.
Should AI make a PR agency cheaper?
It should change the pricing conversation. Ask the agency to show how time saved on routine tasks shifts into higher-value work, and review the scope at each renewal.
Where else can I read about AI in PR?
See how AI is transforming corporate communications for in-house tools and governance, and what public relations is for the fundamentals.
What should a company do before its next agency renewal?
A company should send its agency the five questions above in writing, ask for the AI policy and the tool list, and put disclosure and scope review into the next contract. 5W's AI, digital marketing, and PR practice is one place to see how an agency describes its own approach.
