The Ethical and Legal Implications of Using Big Data and Artificial Intelligence for Public Relations Campaigns in the United States

Purpose: The aim of the study was to the ethical and legal implications of using big data and artificial intelligence for public relations campaigns in the United States Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: In the United States, utilizing big data and artificial intelligence for public relations campaigns presents ethical and legal challenges. These include concerns about privacy infringement through data collection, the risk of bias and misinformation in AI-generated content, and the necessity of complying with data protection laws like GDPR and U.S. regulations. Balancing the benefits of these technologies with ethical standards and legal compliance is a complex task for the PR industry in the U.S. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Utilitarianism Theory, Rights-based Ethics Theory & Deontological Ethics may be used to anchor future studies on the ethical and legal implications of using big data and artificial intelligence for public relations campaigns in the United States. PR professionals should receive mandatory training on these guidelines to ensure ethical use of data and AI tools. Advocate for industry-wide adoption of ethical standards and encourage professional organizations to enforce adherence to these standards as a condition of membership.