As artificial intelligence reshapes the advertising industry, portfolio schools are moving quickly to prepare students for a new creative landscape. A recent Adweek article highlighted how programs like Miami Ad School, London’s School of Communication Arts, and the Brandcenter at VCU are weaving AI education into their curricula to ensure graduates are ready for the workforce.
Brandcenter Executive Director Vann Graves shared how the program is approaching AI and what the shifts mean for emerging talent in the industry.
Earlier this year, Brandcenter hired Micah Berry, formerly head of technology at Arts & Letters, as its first Associate Director of Technical Training to help students and faculty stay current with AI and emerging technologies.
While some traditional portfolio schools have struggled to adapt or even closed their doors, Graves emphasized that Brandcenter is evolving rapidly to ensure students not only keep pace with change, but also lead it:
- “The industry is moving at a pace so much faster than it has ever moved. Education needs to move even faster than that.”
- “Young ad folks can’t just be an art director or copywriter now. They have to be polymaths.”
- But despite the pressures on traditional talent training models, the idea of AI completely replacing entry-level talent is unrealistic, Graves said. “You still need juniors to train up and implement new ideas. There’s going to be a great awakening on what junior roles look like and the expectations of students coming into the field.”