The editor of eCCO Magazine would like to draw readers’ attention to the article published by the IPRA: Gold Paper no. 19.
Gold Papers are one expression of IPRA’s mission for the intellectual leadership of the profession and are authored by recognized specialists at the invitation of the IPRA Board. The Papers form a series that explores significant topics of interest to public relations professionals in depth and with rigour. That series began in 1973 with Herbert M. Lloyd’s Standards and Ethics of Public Relations Practice and has over the years thoughtfully addressed the most important challenges communicators face.
Gold Paper no. 19
Ethical standards and guidelines for the use of Artificial Intelligence in public relations
Throughout its existence, IPRA has sought to provide intellectual leadership for the public relations profession. A key aspect of this has been the development of Codes and Guidelines aimed at establishing an ethical framework for the profession’s activities. Upon joining IPRA, all members commit to upholding the Code, benefiting from the ethical environment they foster. For the past fifty years, IPRA has supplemented its Codes and Guidelines with occasional Gold Papers.
From the outset, IPRA recognized that information and communication technology is a powerful tool. Social technology is capable of benefiting or harming humanity: it can bring personal, organizational, and societal good or ill. It is up to us to determine how to understand and use it, which is why ethical standards are essential to guide our behaviour.
In response to the emergence and widespread adoption of generative artificial intelligence in the 2020s, IPRA published the IPRA AI and PR Guidelines in October 2023. Additionally, it established a joint committee of academics and practitioners to outline Ethical standards and guidelines for the use of Artificial Intelligence in public relations. In July 2024, IPRA launched an AI Chapter.
This Gold Paper provides a snapshot of the situation in 2024 and outlines proposals for proactive and responsible behaviour in public relations. The authors would like to express their appreciation and gratitude to the respondents who participated in the Delphi study and contributed numerous ideas, many of which are featured in this Gold Paper.
To learn more about the topic, read the details here: ipra_gold_paper_19.pdf