O papel do profissional de relações públicas em relação ao uso dos recursos de inteligência artificial

Abstract

This undergraduate thesis investigated the relationship between Public Relations professionals and the use of artificial intelligence, with a special focus on generative tools. The objective of this work is to understand how Public Relations professionals can act as strategic agents in promoting media literacy in a scenario marked by the growing presence of artificial intelligence in the production and circulation of content. In line with the research objective, the guiding question concerns how Public Relations professionals can act strategically in promoting critical and ethical media literacy, given the increasing use of artificial intelligence in communication. The research began with a literature review on ethics, media literacy, and algorithmic transparency, and was complemented by an empirical investigation consisting of a questionnaire applied to professionals in the field, a test to identify images generated by AI, and an interview with the specialist Martha Gabriel. Throughout the methodological process, it was observed that, although AI is widely present in the daily lives of communicators, its use is still predominantly technical, lacking critical thinking, and far from a deep understanding of its risks and ethical implications. The data indicated a predominantly optimistic perception of AI's role in communication, contrasting with gaps in critical reading, low familiarity with topics such as accountability, algorithmic opacity, and professional responsibility, as well as weaknesses in identifying artificial content. The analysis revealed that, despite the theoretical recognition of the importance of ethics, many professionals still do not incorporate transparent and reflective practices in the use of these technologies. The interview with Martha Gabriel reinforced this diagnosis by highlighting that critical thinking, understood as the "zero skill," is indispensable for ethical and conscious decisions in the digital environment. Based on theoretical and empirical analysis, this work presents indicators for the ethical use of AI in Public Relations practices, emphasizing the need for transparency, responsibility, media literacy, and thestrengthening of critical thinking. It concludes that the advancement of AI in the field of communication requires continuous training and professional repositioning, in which humans and machines act in a complementary way, ensuring responsible, contextualized communication practices committed to the public interest. [resumo fornecido pelo autor]