By the end of the year, mass adoption of public large language models (LLMs) as a replacement for traditional search will double public relations and earned media budgets, according to global research and advisory company Gartner.
In a report titled “Top Predictions to Inform 2026 Comms Strategies,” Gartner noted public LLMs will replace traditional search as audiences become more comfortable using tools like ChatGPT.
“As organizations adapt to new audience search behaviors, PR and earned media budgets must increase to ensure optimal AI search visibility,” it maintained.
“Reallocating paid budgets to PR and earned media is likely a logical option for most organizations, but it will require investment trade-offs, as well as a clear perspective on measurement and the intended impact on audience behaviors,” it added.
Jenna Guarneri, founder of JMG Public Relations, a public relations agency in New York City, explained that AI search doesn’t just change how people find information — it changes what information gets found.
