Methodology, result & discussion of Implementation of Artificial Intellegence in the PR industry in the UAE: An evaluation using UTAUT

Implementation of Artificial Intellegence in the PR industry in the UAE: An evaluation using UTAUT

This research seeks to explore the perception of UAE based PR professionals on the adoption and implementation of AI in their offices. The survey will be conducted on 80 participants drawn from PR agencies throughout the major cities of the UAE.The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use Theory(UTAUT) , was selected as the most appropriate theoretical framework to be used in this study in a bid to explore all factors that affect the acceptance and adoption of AI for Public Relations professional in the UAE. The UAE is implementing AI in many industries and PR too owll have to embrace technological advancement. The four constructs of the original UTAUT model will be used to measure organisation and individual readiness to embrace AI.

Research desighn and Justifications
100 PR professionals aged over 20 years will be surveyed using survey instrument.
The survey asks two questions each about the four determinants of the UTAUT model; performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions. These have direct effects on behavioral intention.
This approach is in line with the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use Theory, created by Venkatesh et al. (2003). UTAUT was selected as the most appropriate theoretical framework to be used in this study in a bid to explore all factors that affect the acceptance and adoption of Artificial Intelligence by Public Relations professional in the UAE. The model uses the four key determinants that investigate the behavioral intention of users before using a given technology. The significant critical variables of behavior and usage intention are usually affected by voluntariness, age, experience, and gender, which are considered moderating variables.
Despite the anticipated benefits of AI in the PR industry , some industry personnel believe that its comprehensive integration will have adverse effects on jobs, especially mid-level executives. It is important to identify the attitudes of those who will be affected by AI implementation as it will help mangers and IT heads to plan the transformation seamlessly.

Expected benefits of the study

With the heightened debates on the adoption of disruptive technologies in the corporate world, there is a need for scholarly intervention to shed more light on the validity of statements made by both proponents and critics of these technologies.
Machine learning and artificial intelligence are among the algorithms that have been branded as possible interrupters of the PR domain not only in the Middle East but also globally.
This research formulates a well-grounded approach to evaluate the effect of implementation of AI on the practice of public relations in the Middle east and thereby provide the basis for decision making among agencies contemplating on the incorporation of the technology.