Humanity in the Loop: AI as Creative Collaborator for the Next Generation
As AI capabilities expand, the most valuable professionals won't be those who can prompt the best algorithm—they'll be those who understand when and how to keep humanity in the creative process. This keynote challenges conventional thinking about AI in creative fields, offering a roadmap for professionals and students in marketing communications, game design, and music business programs. We'll deconstruct successful campaigns where digital marketing teams used AI while maintaining brand authenticity, explore game design studios creating AI-enhanced experiences that deepen emotional player engagement, and analyze how music industry professionals leverage AI for discovery and distribution while protecting artistic integrity. Participants will gain actionable strategies for an AI-integrated world where human creativity, cultural intelligence, and ethical judgment become more valuable—not less.
Bio:
Megan Smith- Branch is an organizationally grounded AI enablement and governance leader who serves as a trusted advisor to C-suite and senior technology leaders, translating values and risk appetite into concrete operating models, policies, and behaviors. Megan combines industrial-organizational psychology, operational execution, and hands-on AI risk management to help executives set direction, orchestrate execution, and manage stakeholder alignment across complex, regulated environments. Megan’s current work focuses on operationalizing AI strategies with a human centric approach focused on cultural and behavioral change. Megan is the founder of Core Human AI and former Deputy Director for AI Governance at Booz Allen Hamilton, Chief Operating Officer at CertNexus. She holds a bachelor’s in fine art from Alfred University and a master’s in industrial organizational psychology from George Mason University.