Will AI replace social media managers?
Updated
PR specialists score 59 of 100 for AI exposure. The largest share of their task time, 74%, is work AI speeds up while they stay in charge. AI can take over 20% outright, and 6% stays with people.
- 20% AI can do it
- 74% AI helps
- 6% Needs a person
High exposure
Higher than 89% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 18 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 3 of them today, speeds up 14 and leaves 1 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Write press releases or other media communications to promote clients. Press releases are drafted quickly by AI; a person reviews. | 74% AI can do it |
| Post and update content on the company's Web site and social media outlets. Scheduling, drafting and posting are highly automatable with current tools. | 72% AI can do it |
| Prepare or edit organizational publications, such as employee newsletters or stockholders' reports, for internal or external audiences. Editing and layout of newsletters and reports is highly automatable. | 72% AI can do it |
| Develop marketing campaigns for environmental technologies or services. AI generates concepts and copy; strategy and approval stay human. | 58% AI helps |
| Develop plans or materials to communicate organizational activities that are beneficial to the environment, public safety, or other important social issues. AI drafts environmental and social materials; planning needs human input. | 55% AI helps |
| Purchase advertising space or time as required to promote client's product or agenda. Programmatic buying is largely automated; negotiation remains human. | 55% AI helps |
| Plan or conduct market or public opinion research to test products or determine potential for product success, communicating results to client or management. AI can design surveys and analyze responses; people interpret findings. | 50% AI helps |
| Respond to requests for information from the media or designate an appropriate spokesperson or information source. AI drafts responses; choosing spokespeople and live contact stay human. | 45% AI helps |
| 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. AI speeds research and first drafts; strategic choices stay human. | 45% AI helps |
| Prepare or deliver speeches to further public relations objectives. AI drafts speech text; live delivery stays with the speaker. | 45% AI helps |
Show the other 8 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Consult with advertising agencies or staff to arrange promotional campaigns in all types of media for products, organizations, or individuals. Agency consultation is relational; AI can draft campaign briefs. | 35% AI helps |
| Plan or direct development or communication of programs to maintain favorable public or stockholder perceptions of an organization's accomplishments, agenda, or environmental responsibility. Strategy and stakeholder judgement lead; AI speeds planning documents. | 30% AI helps |
| Confer with production or support personnel to produce or coordinate production of advertisements or promotions. Coordinating production teams is mostly people work; AI assists briefs. | 30% AI helps |
| Coordinate public responses to environmental management incidents or conflicts. Live crisis coordination with stakeholders needs fast human judgement. | 28% AI helps |
| Confer with other managers to identify trends or key group interests or concerns or to provide advice on business decisions. Advice to managers needs judgement; AI helps summarize trend data. | 25% AI helps |
| Coach client representatives in effective communication with the public or with employees. Coaching is live and personal; AI drafts talking points. | 25% AI helps |
| Arrange public appearances, lectures, contests, or exhibits for clients to increase product or service awareness or to promote goodwill. Venue, vendor and guest logistics need people on site. | 22% AI helps |
| Establish or maintain cooperative relationships with representatives of community, consumer, employee, or public interest groups. Relationship building depends on trust and face to face contact. | 12% Needs a person |
How PR specialists compare
All occupations (923)
Arts, design, entertainment, sports and media (40)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $74,750 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 283,380 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +1.8% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Negotiate media buys and placement rates with publishers
- Lead face to face meetings with community and employee groups
- Coach executives for live interviews and press briefings
- Track media spend and placement results in Microsoft Excel
- Design stockholder reports and newsletters in Adobe InDesign
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about PR specialists and AI
Will social media managers be replaced by AI?
Partly. About 4 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly drafting press releases and posting to websites and social media. What stays with people is stakeholder trust, live crisis response and the judgement behind every campaign plan.
Which PR specialist tasks is AI taking over?
Press release drafting scores 74 on exposure, the highest in the job, so AI now produces first drafts and a person reviews them before release. Posting and updating web and social content scores 72, since scheduling and drafting are highly automatable. Newsletter and stockholder report layout also scores 72.
Which PR specialist tasks stay human?
Building relationships with community, consumer and employee groups scores 12, the lowest in the job, because it depends on trust and face to face contact. Coordinating public responses to environmental incidents scores 28 and needs fast human judgement with stakeholders. Arranging public appearances scores 22 because venue, vendor and guest logistics need people on site.
How can PR specialists stay valuable?
Move hours toward low exposure work, such as stakeholder relationships and on-site events. Let AI draft first passes of releases and social posts, then put the saved time into approvals and media contacts. Track negotiated media buys in Excel so you can show rates and results to clients. Practice live interview coaching for executives, since that work stays personal.
Related jobs
Next steps for PR specialists
Check which roles in your team AI can take on
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