The Creative Engine of Modern Storytelling

AI has arrived—it is no longer a thought of the future. With that said, it is evolving the construction of media marketing as we speak. AI has showcased the ability to adjust how content is distributed and absorbed in unparalleled ways by automating workflows, processing data, and creating innovative models of creative inspiration. To gather more perspective on this evolution, I contacted five experts that have connections to the field. They discussed the role that AI has started to play within their respective industries, marketing strategies, creative processes, and the future of media. Here is what they had to say:

Ligia Trejo, DBA, MBA - MSM Professor at FIU

“Augmented reality is bringing people into studios without them physically being present. There is an ease of connecting that AI can provide. Technology is playing a role in analytics, stats and graphics show player production/movement throughout televised games. You’re able to create and measure content and communication through ability to connect. It’s so much easier now than it was 5 years ago. AI plays a huge role in the way content is analyzed, delivered, and created. It has simplified processes that at a time required more time and effort- opening new possibilities for innovation.”

Akshay Ram, Product Manager at Adobe

“The medium marketing landscape has been interesting. I feel like there’s been a lot of scrutiny in regards to how much money people should spend on it and if they’re netting out a stronger turn for the money they put in. When I think about AI, I think about a couple different things. One, it usually comes with the ability for teams to reevaluate how much energy and time is being invested in producing content. In that case, there’s opportunities to leverage AI to accelerate and automate some of the different tasks that go into delivering pieces of content. I think that’s where AI—when implemented within teams—can play a strong role in reducing the overall effort in cost. I think as we move into the future, there will be a reevaluation of how much it actually takes to produce more premium and elevated content in which the ideation part of it can start with a set of video models or photo models as inspiration that you can’t necessarily obtain by just putting together like a look book. You can actually kind of re-create the scenes and gain the approval or a concept project before you even produce it so I think getting closer to actually showcasing people what reality is before putting the money forward for it so I think those are the two areas that will play the biggest role.”

Doug Eaddy, MSM - FIU | Art Director & Brand Strategist

“As an Art Director, I see AI not as a replacement, but as a creative partner. It's truly an enhancer of vision. Many agencies are starting to see that AI isn’t only about efficiency to produce work; it’s about being able to stay ahead, redefining what’s possible, and rethinking how we produce creative work. This is why agencies are integrating it into their workflows, expanding their services or offerings, and encouraging their teams to go deeper with prompt engineering to learn how to direct the AI rather than just use it. For me, it enhances how I storyboard, refine brand systems and generate visual inspiration to help craft consistent narratives across digital and print channels. What people have to understand is that AI gives us the room and time to focus on what matters most, which is strategy, storytelling, and meaning. Thus, the role AI plays in media marketing is even simpler: ideas that once felt impossible are now completely available. And there is no idea off the table because now that the tools are available, imagination has no limits.”

William Johnston II, MSM - FIU | Strategic Performance Marketer

“AI is a catalyst for efficient work, not a be-all. I think of it as a jack of all trades personal assistant. It can help cut down on time on nearly any task you throw at it, but without proper verification can point you in the wrong direction. The other side to the same coin is that if you are not using AI, you risk falling behind in an AI driven marketplace. The more you use it, the more you learn its possibilities and limitations, the more you equip yourself to become a next-gen marketer.”

Michael J. Lang, Asst. Athletics Director - Syracuse University

“We use A.I. at Syracuse often, and for a variety of scenarios. A.I. within Premiere, After Effects and Photoshop are essential. The number of times we use tools such as content-aware and de-noise are astonishing, and the results are incredible. We’ve used tools like Midjourney for creating backgrounds or elements of a piece of content. We use Chat GPT very often for planning purposes and making pre-production concise and clear, help with voiceover scripts, student office hour scheduling, etc. I don’t believe A.I. should be feared in the creative world, I believe we should be using it to our advantage almost every day. Our job as sport creatives are already stressful enough with short turnaround times and sometimes unrealistic expectations from others giving direction. I don’t see a reason to not make life easier with these tools, as long as you are doing it ethically and responsibly. It appears A.I. is here for the long-haul, and it is already helping our creative crew a ton, and we are incredibly glad to be able to use it.”

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The most compelling concept within these experts' responses is that AI not only changes the speed at which we work—it changes what is possible. Whether it’s imagining scenes prior to production or generating inspiration in the storyboard phase, AI has gone from a tool of the future to a daily creative collaborator. It is the engine of efficiency and also the inspiration.

There are many people that believe AI will soon take all of our jobs—these experts' responses show that thought to be false. Each expert's thoughts point to the understanding that AI works best when paired with human imagination and storytelling. One expert sees it as a cost-effective accelerator, another sees it as a limitless source of ideas, and others see it as a way to control the anxiety of quick turnarounds of media content. The experts drive home the point that the power of AI is not in the technology itself, but in the autonomy it offers to creatives. AI breaks down barriers and pushes us to dream bigger and further. The future of media is this—those who leverage AI as a partner will lead the next phase of storytelling.