How AI is Impacting Public Affairs
Headlines around AI continue to dominate news and social media. Is this technology the next great invention since the internet or the downfall of the white-collar workforce? Our economic boom or the ultimate job killer? We’ve officially reached the point where businesses and consumers alike want, and need, to understand how AI will affect our lives – and jobs – today, and what that means for the future.
This topic is starting to dominate the discourse among public affairs professionals, and it comes up in almost every conversation I have with my peers and clients, specifically, how we use it correctly to drive efficiency and help see around corners to identify issues we didn’t know were on the horizon.
In our industry, I believe that while AI can make some aspects of our work more efficient, there is no replacement for experience and issue area expertise. We need to effectively utilize the technology as a productive thought partner, but it can’t replicate the totality of our work. Let’s dig a little deeper:
Current State
In many industries, AI tools are already increasing efficiency and handling tasks that junior staff used to do - the tasks I remember doing when I first started out – answering the front desk phone, preparing (hardcopy) newspaper clips, and taking notes in meetings.
Some entry-level job loss is already being automated with AI. But while AI may replace some jobs, we will always need smart, capable people to succeed, regardless of what technology is capable of. Meaning, jobs won’t dry up, but roles will shift - and skillsets along with them.
What this Means for Calkin PA
I do still believe there are many positions for entry-level professionals looking to get into public affairs, but they are just starting to look different from how they used to a few years ago. New hires are expected to have different skill sets and be proficient in AI to cut down on things like research time and media monitoring.
Entry-level applicants who know how to use apps and tools that can help with visual design and video editing and integrate an AI ecosystem across workflows will be incredibly valuable. But what we are hearing most from clients is what we’ve always heard – they are looking for experience and agency chemistry to lead their campaigns, build communications workstreams, and take on the biggest challenges. This is still a relationship business that is driven by people working together in dynamic situations, which AI can’t replicate.
The Takeaway
While AI is important, it isn’t everything. Not by a long shot. Skills such as project management, coalition building, media creativity and relationships, and having the intelligence to drive teams are not something AI can manage for us. AI is only as strong as the people who utilize it, and people and relationships will always matter, especially in an industry like ours.
In fact, our entire approach to public affairs comes from decades of experience, battle-tested strategies, and winning results for our clients’ most complex, controversial, and contentious public policy and political challenges. AI isn’t going to be able to comfort a client in crisis or execute a strategy based on years of experience.
But it is already helping streamline research on an obscure regulation, pull newspaper clips from a decade ago, and stress test strategic plans. That said, while the technology is impressive in its early stages, it currently has severe limitations.
My team will be following the latest AI trends, sentiment, and how it affects the job market closely this year, so stay tuned for more insights from us. As with all hot topics, the Legislature will likely engage on several fronts, and we are already starting to see how this may take shape in 2026.
I’d love to hear from you - both excitement and concerns – and how you are using AI to support and enhance your teams, not shrink them.