Our Hold the Front Page event brought together senior comms leaders, journalists, and AI experts to tackle the biggest shift facing our industry: AI becoming the front door to the internet.
Here are the essential takeaways 👇
1 – AI is now a trusted source
Research with Purposeful Relations reveals that 55% of people trust mainstream media, while 44% trust AI. Furthermore, 71% believe AI provides accurate answers. This shows AI is quickly closing the gap with traditional media in terms of public trust.
2 – AI is now a stakeholder
Brands must treat AI models as they would media, customers, and regulators. AI doesn’t simply retrieve information; it generates responses based on existing content. This makes AI an active participant in shaping perceptions.
3 – Earned media drives AI visibility
Up to 95% of AI-generated citations originate from editorial media rather than paid or owned content. High-quality journalism is now the foundation of Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), making earned media critical for brand presence in AI answers.
4 – GEO is not SEO
SEO was like playing checkers; GEO is more like chess. AI answers are built from countless natural-language queries, multiple models pulling from diverse sources, and structured content such as paragraphs, tables, and opinions—not just links. This is a new discipline where PR professionals can lead.
5 – Recency, Accuracy, and Depth Matter
Three factors determine whether AI surfaces your brand:
Recency: AI prioritises fresh, up-to-date data.
Accuracy: Outdated or incorrect websites will be ignored.
Depth: Detailed, long-form content signals expertise and wins visibility.
6 – AI Can Resurface Past Issues
Historic controversies or crises may reappear in AI-generated answers because models aim for balanced perspectives. This means crisis communications now have long-term algorithmic consequences.
7 – Journalism Needs Industry Support
If media outlets cannot sustain trustworthy journalism, AI’s reliability suffers too. Brands should support the ecosystem by entering awards, sponsoring events, and paying NLA/CLA fees to help maintain credible reporting.
8 – Technical Hygiene Is Essential
Ensure your site is AI-friendly:
Fix your robots.txt file.
Update structured data.
Make sure AI can crawl and interpret your content.
If AI cannot access your site, it cannot cite your brand.
9 – Audit AI Answers Regularly
If media outlets cannot sustain trustworthy journalism, AI’s reliability suffers too. Brands should support the ecosystem by entering awards, sponsoring events, and paying NLA/CLA fees to help maintain credible reporting.
10 – Early Action Beats Panic
We’re still in the early stages of this shift. Experiment, test, and refine strategies while keeping earned media central. Traditional media isn’t disappearing – it’s becoming the training data for AI. This makes credibility, journalism, and evidence-based PR more important than ever.