On Thursday, May 22, I joined fellow communicators at Q-Branch in Downtown Austin for an event hosted by the PRSA Austin Chapter—an evening that promised insight and inspiration, and absolutely delivered. The focus? The evolving role of artificial intelligence in public relations and communications. It was a dynamic and thought-provoking panel that confirmed familiar ideas and concerns while highlighting new AI opportunities and challenges.
Moderated by Anne Lasseigne Tiedt, APR, the panel featured four industry professionals: Monica Talan (TechTranslators.ai), Tim Weinheimer (Hahn), Dan Martin (Hiebing), and Lisa Peterson (Lisa Peterson PR). Each panelist offered a unique perspective—from tech backgrounds to data analytics, agency marketing services to media relations—on how AI is transforming how we communicate, collaborate, and connect with our audiences.

