Africa as an emerging economy is a diverse continent with a rich cultural tapestry, and its PR landscape is rapidly evolving with advancements in technology and digital communication. However, the practice of public relations is relatively new compared to developed countries. Essentially, PR efforts are growing rapidly, driven by the need for organisations to communicate effectively with their stakeholders. It is said that the growth of PR in Africa is driven by the increasing awareness of the importance of reputation management. Therefore, this study aims to explore how AI has shaped PR strategies, influenced brand reputation and impacted stakeholder perception from the emerging economy perspective. This helps communication professionals in harnessing the potential of AI as well as highlights the dynamic relationship between AI and PR in emerging economies. This objective is achieved by a review of the literature underpinned by the diffusion of innovation theory. The findings show that AI-driven PR effort plays a critical role in detecting and responding to brand-related crises, reputation monitoring and measuring brand sentiment in emerging economies. The findings further indicate that there is a high acceptance, trust and engagement with AI-driven PR efforts from the perspective of stakeholders. The findings indicate that AI-driven PR strategies impact positively on brand reputation and stakeholder perceptions. The research recommends that further studies test the proposed conceptual framework.