Public Relations Under Threat from Post-Truth and Artificial Intelligence
Indonesia’s digital space in July 2026 was unsettled by the spread of a video featuring Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa announcing a Qatar Charity 2026 fund assistance programme. The facial expressions, voice, and lip movements of Purbaya appeared highly convincing, leading many information recipients to believe it was an official statement from a state official. Shortly thereafter, the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) declared the video a hoax, with digital audits revealing a 95.6 per cent probability that the video was created using artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
A similar incident occurred in March 2026 following the conflict between Iran, the United States, and Israel, which led to a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf. Amidst the blockade of international vessels, reports circulated that Indonesian crude oil tankers managed to pass through. This video was later confirmed to be an AI-based manipulation.
These two cases of hoax videos demonstrate that the current information landscape faces a real threat from emerging technologies. AI-based content manipulation is no longer merely a visual experiment, but an incredibly effective and misleading tool for shaping public opinion. Both examples illustrate manipulation strategies that utilise trusted state figures and exploit emotional issues currently trending. When visual sophistication meets critical moments, such manipulation can easily penetrate the public’s rational defences. This is precisely where the post-truth phenomenon becomes highly relevant.
By definition, post-truth refers to a condition where objective facts have less influence on shaping public opinion than emotional appeals and personal beliefs. In this state, the public no longer cares whether information is true or false based on data, but rather whether it aligns with what they want to believe or expect. When AI technology is capable of producing hyper-realistic hoaxes (deepfakes), the boundary between fact and fantasy collapses. AI provides the false visual evidence required by the post-truth era to validate public emotions, hopes, or pride.
The combination of AI technology, the post-truth phenomenon, and Indonesia’s digital literacy levels—which still lag behind the Southeast Asian average—creates a perfect storm for destabilising public discourse. The reality of this threat could expand beyond exploiting false hopes; it could trigger a crisis of trust in official state institutions and exacerbate geopolitical polarisation and the spread of sensitive social, religious, or racial issues.
In the post-truth era, vulnerable to manipulation by generative AI deepfakes, the role of public relations becomes fundamental. The work of public relations is no longer merely acting as a spokesperson or producing formal press releases, but has moved more substantively to serve as a guardian of information integrity and a builder of public trust.
At the very least, the strategic role of public relations must be to act as a primary fact-checker and verifier (a single source of truth). In this capacity, public relations serves as the first official validation reference when AI-engineered issues emerge, helping to ensure the public knows where to seek the actual facts. This effort is already being undertaken by various media outlets through the creation of anti-hoax content.
Another strategic role for public relations is to act as a crisis navigator—a way to dampen public panic, disappointment, or anger. This approach can be achieved by producing positive news through the tangible work of every institution or organisation. Furthermore, in this AI-stimulated post-truth era, public relations must serve as an agent for digital literacy education. This role is central amidst the flood of information leading to misinformation and disinformation.
Ultimately, the challenge of post-truth is not solely about technology, but represents a real threat to the space of public trust. In this era, the task of public relations is no longer just about conveying information, but about building a fortress of trust. As generative AI can create lies that appear incredibly real, the work of public relations must become increasingly responsive, transparent, and education-based. All of this must culminate in positioning public relations as the frontline in maintaining institutional credibility and protecting the public from digital deception.