Ad schools are scrambling to add AI courses - Digiday

In 2016, two VCU Brandcenter students, Xia Du and Yanci Wu, won a Cannes Future Lion award for their concept Amazon Emma, an artificial intelligence application for Amazon Echo to combat dementia in seniors. Using natural language processing and machine learning algorithms, Amazon Emma could have personalized conversations with seniors to stimulate their minds and reduce feelings of social isolation. The project won at Cannes because it used new technology to address users' needs -- something agencies and brands constantly strive to do. As agencies and brands continue looking toward AI to reach consumers in increasingly customized ways, there is a greater need for marketers who can create experiences like Amazon Emma. In response, ad schools across the U.S. are introducing new degree programs, boot camps and classes on how to prepare students to use AI, and some brands have started advising schools on their approach. Ad schools that have long had interactive design curricula, like General Assembly and VCU's Brandcenter business program are adding new courses or revamping old ones to include AI into the overall user experience.