Artificial intelligence is transforming the way people search for information, receive recommendations, and choose brands. Increasingly, consumers are asking chatbots for information about specific topics and for product or service suggestions. To ensure your brand is part of those answers — and that AI tools recommend you — you need a credible, consistent, and value-driven communications presence. In the age of AI, journalism and public relations are regaining their importance.
By Oren Basson, CEO of Allmedia Public Relations & New Media
From Search Engines to Smart Chatbots
People are no longer relying solely on Google. They’re turning to AI systems to gain knowledge, opinions, and advice. Consumers now ask ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude for lists of top brands and companies — according to the chatbot’s judgment. If you’re not mentioned there, you’re not on their radar.
One of the main sources chatbots draw from is the press. The more reliable and authoritative the news outlets, the greater their influence on AI-generated responses. That’s why public relations in the AI era are becoming more critical than ever, requiring a new approach to digital visibility and media impact.
How Chatbots Build Their Knowledge
A new field is emerging to address the challenge of influencing chatbot-generated answers: AIO (Artificial Intelligence Optimization) or GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). These focus on improving how brands appear within AI-generated responses.
Unlike Google, which directs users to sources, AI chatbots generate their own answers — based on massive datasets that include websites, news articles, blogs, customer sites, professional portals, and academic sources. They learn to identify credible, relevant, and high-quality content.
When a brand is frequently mentioned in journalistic pieces, expert reviews, or reputable news outlets, its likelihood of being recognized by AI as a trusted source increases. Consistent mentions, backlinks, and relevant, authoritative content strengthen the algorithm’s “trust score” — much like Google’s ranking mechanisms.
A Dual Role for Marketing Leaders
Today’s marketing leaders face a dual mission: influencing human perception through exposure in traditional and digital media — via advertising, events, newsletters, and interviews — while also convincing artificial intelligence that their company is a credible, leading, and active player.
In the past, a feature article in Globes or Calcalist was valuable for reaching readers. Today, it’s just as valuable because AI systems read it, remember it, and integrate it into their answers.
Where Do We Go From Here?
The shift from search engines to chatbots demands a new mindset among marketers, PR professionals, and reputation managers. It’s no longer enough to appear on Google — you must appear in AI-generated answers. As with SEO, the more positive and consistent your digital footprint, the better your ranking, reputation, and ultimately, your business outcomes.
How can this be achieved? Through frequent media mentions on credible sites (ideally with high authority, though smaller outlets are also read by AI), backlinks from trustworthy sources, and quality, updated content that provides real value. It’s also crucial to monitor how AI systems perceive and describe your brand.
In SEO, you measure your presence by keyword rankings. In the AI era, you assess whether you appear in relevant chatbot responses — and if so, what the chatbot actually says about you.
The Bottom Line
In a world where consumers make decisions through intelligent chatbots, brands that don’t appear simply don’t exist. Public relations are no longer just a marketing tool — it’s become a critical element in shaping how artificial intelligence perceives you. Investing in strong, consistent media visibility today will pay off tomorrow — not only among journalists and readers, but also among the algorithms that shape public opinion in the age of AI.
This article was first published on the “Israel Hayom” website.
