Posted on: 10.09.2025
AI is transforming the way communications, marketing and public affairs teams work. But what does it mean for talent and the industry? In our latest series, we speak with senior communications leaders to explore the opportunities and challenges. In this interview, Janie Emmerson, Managing Partner at Hanson Search, spoke with Richard Mollet, Head of European Government Affairs at RELX. He discusses how AI is reshaping in-house public affairs and communications. Richard shares his views on AI’s limitations, its impact on consultancy models and how curiosity about AI is increasingly part of the conversation when recruiting and developing talent.
How is AI changing public affairs and communications at RELX?
At RELX, demand for our generative AI tools from clinicians, lawyers and researchers is driving the growth of the business. This means that as a government affairs team we have to be thoroughly immersed in the developments of technology. Not just the capabilities of our products, but the whole landscape of technology and policy development. Even our exhibitions business is feeling the effects, particularly with the growing demand for AI-focused conferences such as World AI Cannes and AI Paris.
For the European Government Affairs team, AI has become a useful tool for streamlining day-to-day tasks. One example is translation, where reviewing policy documents in multiple languages was once entirely manual, built-in tools like Microsoft Translator are now essential. We also use platforms like ChatGPT and Claude to help summarise information. However, we see AI firmly as a support tool, not a replacement for our core work. We would never use it to generate full documents, but for processing large volumes of material quickly, it’s very helpful.
Has AI changed the profiles or skills you look for when hiring into your team?
The nature of the roles haven’t changed, but it has added an important question to our interview process: “How much do you use AI?” Anyone who says they aren’t interested in AI probably isn’t the right fit for our team. We expect a level of curiosity and willingness to experiment because understanding both the strengths and weaknesses of these tools is critical. As AI tools continue to evolve, I expect proficiency will become a more standard expectation, but the fundamental competencies, good judgement, analytical thinking and strong communication skills remain the same.
What impact will AI have on the relationship between in-house public affairs teams and consultancies?
This is an area where AI could drive significant change. Take monitoring and policy summaries, tasks that used to justify a large portion of consultancy fees. AI has reduced the time it takes to do these jobs from hours to minutes. Yet, we haven’t seen that reflected in consultancy rates or billing models, at least not yet. When we run RFP processes now, one of our standard questions to agencies is: “How are you using AI?” If a consultancy tells us they’re not embracing it, that’s a red flag. But equally, some
companies are cautious about AI-generated content, particularly around data privacy and security. Navigating these tensions will be a challenge for agencies moving forward.
Is AI the main driver of change in public affairs and communications—or are other factors more influential?
AI is certainly the most significant technological development influencing our sector. However, from a geopolitical standpoint, events such as the war in Ukraine and the Trump administration have had a far greater impact on our day-to-day work. These developments have fundamentally altered the dynamics of global policymaking, shaping how we operate as a business with a strong presence across the US, Europe and China.
In public affairs, personal relationships and face-to-face engagement still matter enormously. AI can assist with preparing for meetings or summarising stakeholders’ profiles, but it can’t replace the human element of persuasion and trust-building in a political environment.
What future changes could AI bring to public affairs and government affairs functions?
One area ripe for disruption is reporting and monitoring. While AI tools are already making these processes more efficient, I believe there’s room for someone to build a comprehensive AI-driven platform for government affairs teams. Something that integrates data sources intelligently and allows users to interrogate information in real-time. It hasn’t been fully realised yet, but it’s coming.
One area where there is still significant opportunity for improvement is reporting and monitoring. AI has made these tasks quicker, but there’s still a gap for a platform that integrates data properly and enables real-time analysis for government affairs teams. It hasn’t been fully developed yet, but it will be.
What advice would you give to leaders integrating AI into their teams?
Be aware of AI’s limitations. These tools are useful and powerful, but they are not foolproof. It’s important to approach them with both curiosity and caution. Encourage your teams to experiment and explore, but always sense-check the outputs carefully. AI can be a great support for brainstorming and getting past blank-page moments, but it is no substitute for human judgement.
Also, be transparent. If you’re using AI-generated summaries or reports, be upfront about it. Most people can tell when content has been machine-generated, so being clear about how it’s used helps to maintain trust and credibility.
Whether you’re hiring top Public Affairs talent or considering your next career move, our team would be delighted to support you.
Janie Emmerson is Managing Partner, UK & Europe and Global Public Affairs Lead.
Hanson Search is a globally recognised, award-winning talent advisory and headhunting consultancy. Our expertise lies in building successful ventures worldwide through our recruitment, interim and executive search in communications, sustainability, public affairs and policy, digital marketing and sales.
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