AI meets PR: How OpenAI’s publisher partnerships redefine PR strategies

Adgully Bureau |
OpenAI’s recent partnerships with leading publishers such as Condé Nast, News Corp, TIME Magazine, and Axel Springer represent a significant evolution in the ever-evolving landscape of content creation and journalism. These deals blend AI’s technological capabilities with high-quality journalism, enabling efficient, personalized content distribution while preserving editorial standards. For the publishing industry, these collaborations open new revenue streams and enhance digital presence, while for OpenAI, they ensure access to credible, diverse, and authoritative content to power its platforms, including SearchGPT.


This innovative alliance underscores the potential of AI to revolutionize content production, but it also unlocks new possibilities for media relations and earned media strategies. For PR professionals, this evolution brings both opportunities and challenges.

How will these partnerships influence the dynamics between publishers, PR practitioners, and AI-driven platforms? Will earned media efforts become more targeted and effective, or will the increasing reliance on AI blur the lines between authentic storytelling and algorithmic content? This feature story delves into the profound implications of OpenAI’s collaborations for the future of PR, exploring how the industry can adapt to a rapidly changing media ecosystem.

A significant shift

Expanding on OpenAI’s content agreements with major publishers reveals a significant shift in how PR professionals approach media relations and earned media, says Sowmya Iyer, Founder and CEO of Clarity Communication.

These partnerships, according to Iyer, mean that AI platforms like ChatGPT now prioritize high-quality content from reputable sources, making it more challenging for PR stories to stand out without meeting top-tier publisher standards.

“For PR teams, this raises the bar on storytelling, pushing them to ensure every narrative is not only relevant but also crafted with the editorial quality that AI models recognize as credible and informative. This shift may also require new metrics to gauge success in an AI-driven landscape, as visibility and engagement may increasingly depend on how well content aligns with the standards of trusted publishers. PR professionals will need to adopt a dual approach, creating stories that resonate with human journalists while also structuring information in a way that AI can easily interpret and amplify. The result is both a challenge and an opportunity to refine PR strategy, helping brands maintain a strong presence across evolving media landscapes shaped by AI,” she adds.

Concurring with Iyer on this, Priyanka Bhatt, Founder & CEO, Equations PR & Media, feels that the recent content agreements between OpenAI and major publishers are a turning point for media relations. Being a PR professional, she sees both opportunities and challenges arising from this.

“On the one hand, having access to such a vast pool of publisher content allows us to craft more data-backed narratives and ensures more informed storytelling. However, with AI-driven platforms playing a larger role, the emphasis on earned media will shift. Brands will need to invest in building genuine relationships with journalists and influencers who can offer perspectives beyond automated content. Human connection, creativity, and the ability to audience sentiment will become more crucial than ever. The future will demand a balance where AI supports the research process, but storytelling, trust-building, and organic engagement remain in the hands of skilled PR professionals,” says Bhatt.

Rahul Tekwani, Managing Partner of Branding Edge Strategies, reckons that Generative AI often lacks the ability to respond in real time, particularly during key news events like budget releases or elections. This limitation calls for emphasizing the need to formulate PR content strategies driven by human insight and timely reactions that showcase our unique viewpoints.

“As AI-generated content starts to saturate the market, differentiation will become crucial. It is necessary for us to focus on crafting authentic stories that truly resonate with our audiences, rather than leaning on templated outputs. Also, while licensing content to major publishing services might offer short-term advantages, it could ultimately compromise the integrity of your brand and messaging. So, to successfully navigate this evolving scenario, we need to focus on creating original, high-quality and relevant content that showcases the invaluable human insights only skilled PR professionals can provide,” says Tekwani.

Media relations in the times of AI

How will OpenAI’s content agreements with major publishers impact the future of media relations and earned media for PR professionals?

With AI models gaining prominence over traditional Google search, and AI models now being trained on high-quality content from trusted sources, what strategies should PR teams adopt to optimize their outreach efforts and ensure their content stands out in AI-driven platforms like ChatGPT and SearchGPT?

As AI models like ChatGPT and SearchGPT become increasingly integrated into how people access information, PR teams need to rethink their approach, says Priyanka Bhatt. She adds that the key is to prioritize creating content that is not only high-quality but also contextually rich.

“AI systems thrive on trustworthy and well-structured data, so press releases and media pitches need to be more than just attention-grabbing; they must be informative. Additionally, optimizing content for AI platforms involves understanding the kind of data these models are trained on. This means producing material that offers real value, backed by credible sources, while also paying close attention to SEO principles. Consistency across all channels, building strong media relationships, and crafting messages that resonate on both emotional and factual levels will ensure that your content doesn’t just get indexed by AI but also stands out. It’s a balance of smart targeting and meaningful engagement,” adds Bhatt.

To truly stand out in the increasingly AI-driven sector of ChatGPT, SearchGPT, and similar platforms, PR teams need to focus on a balanced, multifaceted approach, says Rahul Tekwani.

Tekwani is certain that there’s no one-size-fits-all here – each tool has its strengths and specific applications. We should view AI content as just one part of a broader strategy, alongside traditional search engines like Google and our own industry knowledge.

“AI-driven tools can certainly enhance efficiency and help us respond quickly to trends. But by combining these capabilities with insights from search engines and drawing on our own expertise, we can craft content that’s both timely and deeply relevant. Relying exclusively on AI could lead to overly generic output, so PR teams need to be intentional, using AI to build a foundation, then adding nuance and depth through human insight and experience,” he adds.

In the end, Tekwani asserts, thoughtful integration of these resources is key – AI can support, but not replace, the human depth, creativity, and authenticity that make PR content impactful and relatable – it cannot be the whole and sole game.

To thrive on AI-driven platforms, asserts Sowmya Iyer, PR teams should prioritize clarity and relevance. According to Iyer, AI algorithms are trained to value concise, data-backed information; so we should aim to provide exactly that. It’s also about using SEO-friendly language and ensuring any data we share is credible and up-to-date.

“Building relationships with the right publishers can help, too, since models like ChatGPT pull from those sources. A mix of fact sheets, expert quotes, and clear headlines could help our content cut through. AI brings an incredible opportunity for PR to enhance transparency and credibility in media. With AI platforms able to respond in real time, PR teams now have tools to manage narratives quickly and more efficiently, which is especially valuable during crises when rapid responses are crucial,” Iyer adds.

However, she cautions, while AI excels at handling routine updates, it’s still essential for PR professionals to add a personal touch, ensuring the messaging remains authentic and resonates emotionally with audiences. She reckons that AI can handle the heavy lifting, but the true craft of PR lies in guiding the story to keep it human and engaging.

Evolving role of PR

Given the increasing integration of AI into news consumption, the role of PR will keep evolving in managing and leveraging AI-powered platforms for enhanced transparency and credibility in media relations.

It’s important to note that traditional media often approaches AI with a healthy dose of skepticism, focusing on filtering out content generated by these technologies, says Rahul Tekwani.

According to him, this caution highlights a real challenge: until traditional media fully embraces AI, its integration will face some hurdles. Journalists, dedicated to upholding quality and credibility, will likely scrutinize AI-generated content, which makes widespread acceptance a tough climb.

“In India, we’re likely to see a slower adoption of AI. Many people still hold a strong attachment to conventional search engines like Google, and this familiarity can create a significant barrier to change. As PR practitioners, we must acknowledge that shifting these established habits will take time and effort,” he concludes.

Priyanka Bhatt points out that AI integration into news consumption is reshaping the PR landscape in various ways. As AI-powered platforms gain traction, the role of PR is evolving from simply managing relationships to actively shaping how information is accessed and perceived.

“While this makes certain tasks easier, it also raises concerns. To enhance transparency and credibility, PR professionals will need to harness AI-driven insights to predict future trends, understand audience behaviour, and refine messaging with precision. However, credibility will continue to rest on authentic storytelling. While AI can analyze vast amounts of data, it’s the human element that will guide how we frame stories to resonate with audiences and maintain trust. PR professionals should view AI as a tool to amplify transparency using it for fact-checking, providing real-time updates, and ensuring the content we distribute is both accurate and ethically sound. Ultimately, the PR industry will need to balance AI’s efficiency with the core principles of genuine human connection,” she concludes.

Sowmya Iyer reckons that AI has truly revolutionized the way we track trends and manage crises, offering real-time insights that were previously unimaginable. These tools enable PR professionals to stay agile and informed, quickly adapting to shifts in public sentiment and responding to emerging issues as they unfold.

“However, while AI is invaluable for enhancing efficiency and providing data-driven insights, it works best as a complementary tool rather than a replacement. The essence of effective PR still lies in personal, tailored communication – the kind that forges genuine connections and resonates deeply with audiences. AI can automate processes and streamline workflows, but the heart of impactful storytelling remains in the human touch we bring, ensuring every message feels authentic, relevant, and compelling,” she concludes.