PR BOTS ARE WRITING COMMENTS & PITCHES NOW. HERE’S WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THE REST OF US

A UK-based public relations firm recently launched an AI bot to respond to media services that connect reporters with expert sources (think HARO, Qwoted and SOS) and they claim it outperforms 95% of human writers and lands responses at a 7–8% success rate. 

But while it may sound like a win for efficiency, it raises real questions for PR pros and the brands we support.  

Here are a few initial reactions. 

JOURNALISTS ARE GETTING PICKIER AND MORE SKEPTICAL. AS THEY SHOULD!

It’s not just about what PR pros are saying—it’s how they are saying it. Journalists are tuning out bot-like responses, and some are walking away from these platforms entirely. Qwoted, in particular, has become a race. You can see how many pitches went in; how fast people respond and even get awards from Qwoted for volume of pitches. That kind of pressure encourages speed over substance. But reporters still want quality. And so should their readers and by extension, PR pros and their clients or internal stakeholders. 

As Daily Express Deputy Political Editor Steph Spyro put it on LinkedIn: “So much of journalism in the digital age is about speed… Comms experts who are geared up to respond to the shift have a lot to gain.” 

Speed matters. But so does sounding like a real person. 

HUMAN-WRITTEN CONTENT STILL WINS WHEN IT COMES TO TRUST

A new study from the University of Kansas found that readers consistently view human-written press releases as more credible and trustworthy than AI-generated ones. Even when they couldn’t always tell which was which. 

So, if it sounds flat, robotic or over-polished, chances are it’s not landing. 

AI ISN’T THE PROBLEM. IT’S HOW WE USE IT

Ray Fernandez, an international independent journalist, put it well: 

“If the AI tool is used by humans with humans in the loop, it could be a tool to augment and scale pitches and responses. The problem is that AI is in its infancy and using it for good has a steep learning curve.” 

He added: 

“The same tool in different hands has different outcomes. Most journalists (at least those I talk with) can recognize an AI-generated response a mile away. I don’t lose sleep over it—but I do think the focus should move away from the tech and more into how individuals and organizations use it.” 

That last line says it all. 

FEWER PITCHES. BETTER CONTENT. STRONGER IMPACT

We don’t need to respond to everything. We just need to respond well. 

Personalize with purpose. Referencing a journalist’s work is a great start, but don’t stop there. Make sure your pitch actually sounds like your spokesperson. Use quotes that feel real, not rehearsed. The goal isn’t to flex with words like “cutting edge,” “robust” or “synergistic.” It’s to open a door for a conversation.  

A little personality, whether it’s humor or a spicy point of view, can go a long way in making it clear that a human wrote it. 

DON’T LET THE TOOL BECOME THE STRATEGY

HARO, Qwoted and SOS are great tools when used well. But they’re not a replacement for proactive media work. 

We still need thoughtful story mining, timely positioning and smart subject lines. Pitches that help reporters do their job, not just check a box. 

As Fernandez also noted: 

“AI is new to the writing world. Humans and journalists have been doing it for centuries. I wouldn’t underestimate that.” 

BOTTOM LINE

The bots are here. That’s not the problem. The challenge is making sure we don’t blend in with them.
Humans still win when it comes to credibility, creativity and connection. The question is: are we writing like it?

Touchdown Team’s DOs and DON’Ts for AI-Era Pitching 

• DO keep the pitch short! Especially with Qwoted where the reporter already knows their request and can see the spokesperson offered so hardly any intro/preamble is needed. Offer how your expert can help and when they’re available. – Chris Soto, Senior Account Executive 

• DO proofread and edit commentary to account for AI tells such as em dashes and common AI words/phrases. While AI can be helpful in drafting commentary, it still needs to be cleaned up with the human touch for authenticity. – Larissa Aguilar, Account Executive 

• DO include links to relevant commentary and/or speaking examples for the spokesperson you are pitching to further demonstrate their expertise on the topic. Especially for podcasts, it is helpful for the reporter to have a frame of reference for the spokesperson’s voice. – Larissa Aguilar, Account Executive 

• DON’T submit commentary that’s only loosely related to the reporter’s request. Our goal is to be genuinely helpful and avoid cluttering a reporter’s inbox with off-topic pitches. If we have a spokesperson who can speak to the broader topic but not the specific angle of the prompt, consider flagging the reporter or publication for a future proactive pitch instead. – Larissa Aguilar, Account Executive 

• DO use AI to shorten your originally written quote to make it more succinct or meet a certain word count. The original work will still be your own, human-generated words so you will not be dinged for using AI for writing. You are only removing words/phrases. – Alyssa Pallotti, Senior Vice President 

• DO lean on AI to help tighten and polish language. AI is genuinely handy for editing long responses into sharp, media-ready soundbites. For instance, it can take “Our company is focused on a variety of different initiatives” and turn it into “We’re focused on three key initiatives.” Always double-check, as AI might suggest something that misrepresents a client’s message or is flashy, like “We’re revolutionizing our industry,” when your client’s real message is about reliability and tradition. – Lauren Curley, Vice President 

• DON’T let AI replace your media instincts. AI can’t possibly understand the nuances of your client’s history, sensitivities, or goals the way you do. Treat AI as a helpful assistant, not a replacement for your judgment. For example, AI might draft a bold quote that totally misses the mark for a client who prefers a more understated or traditional approach. – Lauren Curley, Vice President 

• DO treat AI as a creative partner. AI is a great brainstorming companion, helping you explore new directions by surfacing unexpected connections, rephrasing ideas, or offering alternative perspectives that might not have occurred to you on your own. If you’re drafting a pitch for a new product launch, you can ask AI to suggest alternative opening hooks that make it more engaging while keeping it concise. – Katie Kruger, Account Supervisor 

• DON’T assume AI understands context or culture. AI lacks lived experience and emotional intuition, so it may misread humor, irony, or cultural references. This could potentially result in messaging that feels off-tone, insensitive, or even offensive. If you ask AI to write a lighthearted closing for a pitch to a reporter in a unique industry or demographic, it may suggest a phrase that’s common to you but comes off as overly casual or even inappropriate to the journalist. – Katie Kruger, Account Supervisor 

• DON’T be dissuaded by a tight deadline. It’s important not to pass on an opportunity that aligns with content or thoughts you’ve already developed. For example, with a PYMTS opportunity we pursued, we couldn’t secure an interview in time, but we repurposed insights from previous pitches and thought leadership. It worked because we still conveyed the executive’s expertise—even without a direct quote—by summarizing their perspective. Tight timelines demand resourcefulness. – Paola Hernandez, Assistant Account Executive 

• DO submit clients as sources. This is a great way to quickly fire off Qwoteds proactively. If you see a Qwoted that fits your clients MO and isn’t specifically asking for commentary? Fire off a quick pitch and offer your client as a source. I typically include their name, title, background and qualifications. I’ve done this for multiple clients and gotten briefings and written Q&As because of being quick and being one of the first 5 pitches in offering an expert. – Lauren Treon, Senior Account Executive 

• DO use Qwoted topics for proactive pitches on your own. If there is a Qwoted that is about a good and timely topic for your client, but you don’t think you’ll be able to get a comment turned around in time for their deadline, the research the topic they are asking about and put together an RR for the internal team. We did that a couple of times on Traceable, when there was a breach happening, but we knew the client wouldn’t respond in time we would use the Qwoted contents to identify what happened and put together our own outreach once our commentary was good to go. – Lauren Treon, Senior Account Executive