What does DeepSeek's dramatic entry to the AI market mean for the comms industry - and should PR professionals embrace the platform? PRWeek's Beyond the Noise podcast takes a look.

The latest episode features guest Erin Lanuti, chief innovation officer at Omnicom PR Group (OPRG), who has been leading AI policy at the division whose agencies include Ketchum, FleishmanHillard, Porter Novelli and Portland.

Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.

Speaking to PRWeek UK editor John Harrington, Lanuti gives her impression of the furore caused by the emergence of Deepseek, the Chinese company behind the new AI chatbot R1.

President Trump described the emergence of DeepSeek, which is said to be built for a fraction of the cost of its AI rivals, as a ‘wake-up call’ for the US tech industry. DeepSeek shocked the financial markets and wiped billions off the share prices of US tech giants in late January as it became the most downloaded free app in the US in just a week.

However, concerns remain about the distribution of mis- and disinformation via DeepSeek, and about censorship. Cybersecurity firm Wiz has also said a security breach had exposed one million users of the technology.

Lanuti discusses the advantages and disadvantages of DeepSeek and expresses misgivings about how it could be used to spread false information.

More generally, she discusses OPRG's AI strategy and whether the PR industry in general is doing enough to keep up to speed with the fast-moving technology.

Lanuti also gives her predictions for AI for the year ahead - with one quirky prediction provided by her AI agent.

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