Will AI replace Public relations and communications directors?

Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 37 official task statements scored for Public relations and communications directors (United Kingdom, SOC 1133), 54% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 53 out of 100 (range 48–58, band: partial). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.

Which tasks in “Public relations and communications directors” stay human?

About 41% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Represent the company at press launches” (0/100, minimal); “Attend industry conferences for networking” (0/100, minimal); “Sponsor races and parties introducing new products to enhance brand visibility” (4/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.

What should someone working in “Public relations and communications directors” do about AI?

Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 54% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 41% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.

How is the AI exposure score for Public relations and communications directors calculated?

Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 37 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

UK dataswitch to US

Public relations and communications directors

planning PR campaigns for clients, writing interesting and effective press releases and developing crisis communication plans to ensure preparedness. If that's your week, this page is about your job.

The honest answer

This job is splitting in two: creating posts for social media to engage with the audience is work AI now does quickly and cheaply, and building strong media relationships to promote clients effectively is work it can't touch.

Your move: what you can actually do about this ↓

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 54%
changing shape: 5%
staying human: 41%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

Whole-job exposure score 53 out of 100 (48–58 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, across 37 scored tasks. The number is the support for the sentence above it, not a headline about anyone’s future.

How we know this

What is measured: Every published task statement for public relations and communications directors is rated on five dimensions: can a model produce the output, does the work need a body in a room, does it need a legally accountable person, does it depend on a person being trusted in the moment, and how much data exists. A published formula turns those five ratings into the score; the model never writes the number.

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-04. Read the full method.

Which half fills your week decides your exposure. Moving toward the second half is a real, doable plan.

Your week, as this page understands it

Public relations and communications directors plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the public relations, communications and public information activities of an organisation or on behalf of clients. The job title says “public relations” or “communications directors”: officially one job, two names. The real job is the part underneath: building strong media relationships to promote clients effectively. That is the thing someone has to be right about.

The exposed part of this job is specific, and we won’t pretend it is coming back. But public relations and communications directors is not one task. It is 37 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is building strong media relationships to promote clients effectively, and the ledger below shows exactly why.

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 54%
changing shape: 5%
staying human: 41%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

How we know this

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-04. Read the full method.

Your job, task by task

These are the official task statements for this occupation, in plain English, sorted by what the evidence says is happening to each one. The official wording sits under every line so you can check the rewrite against it.

30 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Shifting to AI

20 tasks

Tasks today’s tools can already do most of. This is the part we will not soften: where these rows are the bulk of your week, the week changes.

Planning PR campaigns for clients
This is reading one thing and writing another: PR campaigns in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 95 · 1133/00
Source: “Plan PR campaigns for clients.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 64 out of 100 (57–71 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Campaign plans are structured documents that tools draft to a standard clients would accept with edits.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Creating posts for social media to engage with the audience
This is reading one thing and writing another: posts in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 90 · 1133/00
Source: “Create posts for social media to engage with the audience.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 93 out of 100 (89–97 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Social posts are short, well-patterned pieces of writing that software produces at volume and to a good standard.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Monitoring various media outlets for opportunities beneficial to clients
This is reading one thing and writing another: various media outlets in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 90 · 1133/00
Source: “Monitor various media outlets for opportunities beneficial to clients.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 93 out of 100 (89–97 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Scanning outlets for useful openings is monitoring work software does faster and around the clock.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Preparing press releases to communicate organisational news and public announcements
This is reading one thing and writing another: press releases in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 90 · 1133/00
Source: “Prepare press releases to communicate organisational news and public announcements.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 93 out of 100 (89–97 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: A press release from supplied facts is standard-format writing tools produce at normal professional quality.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Changing shape

2 tasks

Tasks where the machine takes the producing and a person keeps the checking, the deciding, or the answering-for-it. For most jobs this is the biggest group, and it is where "transformation, not termination" is literally visible.

Developing the company's corporate image and identity
The software now makes the first pass at the company's corporate image, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 95 · 1133/00
Source: “Develop the company's corporate image and identity.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 49 out of 100 (42–56 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Tools generate identity options, but a company's image is settled by senior human judgement and taste.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Managing marketing budgets
The software now makes the first pass at budgets, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 60 · 1133/00
Source: “Manage marketing budgets.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (49–63 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Budget tracking and forecasting is spreadsheet work, though spending decisions stay with a named manager.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Staying human

15 tasks

Tasks that stay with a person, because they happen in the physical world, because the rules need someone accountable, or because the value is that a specific person does them.

Assigning, supervising and reviewing the activities of public relations staff
The value here is that a specific person handles the activities of public relations staff and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 95 · 1133/00
Source: “Assign, supervise, and review the activities of public relations staff.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 28 out of 100 (21–35 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Supervising staff rests on working relationships and live feedback with each person.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 3/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Building strong media relationships to promote clients effectively
The value here is that a specific person handles strong media relationships and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 95 · 1133/00
Source: “Build strong media relationships to promote clients effectively.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 10 out of 100 (6–14 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Media relationships are personal ones; journalists take calls from people they know and trust.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 4/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Allocating activities to public relations staff for brand management
The value here is that a specific person handles activities and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 90 · 1133/00
Source: “Allocate activities to public relations staff for brand management.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 35 out of 100 (28–42 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Work can be allocated on paper, but who gets what depends on knowing the team.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Directing activities of external agencies that develop and implement communication strategies
The value here is that a specific person handles activities of external agencies and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 90 · 1133/00
Source: “Direct activities of external agencies that develop and implement communication strategies.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 35 out of 100 (28–42 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Briefs can be written automatically, but steering an outside agency is day-to-day people management.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

Show the other 27 tasks

Preparing information for press kits
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: information in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 85 · 1133/00
Source: “Prepare information for press kits.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 93 out of 100 (89–97 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Press kits follow a familiar template and are assembled from facts the organisation already holds.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Writing interesting and effective press releases
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: effective press releases in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 85 · 1133/00
Source: “Write interesting and effective press releases.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 93 out of 100 (89–97 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Writing sharp press releases is standard-format copywriting that tools do at professional standard.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Drafting speeches for company executives
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: speeches in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 80 · 1133/00
Source: “Draft speeches for company executives.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 93 out of 100 (89–97 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Executive speeches follow well-known structures and are drafted well by software from a few notes.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Editing complex information to ensure clarity and accuracy
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: complex information in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 75 · 1133/00
Source: “Edit complex information to ensure clarity and accuracy.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 93 out of 100 (89–97 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Editing complicated material into something clear and correct is reliable, everyday work for software.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Developing crisis communication plans to ensure preparedness
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: crisis communication plans in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 85 · 1133/00
Source: “Develop crisis communication plans to ensure preparedness.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 83 out of 100 (79–87 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Crisis plans follow a well-documented pattern that tools reproduce to a usable standard.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Developing or maintaining internal or external company websites
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: internal or external company websites in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 75 · 1133/00
Source: “Develop or maintain internal or external company websites.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 83 out of 100 (79–87 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Building and maintaining company websites is one of the strongest areas for current tools, with abundant documentation available.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Evaluating advertising and promotion programmes for compatibility with public relations efforts
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: promotion programmes in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 85 · 1133/00
Source: “Evaluate advertising and promotion programmes for compatibility with public relations efforts.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Comparing campaign material against communications aims is a reading and judgement task software handles well.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Identifying main client groups and audiences for targeted communication
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: main client groups in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 85 · 1133/00
Source: “Identify main client groups and audiences for targeted communication.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Audience segmentation is a documented analytical method that tools apply reliably.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Reviewing the effectiveness of previous activities to gauge impact on client reputation
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: the effectiveness of previous activities in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 85 · 1133/00
Source: “Review the effectiveness of previous activities to gauge impact on client reputation.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Reviewing what past activity achieved is data analysis and write-up that tools do well.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Observing and reporting on social
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: social in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 75 · 1133/00
Source: “Observe and report on social, economic, and political trends that might affect employers.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Watching public trends and writing them up draws on huge amounts of openly available material.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Writing policy documents
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: policy documents in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 60 · 1133/00
Source: “Write policy documents.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Policy documents follow documented conventions and draft well from a clear position.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Designing brochures to effectively communicate health initiatives to stakeholders
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: brochures in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 50 · 1133/00
Source: “Design brochures to effectively communicate health initiatives to stakeholders.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Brochure copy and layout drafts well once the health messages are agreed.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Maintaining archives to support organisational history and communication strategies
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: archives in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 70 · 1133/00
Source: “Maintain archives to support organisational history and communication strategies.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 69 out of 100 (62–76 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Organising and indexing an archive is cataloguing work that software does quickly.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Formulating policies and procedures for public information programmes in collaboration with public relations executives
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: policies in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 90 · 1133/00
Source: “Formulate policies and procedures for public information programmes in collaboration with public relations executives.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 64 out of 100 (57–71 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Drafting communications policies is document work built on widely published good practice.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Developing internal communications that keep employees informed of company activities by conferring with labour relations managers
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: internal communications in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 80 · 1133/00
Source: “Develop internal communications that keep employees informed of company activities by conferring with labour relations managers.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 64 out of 100 (57–71 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Internal communications are standard writing tasks tools handle once the facts are supplied.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Responding to requests for information about employers' activities or status
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: requests in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 80 · 1133/00
Source: “Respond to requests for information about employers' activities or status.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 64 out of 100 (57–71 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Most enquiries have standard answers, though reputation-sensitive ones need a person's judgement.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Developing strategies to promote business with company officials
staying human
The value here is that a specific person handles strategies and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 85 · 1133/00
Source: “Develop strategies to promote business with company officials.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 35 out of 100 (28–42 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Winning support from company officials depends on relationships.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Organising photo shoots for marketing content
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: photo shoots, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 1133/00
Source: “Organise photo shoots for marketing content.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 24 out of 100 (17–31 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Booking and briefing a shoot is desk work, but the shoot itself needs people, cameras and a location.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Communicating with customers to address their needs
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: customers, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 1133/00
Source: “Communicate with customers to address their needs.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 20 out of 100 (13–27 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Serving a customer at the counter happens face to face.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Managing special events to gain public attention through the media
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: special events, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 85 · 1133/00
Source: “Manage special events to gain public attention through the media.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 18 out of 100 (11–25 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Running an event means being there on the day, though the planning and press material can be prepared automatically.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Facilitating the relationship between managers and employees
staying human
The value here is that a specific person handles the relationship and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 60 · 1133/00
Source: “Facilitate the relationship between managers and employees.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 14 out of 100 (7–21 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Standing between managers and staff works only if both sides trust the individual doing it.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 3/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Establishing and maintaining effective and professional relationships with clients and other stakeholders
staying human
The value here is that a specific person handles effective and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 90 · 1133/00
Source: “Establish and maintain effective and professional relationships with clients and other stakeholders.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 10 out of 100 (6–14 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Client and stakeholder relationships are the job itself for a communications director, and they only work between people.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 4/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Using these relationships to develop new business opportunities
staying human
The value here is that a specific person handles these relationships and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 80 · 1133/00
Source: “Use these relationships to develop new business opportunities.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 10 out of 100 (6–14 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Turning existing relationships into new business depends on the trust those people place in a particular individual.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 3/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Facilitating the relationship between different branch offices
staying human
The value here is that a specific person handles the relationship and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 60 · 1133/00
Source: “Facilitate the relationship between different branch offices.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 10 out of 100 (3–17 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Keeping different offices working together is about personal relationships built up over time.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 3/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Sponsoring races and parties introducing new products to enhance brand visibility
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: races, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 1133/00
Source: “Sponsor races and parties introducing new products to enhance brand visibility.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 4 out of 100 (0–11 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Hosting sponsored events is about being there and building relationships with people in person.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 3/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Attending industry conferences for networking
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: industry conferences, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 85 · 1133/00
Source: “Attend industry conferences for networking.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–7 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Networking at a conference is about being in the room with people.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 3/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Representing the company at press launches
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: the company, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 85 · 1133/00
Source: “Represent the company at press launches.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Representing the company at a launch means physically being there.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

What this job pays, and how many people do it

Median pay: £72,900a year, before tax, the middle of the range, so half earn more and half earn less.ashe-t14, 2025 · ASHE 2025 provisional (reference April 2025)Provisional, because the ONS revises this figure in the autumn.
How we know this
Source: ashe-t14
Reference period: ASHE 2025 provisional (reference April 2025)
Rounding: Shown to the nearest £100. The exact published figure is in the downloadable dataset. We do not render pounds the survey cannot support.
People doing this job: 32,200in the UK, 2026.nomis-aps · Apr 2025-Mar 2026 (latest APS 12-month period)This headcount comes from a survey, not a census, so treat it as a good estimate rather than an exact count.

What is deliberately not here: a forecast of how many of these jobs exist in ten years. Where an official projection exists for a market we publish it with its vintage; where it does not, we leave the space empty rather than borrow the other country’s number.

Why this is shifting

The reason is boringly specific. Most of what is shifting here is reading one thing and writing another: PR campaigns in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: creating posts for social media to engage with the audience and planning PR campaigns for clients. What it cannot do is be trusted in person, which is what strong media relationships run on: someone specific doing it and standing behind it. Which is why this page talks about your tasks changing, not your job ending.

Your move

Over a pint: what I’d tell you if you were my friend

The exposed part of your job is the biggest part, and I am not going to dress that up: creating posts for social media to engage with the audience is work today's tools do quickly and cheaply, and that is not coming back.

So, given all that: 54% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 5% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 41% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 37 scored tasks. It is not a forecast about you.

What you have that the software does not is building strong media relationships to promote clients effectively, plus the years of knowing when something looks wrong before you can say why. That is the raw material for everything below.

This week: one thing

Sit on the machine's side of the desk. Pick one real piece of PR campaigns you would normally do yourself, let whatever software you already have take the first pass at it, and then go through what it produced and write down every single thing it got wrong. One evening this week. Do not fix anything yet. Just catch it.

What you end up holding: a written list of the machine’s mistakes, in your handwriting
How long it takes: an evening, or an hour if you pick one job rather than one client

If you can’t run software on your employer’s or your clients’ data: Do the same hunt on paper. Take one printed piece of PR campaigns, work through it the way you always do, and mark every point where you made a call rather than followed a rule. Same evening, same list, nothing to log into and nobody to ask permission from. That list is the same artifact: it is the judgment written down.

Over the next 90 days

Change one sentence about what you do. Not on a CV. Out loud, to whoever pays you. From “my job is creating posts for social media to engage with the audience” to “I check what the software does and tell you what it means.” Your error list from this week is what makes that sentence true instead of a claim, so use it: show it once, to one person, inside the next ninety days. Same skills, priced as judgment rather than as typing.

Over the next 12 months

Walk toward the end of this job that answers for things, and get it recognised. Pick the one part of building strong media relationships to promote clients effectively you are already best at, and spend the year making it formal: a qualification, a named responsibility, a specialism people ask for by name. Price it honestly: that is evenings, it is months rather than weeks, and the seats are competitive because everyone in your position is looking at the same door. Before you pay for anything, spend an hour with National Careers Service. It is free and government-funded, and it is listed below with the rest of the free routes.

The roads out of here, and why I am not sending you down them

I looked at the obvious moves out of this job, and here is what I found.

I checked the 12 nearest UK occupations to public relations and communications directors (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was public relations professionals: only about 17% of its durable work is work you already do and it pays 48.5% less. Your own job splits about 54/46: that share of the list sits in the top exposure band and the rest does not. On this evidence the honest move is inside the job rather than out of it. Become the person who owns “assign, supervise, and review the activities of public relations staff”, and let the exposed end go.

How that was checked: this job was compared against all 412 UK occupations in this release on their official task statements, and the 12 nearest were examined one by one. A move that turns on an industry, an employer or a qualification rather than on the work itself will not show up in a check like that. And this release carries no licence register, so anything you are weighing needs that looked up separately.

3 moves I checked and rejected

These are the obvious-looking jumps. They are here with their reasons rather than quietly dropped, because the ones that fail are worth knowing about. It is one less thing to turn over at night.

Public relations professionals
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour because one of your tasks is on their list in the same words: “build strong media relationships to promote clients effectively”. Across the whole of both lists that adds up to about 17% of the work in that job the software is not taking.
Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 17% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on. It is a pay cut, in those words: £37,563 against your £72,887, 48.5% less (ASHE Table 14.7a, 2025 provisional (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Marketing and commercial managers
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour because one of your tasks is on their list in the same words: “organise photo shoots for marketing content”. Across the whole of both lists that adds up to about 9% of the work in that job the software is not taking.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 9% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. It is a pay cut, in those words: £53,703 against your £72,887, 26.3% less (ASHE Table 14.7a, 2025 provisional (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Financial accounts managers
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour because one of your tasks is on their list in the same words: “establish and maintain effective and professional relationships with clients and other stakeholders”. Across the whole of both lists that adds up to about 9% of the work in that job the software is not taking.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 9% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. It is a pay cut, in those words: £48,980 against your £72,887, 32.8% less (ASHE Table 14.7a, 2025 provisional (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.
Look at that job’s page anyway →

What I’d stop worrying about

A friend tells you what not to spend fear on. This is that list.

The headline number you read somewhere
The big “X% of jobs” figures are about the whole economy, not about you. The number that describes your job is on this page: 54% of its task weight, across 37 scored tasks. Every row behind it is printed above with the source. Check ours; ignore theirs.
“It’s too late for me to become something else”
You are not starting from zero, and the page shows why: building strong media relationships to promote clients effectively is work the software cannot do and you already do it. The move above is a repricing of what you know, not a new career. Nobody who has just left college has that.
“I should learn to code”
Almost certainly not. The value in your job is moving toward checking, deciding and answering for the output, not toward writing the software. A weekend of Python will not change your position; the error list from this week will.
The “obvious” next job everyone suggests
I checked the obvious moves and most of them did not survive. The reasons are printed with the routes above, including the pay and the gate. A move that fails on the numbers is worth knowing about so you can stop turning it over at night.

If you run a team doing this job

If you run a team doing this job, the conversation you owe them is the one on this page, and sooner than feels comfortable. Show them the ledger rather than a reassurance: the rows moving toward the software are creating posts for social media to engage with the audience, and the rows that are not are where you want your people visible. Ask each of them to do the this-week move and bring the list to your next one-to-one. It turns a rumour into a piece of work, and it tells you which parts of your team's week are actually at stake. And say the thing out loud that a team lead usually leaves unsaid: a shrinking team is your exposure too, so do the move yourself as well.

You are reading the United Kingdom figures

The United States splits this work across more than one official group, of which Advertising and Promotions Managers is the closest. The pay and employment figures are not directly comparable, and we do not average them together.

Switch to the United States page →partial match

The other groups this work is counted across:

In US official statistics this job is counted as Advertising and Promotions Managers, Public Relations Managers and Fundraising Managers. Pay is shown separately for each of those groups (medians cannot be averaged together), while the task list and the scores on this page are for this group only.

Your route through this

Two honest options, and no deadline on either

Free, and complete

The moves above cost nothing. These are the real services that go with them: public, government-funded, and free at the point of use. Nothing on this page is behind an email address or a payment.

In England:
National Careers Service
A free hour with a government-funded careers adviser is worth more than another evening of reading. In England that's the National Careers Service.
Free, government-funded
- Discover your skills and careers (the skills assessment)
In England:
National Careers Service - Find a course
Search what's actually running near you before you spend anything.
Free to search; individual courses vary
In England:
Free courses for jobs (Level 3 qualifications)
A free Level 3 qualification you already qualify for beats a paid course you don't need.
Free for eligible adults
In England:
Skills Bootcamps
Free, up to 16 weeks, and you get a job interview at the end. In England these are Skills Bootcamps - search what's running near you.
Free for eligible adults in England
- Skills Bootcamps - what they are and who can do them (DfE, Skills for Careers)
- Skills Bootcamps - JobHelp (DWP)
In Scotland:
My World of Work (Skills Development Scotland)
In Scotland it's My World of Work, from Skills Development Scotland.
Free, publicly funded
- Skills Development Scotland
In Wales:
Careers Wales
In Wales it's Careers Wales.
Free, Welsh Government-funded
In Northern Ireland:
Careers Service Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland it's the Careers Service on nidirect.
Free, Department for the Economy-funded

A nearby route

There's no Space built for public relations and communications directors yet.

Collab365 Spaces is built by the same people as this site. We find the problems that AI and automation are creating inside one kind of work, then solve them as short courses, briefings and Blueprints. Each Space is the community too, so the research and the people doing your job are in the same place.

What a Space actually is, in full

The closest match is The AI Authority, a community for non-technical managers and domain experts turning one-off AI prompts into workflows a team can trust. It overlaps with the part of your job that is growing: briefing, checking and delegating AI-assisted work so it is repeatable rather than one person’s trick, and setting the rules that keep a team’s AI output consistent. It is a general professional Space: no media relations, no brand and no campaign work. If that overlap isn't you, the free route below covers the same ground.

Try The AI Authority free →

7 days free, no card needed. Explore up to 2 Spaces before you choose a plan: you pick a plan later, not now.

After the trial it is a paid community, and you get identical data either way. If the overlap above is not your job, the moves above cost nothing and stand on their own.

Noted, and thank you. We’ll email you if a Space for public relations and communications directors launches. Nothing else.

That did not look like an email address, so nothing was saved. Have another go below.

We could not save that. The fault is ours, not yours, and your address was not stored. Please try again later.

No deadline on any of this. The page will still be here, and the data is refreshed on a published schedule rather than when someone wants a headline.

Questions people ask about this job

Will AI replace Public relations and communications directors?: Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 37 official task statements scored for Public relations and communications directors (United Kingdom, SOC 1133), 54% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 53 out of 100 (range 48–58, band: partial). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.
Which tasks in “Public relations and communications directors” can AI already do?: The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Create posts for social media to engage with the audience” (93/100, very high); “Monitor various media outlets for opportunities beneficial to clients” (93/100, very high); “Prepare press releases to communicate organisational news and public announcements” (93/100, very high). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.
Which tasks in “Public relations and communications directors” stay human?: About 41% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Represent the company at press launches” (0/100, minimal); “Attend industry conferences for networking” (0/100, minimal); “Sponsor races and parties introducing new products to enhance brand visibility” (4/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.
What should someone working in “Public relations and communications directors” do about AI?: Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 54% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 41% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.
How is the AI exposure score for Public relations and communications directors calculated?: Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 37 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

Where these numbers come from

About the data on this page

Provisional, because the ONS revises this figure in the autumn.
This headcount comes from a survey, not a census, so treat it as a good estimate rather than an exact count.
The match between this job and its counterpart in the other country is partial, so the two pages count slightly different groups of people.
30 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Task statements: gaisi-indexProcessing: catalogue-bridge → ssc-relatedness-weighting → task-scoring → score-aggregation
Task weights: gaisi-index (relatedness)
Scores: Rubric task_scoring_v1.0, model claude-opus-5, computed 2026-08-05.
Pay and employment: ashe-t14 (ASHE 2025 provisional (reference April 2025))nomis-aps (Apr 2025-Mar 2026 (latest APS 12-month period))

Figures on this page come from release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Every release keeps its own permanent address, so a figure you cite in March is still there, unchanged, in November.

The plain-English wording on this page is assembled directly from the task statements and the published ratings, not written by hand for this occupation. That is why it is specific, and it is also why we say so.

The routes and free resources further up are today’s, not the release’s (last reviewed 2026-08-05). A route is an offer, not a historical fact, so it moves on its own clock.

How we score a job Download this release Look up another job

Using these figures?

Cite this

Everything on this site is published under CC BY 4.0. Quote it, chart it, sell something built on it. Just say where it came from, and cite the dated release rather than the site, so the figure you quote stays checkable.

Plain text

Collab365 (2026). Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1 (methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0). https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Built with O*NET data (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); ONS data (Open Government Licence v3.0); GAISI task framework (arXiv:2507.22748, MIT); BLS data (public domain).

BibTeX

@misc{collab365futureproof2026q41,
  title        = {Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1},
  author       = {{Collab365}},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1},
  note         = {Release 2026-q4.1, methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0, CC BY 4.0}
}

Permalink

https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1

Data as of release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Releases never change after publication; when the figures move, a new dated release is published beside this one and this one stays exactly where it is.