The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) will launch the first independent quality certification for AI and martech tools serving the PR industry. The certification is being developed by the PRCA Innovation Working Group, a practitioner-led body of agency leaders, enterprise communications directors, and technology specialists established to future-proof the profession.
No professional standards yet
The decision to develop the certification follows a clear gap in the market. PR agencies are confronted with a growing number of AI tools and platforms, each claiming to transform communications practice. No independent body has yet evaluated those claims against professional standards. The PRCA intends to fill that gap.
The certification will assess products, not vendors. A specific, named version of a product will be evaluated against a defined criteria framework across four pillars: whether the product is honest and transparent about its functionality; whether it handles data to the highest applicable standard; whether its outputs are reliable and measurable by impact rather than vanity metrics; and whether it is genuinely fit for professional PR use rather than a generic AI tool relabelled for the communications market. Products that pass will receive the PRCA AI Certification Seal. Products that do not, will not. A structured evaluation report will be provided to all participating vendors regardless of outcome.
PRCA Innovation Working Group Chair, Manuel Hüttl, said:
“The PR industry has no reliable way to tell good AI tools from bad ones. We are building it. Every criterion we set will be testable, every outcome will be defensible, and every seal we issue will mean something. That is the point.”
PRCA Certification expected to be launched in Q3
The criteria framework is currently in development. The working group has applied the principle of testability as its governing rule: no criterion is included unless it can be evaluated with a defined test method. This enables the assessment to be conducted rigorously and at scale, combining AI-assisted evaluation for objective criteria with practitioner review for those that require professional judgement.
The certification is designed to be self-funding. Vendor fees will cover the cost of evaluation and dedicated PRCA resource. The PRCA will carry institutional accountability for every seal it issues.
PRCA CEO, Sarah Waddington CBE, said:
“For the first time, the PRCA will be able to tell its members which AI tools have been independently evaluated against professional standards and which have not. That is a service the industry has needed for some time. We are proud to deliver it.”
The certification is expected to launch in Q3 2026, with an initial wave of evaluated products. Vendors wishing to apply for early information or to register interest in the certification process should contact the PRCA directly.
