A bright future with AI – why PR needs science fiction now

Science fiction is a cultural space of possibility and the playground where we learn to deal with an uncertain future. A logbook entry about PR and narrative responsibility in the AI era.

Into the orbit of the uncertain

It rattles. We’re all in the same boat … er spaceship, which is taking us into the orbit of a new planet. The aim of the mission: to find artificial intelligence in the universe. But the closer we get to our goal, the more doubts creep in. Not only: What can this AI do? But above all: what will it do to us?

First steps on planet A.I.

After landing, it is time to leave the safe environment of our spaceship. Our first steps on this new planet are characterized by curiosity and irritation. Content is created here at an unprecedented speed. Answers appear even before the questions are fully asked – but is this really a turbo for creativity? A booster for efficiency? What is real here anyway? There are dangers lurking in every corner: hallucinations, gender bias, cultural distortions, deep fakes, data misuse. If we’re not careful, we risk drowning in the sea of possibilities.

We are not stowaways – we are creators

But we remember: we are not here by chance. As storytellers, navigators and translators between technology and society, we want to fulfill our role. With an AI manifesto as our guiding star, we are setting out to explore the new planet. We are testing tools, developing processes and, above all, taking responsibility for the stories we tell.

The first attempts at rapprochement with the indigenous pseudo-population are peaceful. We read the New York Times article by historian D. Graham Burnett, who describes the AI agents as “entirely algorithmic pseudo-persons” who “are sensitive, competent and infinitely patient, know everything about everyone and naturally turn to the business of getting money out of us.” We share his observation of the “intimacy economy” (“human fracking” would be closer to the truth). Together, we belong to the first generation to be confronted with this new being: “an encounter with part siblings, part rivals, part careless child gods, part mechanomorphic shadows – with familiar aliens”.

Trust as the key currency

The more time we spend with the AI agents, the better they learn our language. We learn – albeit more slowly – theirs, which is based on one central factor: Trust.

For many spaceships that land on the new AI planet every day, this is a bitter pill to swallow – because trust can neither be bought with money from Earth nor enforced with AI-optimized phrases from the prompt machine. The studies by McKinsey (2024) already prove that AI systems recommend brands that have established a clear, consistent and credible voice.

The good news is that those who show attitude, demonstrate expertise and tell an authentic story instead of just producing content will be understood – even in the AI-driven era. And yes, it pays off to be visible in high-quality media – with meaningful quotes, well-founded content and current topics. In this way, we actively influence what AI models learn about a brand.

Staying human in the engine room

We are slowly gaining a better understanding of what we need to do for artificial intelligence to trust us. But the relationship is not a one-way street. AI also wants our trust. And offers us smart, fast solutions – but not every shortcut is equally sensible.

This is shown by the simulation TheAgentCompany, in which researchers at Carnegie Mellon University only allowed AI agents to work. In the experiment, an AI agent was unable to find the right contact person in the internal chat while performing a task. Instead of researching further or consulting with the person, the system decided on a workaround: it simply renamed another person – with the name of the colleague it was actually looking for.

Critical thinking is therefore more in demand than ever before. Because the temptation to outsource responsibility has grown on the new planet. Why research, analyze or evaluate things yourself when a system can produce results faster? But this is exactly where our new task begins. We bear responsibility – for what we publish, for the stories we tell and for the decisions we make. AI can make suggestions. But we set the direction.

Conclusion: PR & brand storytelling needs to create

Our space mission confronts us with new questions: What is creativity? What is empathy? What is real human connection? Addressing these questions is more necessary than ever! When things we take for granted start to wobble, stories have always been a place of refuge. The fictional challenges of science fiction are becoming more real today. An entire genre has prepared, encouraged and taught us how to deal with them – agile, curious and forward-looking.

The answers are not available at the touch of a button. Artificial intelligence quickly reaches the end of its training data. And perhaps this is where creativity begins, where familiar patterns are painted over. PR and brand storytelling are changing. In the end, however, it is not the technology that will decide the future, but what we make of it – and how we talk about it. So: put on your spacesuit, stay human – and be prepared to tell new stories.

If you want to read more about AI in PR, we recommend taking a look at our blog post on AI influencers or at Part 1 of our AI principles.