The danger of AI in industrial PR
In economically challenging times, many industrial companies are tempted to switch to standardized, machine-generated texts in order to save costs. But this strategy is dangerous, as it can lead to a loss of trust among customers and the media, warns a PR expert.
ChatGPT, Google Gemini or Claude: Generative AI produces press releases, brochures and website texts in a matter of seconds. Social media is also flooded with AI texts. Take LinkedIn, for example. Here, industrial companies post articles every day for which neither linguistic expertise nor sufficient time was previously available.
AI-generated texts undermine trust in companies
But there is a darker side to AI that is becoming increasingly visible, warns Patrick Schroeder, a PR expert for industry and technology journalist in Paderborn for 19 years. «Most readers now recognize AI-generated texts immediately. Not just by the frequently quoted dash. Also by the above-average sharp, but always similar logical structure,» says Schroeder. «Many people, including customers and specialist media, lose trust in the company at this point.»
«Artificial intelligence can make industrial companies invisible»
Particularly in the case of thought leadership posts on social media, it is no longer transparent which thoughts originate from humans and which from machines. «The sender itself becomes nebulous and no longer tangible, making it almost impossible to build trust,» warns Schroeder. As a result, more and more people are ignoring AI posts. The phenomenon is comparable to banner blindness, i.e. ignoring advertising banners on websites. «It's a paradox: companies want to become more visible through more AI content, but achieve the opposite. This is a worrying development. Especially in economically challenging times, when trust is more important than ever.»
«Storytelling makes industrial companies tangible and credible»
For 2026, Schroeder recommends that industrial companies build the trust of customers and specialist media with authentic content from real life. Reports on successful customer projects, for example, are effective. «Storytelling offers the opportunity to put the focus back on people,» explains Schroeder. «Companies become tangible and credible through this real insight into their everyday life. And that is essential in economically turbulent times.»
Source and further information: www.stories-about-robots.de
