Hidden Bias in AI is a Communications Problem. Here’s What Agencies Should Do About It
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Written by David Rudd, Executive Vice President & Senior Vice President at Rudd Resources
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly embedded in organisations as they create content, recruit talent, and engage audiences. But AI is not neutral. Every tool is shaped by human data, and those data reflect social and systemic biases. These biases are often hidden, so the risk for organisations — and the opportunity for communications agencies — is significant.
At IPREX, our partner agencies are already seeing this play out in client conversations. Marketing teams are scaling content with AI, HR teams are using AI-driven screening tools, and social teams are analysing sentiment with machine learning platforms. But few are asking a critical question: what implicit bias is built into these tools?
Bias in AI is not a hypothetical risk. It is already here.
Tools trained on historically biased datasets can reinforce exclusion — even when intentions are good. For example:
Text generation tools may underrepresent or misrepresent certain identities or cultural norms
Visual AI models often default to white, Western aesthetics
Language analysis tools may misread tone or intention in dialects
Recruitment systems can deprioritise candidates from underrepresented backgrounds based on past hiring data
These issues are not just technical flaws. They are communications failures. They affect the ways organisations present themselves, who they reach, and how they are perceived.
This is where public relations and communications professionals need to step in.
We cannot treat AI as someone else’s responsibility. If we are advising clients on messaging, branding, stakeholder engagement, or corporate reputation, we have a role to play in how these tools are used.
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Here’s what agencies can do right now:
1. Start with AI content audits
Clients are producing more content than ever before… but who is reviewing it? AI-generated materials should not be published without review for tone, inclusion, and hidden bias. Agencies are uniquely placed to offer AI content audits that go beyond typos and formatting to focus on ethics, equity, and brand alignment.
2. Build bias checkpoints into the process
Ask clients what tools they are using in hiring, customer service, and content development. Offer to review them. Look at the inputs and the outputs. Set up simple internal workflows in which someone with a communications or DEI background checks for gaps.
3. Guide the conversation internally and externally
Bias is a sensitive topic. Agencies need to lead with clarity and care. This is not about blame. It is about improvement. We can help our clients frame these conversations in a way that reflects transparency, intention, and action.
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4. Position bias mitigation as a reputational investment
Unchecked bias in AI tools can damage brand trust. It can lead to exclusionary or offensive content, missed audiences, and hiring missteps. Many clients understand and embrace the importance of DEI. Now is the time to connect those values to their digital tools. Agencies can make the case that bias mitigation is not just a compliance issue. It is a brand strategy issue.
This is also a business development opportunity
AI is not replacing communications professionals, but it is reshaping the work. Agencies that can offer AI-related services — content audits, platform reviews, ethical communication frameworks — are adding new value. Your clients are already using AI. They just may not be using it well or in an optimal fashion. That is where you can come in to offer services they may not know they need..
Questions to ask your clients today:
What AI tools are you currently using for content creation, recruitment, or analytics?
Who is reviewing those outputs for alignment with your brand voice and DEI commitments?
How are you measuring the impact of AI on audience perception or internal culture?
Are there guardrails in place to catch unintended consequences?
These conversations are not just timely. They are necessary.
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IPREX is helping agencies lead the way
As a global network of independent communications and marketing firms, IPREX is investing in resources and practical frameworks that help our partners and their clients navigate AI ethically and effectively. Our agencies are not just using AI. They are auditing it, questioning it, and shaping how it is used in campaigns, strategies, and internal systems.
The future of communications includes AI. But it also includes human judgment, cultural intelligence, and the ability to think critically about the tools we use.
That is what will separate forward-thinking agencies from the rest.
About IPREX
IPREX is a $508 million global network of independent marketing, communications and public relations agencies. With more than 1,100 professionals in over 100 markets worldwide, IPREX agencies are led by senior leaders who are actively involved in client success. The network equips agencies to share insights, develop talent, and collaborate across borders to deliver impact.