New PhD graduate at ICSJ: Markéta Kaclová examined how artificial intelligence is transforming the public relations profession in Central and Eastern Europe.

On Monday, June 29, doctoral candidate Markéta Kaclová successfully defended her dissertation titled Digital Transformation and the Professionalisation of Public Relations in Central and Eastern Europe. She thus became another graduate of the PhD programme at ICSJ. 

In her dissertation, Markéta focused on how the implementation of generative artificial intelligence is transforming the public relations profession in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia. The research examined how generative AI enters PR practice, how it reshapes the everyday work of communication professionals and their professional identity, and how it changes the boundaries of the profession itself. 

The findings show that AI is not only a new working tool but also a force that fundamentally transforms the professional environment. On one hand, it lowers barriers to entry into strategic communication and enables actors outside established professional structures to produce persuasive content. On the other hand, it increases the importance of skills that AI cannot fully replace, particularly strategic judgment, ethical reflection, and technological literacy. The study thus shows that digital transformation represents both a technological and a professional shift, leading to a renegotiation of boundaries and authority in public relations.

Congratulations and best wishes for many more successes in the future!