Generative AI in Public Relations Writing: Implications for Equity and Creativity

This chapter examines how ChatGPT, a state-of-the-art generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, influences student learning in an undergraduate public relations (PR) writing course, with a focus on academic performance, the equity of outcomes, and creativity. We employed a mixed-methods design, combining quantitative analysis of writing assignments (pre- and post-ChatGPT integration) and qualitative focus group interviews. Our findings indicate that ChatGPT reduced average time-on-task by approximately 35% and compressed performance gaps – students in the lowest quartile gained an average of five points versus one point for top-quartile peers – thus narrowing achievement differences. Creativity improvements emerged only when AI use was scaffolded; unguided ChatGPT use “flattened” high-end performance and decreased writing enjoyment for top performers. The students reported that ChatGPT facilitated idea generation and helped improve the clarity of their English prose but also led to lower overall satisfaction and raised concerns about originality and academic integrity. These results underscore the need for structured AI literacy training, clear usage guidelines, and equitable access measures rather than outright bans. All anonymized data, codes, and integrity manifests are openly archived on OSF (DOI: https://osf.io/8tcx6/).