Students raced against the clock to create content powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and mastered cutting-edge tools under the guidance of industry experts during the Newhouse School of Public Communications’ inaugural AI Creative Summit.

The two-day program combined hands-on workshops with a fast-paced content creation competition to explore how generative AI is transforming creative workflows. More than 60 students, faculty and staff from across the University participated in the summit in November.

“These students are going to enter the workforce with a huge advantage because they’re learning to use AI as a creative partner, not a replacement for their ideas,” said Ken Collins, director of research and development at YPC Media. Collins led a workshop on AI video generation and served as a mentor and judge.

“The work I saw during the competition showed real strategic thinking about when and how to use these tools effectively,” he said.

Learning From Industry Leaders

Day 1 featured workshops and panels covering AI-powered image, video and audio generation. Students learned from professionals including Hailey Tredo, head of AI at American High; Drew Muckell ’15, executive producer at INVNT; and representatives from Adobe who demonstrated Firefly Video and AI-powered features in Premiere.

A lunchtime panel titled “AI in Creative Practice” sparked discussions about how professionals integrate these tools into their work while navigating ethical considerations around copyright, authorship and authenticity.

“AI isn’t coming to the communications industry—it’s already here. Our job is to make sure Newhouse students aren’t just keeping up with these changes but leading them,” said Adam Peruta, an associate professor and director of the advanced media management master’s program. He and Milton Santiago, assistant professor of visual communications, organized the summit.

“This summit gave them a chance to experiment, fail fast and build confidence with tools they’ll be expected to master on day one of their careers,” Peruta said.

Competition Challenges Creativity

The summit’s second day featured a creative “hackathon,” when students were broken up into 10 teams and given five-plus hours to produce original content for a themed challenge. Visiting professionals and faculty provided guidance and feedback.

Maya Rizzo ’27, an advertising major, said the experience pushed her to think differently about creative problem-solving.

“Having only a few hours to create something from scratch forced us to make quick decisions and trust the process,” Rizzo said. “I walked away with a much better understanding of how AI can speed up the creative workflow without taking over the storytelling.”

Student team entries ranged from cinematic live-action spots to fully animated pieces. The variety showcased the flexibility of AI tools across different creative approaches.

Competition Winners

First Place: “IKEA Conspiracy Theory”

• Max Chizmadia ’29, Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries
• Jesse Mair ’29, Bandier
• Theo Stewart, advanced military visual journalism program (AVMJ)

Second Place: “Lost Epoch”

• Yvonnea Achancho ’27, finance (Whitman School of Management)
• Connor Blake, AVMJ

Third Place: “Cowboy Cardio”

• Alex Cai ’26, art photography (College of Visual and Performing Arts)
• Dean Lourenco ’26, visual communications (graphic design)

The impressive work showcased the creative potential of students when integrating emerging technologies responsibly into their creative storytelling workflows.

“What blew me away was watching students take concepts they learned only a day earlier in the workshops and apply them under real pressure with tools that didn’t even exist a year ago,” Santiago said. He and Peruta hope to hold the summit each year as tools reshaping creative industries constantly evolve.

“Students weren’t just pushing buttons. They were making creative decisions, collaborating and problem-solving,” Santiago added. “Employers are looking for that exact kind of adaptability in the workplace today.”

The AI Creative Summit was supported by Adobe, American High and the Newhouse Office of Community, Culture and Engagement.