Yes — arguably more than before. AI assistants tend to trust and repeat claims that show up consistently across multiple independent, credible sources, so a mention in a trade publication, a stat picked up by other sites, or a listing on a respected industry roundup all function as corroboration a model can cross-check. This is the same mechanism that made backlinks valuable for SEO, just applied to trust rather than link equity.
A single self-published claim on your own site is weaker evidence to a model than that same claim echoed by three unrelated outlets — which is exactly why digital PR remains a core, not optional, part of a GEO strategy.