Artificial intelligence in ASEAN public relations: A scoping review of adoption, governance, and professional transformation

This scoping review maps the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in public relations (PR) practice across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Guided by the Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as complementary analytical lenses, the review examines how AI is integrated into PR practice, how regional policy frameworks shape its trajectory, and what professional challenges accompany this transformation. Following the PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), 78 sources comprising peer-reviewed articles, ASEAN policy documents, and industry reports published between 2017 and 2025 were identified through Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, and analyzed through deductive thematic synthesis anchored in the two frameworks. Findings reveal that AI adoption in ASEAN PR is driven by efficiency gains, data-informed insight, and strategic agility, yet constrained by ethical concerns over authenticity and bias, data privacy challenges, and uneven digital skills across member states. Regional governance instruments such as the ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics (2024) and the ASEAN Responsible AI Roadmap (2025-2030) provide directional guidance but remain voluntary. Three trends emerge: individual AI adoption outpaces organizational governance, ethical standards remain unevenly enforced, and digital competency gaps persist as the most critical constraint. The study contributes to PR scholarship by contextualizing established adoption theories within ASEAN realities, identifying a governance-practice gap, and proposing a triadic framework of technological competence, ethical awareness, and cultural sensitivity for responsible AI integration.