Is the Human Connection a Part of PR’s Future?

Futurist Gerd Leonhard, author, CEO and founder of The Futures Agency in Zurich, Switzerland, spoke recently at the Public Relations Global Network (PRGN) semi-annual meeting.

He was an excellent speaker for the international audience of PR agency owners from around the world.

Leonhard said that what we’re seeing now in terms of change, not just in PR but in many facets of life, is just the beginning.

“The future used to be 10, 20, 30 years away,” he noted.  “Now it’s maybe a year or two away.”

He also commented that the next 10 years will bring more change than the previous 100 years and we should get ready for a mind-boggling decade of change.

While that entire notion can be a bit daunting to many of us, we should embrace it.

We should also understand that technology is making so much of this rapid change possible.  But with that, it is key to realize that while technology is available, the human connection will always be important.

“What matters most to humans are experiences, engagement, relationships and stories,” Leonhard stated.  “If we work like a robot, a robot will take our jobs.”

As digital story-telling converges with artificial intelligence we must always remember: “Machines are for facts.  Humans are for stories.”

So much for Rosie or R2-D2 taking over the world.