AI Video in 2026: What Every PR Professional Needs to Know Now

The communications landscape is shifting beneath our feet. According to HeyGen's 2026 AI Trends Report, 93.2% of businesses will adopt AI in some capacity by year's end, with 77% already using AI to create video content. For PR professionals, this isn't just another technology trend—it's a fundamental reshaping of how we tell stories, reach audiences, and deliver measurable results.

Video Has Become Non-Negotiable

The report reveals that more than 90% of startups and entrepreneurs now use AI video to tell authentic stories, and every single respondent confirmed it improves speed and agility. Video has evolved from a nice-to-have into what the report calls "the main language of modern business." For PR teams managing multiple clients or campaigns, this means the ability to produce launch explainers, media backgrounders, and spokesperson content without the traditional bottlenecks of production schedules and budgets.

Global Reach Without Global Costs

Perhaps the most compelling finding for communicators working across markets: over 70% of teams already use AI for rapid translation and localization. Modern AI can match voices, synchronize lip movements, and maintain emotional nuance across languages. This means a single media announcement can authentically reach Quebec, Paris, and Dakar simultaneously—each version feeling genuinely local rather than awkwardly dubbed.

The Human-AI Partnership

Here's what should reassure every PR professional concerned about authenticity: 85% of businesses agree that human oversight remains critical to protecting brand voice and creative quality. AI handles the high-volume work—rendering, versioning, localization—while humans bring strategy, emotional insight, and brand understanding. The winning formula isn't replacement; it's collaboration.

Personalization at Scale

The report shows 78% of businesses plan to use AI video for personalized storytelling. Imagine sending journalists individualized pitch videos, creating customized media kits for different beat reporters, or delivering client updates that address each stakeholder by name and specific interest. AI video makes this practical without proportionally scaling production costs.

What This Means for Your Practice

The data points toward clear action items. First, start experimenting now—those who wait will find themselves scrambling to catch up. Second, position AI video capabilities as a competitive advantage when pitching new clients. Third, develop workflows that leverage AI for production while preserving human judgment for strategy and messaging.

The report's conclusion resonates deeply for our profession: "The future of storytelling is not about replacing people; it's about empowering them." For PR professionals, AI video represents an opportunity to do what we've always done—craft compelling narratives and build meaningful connections—but at a scale and speed previously impossible.

The agencies and in-house teams that thrive in 2026 will be those who embrace these tools not as threats, but as amplifiers of human creativity and strategic thinking.