Jeff MacDonald (Experience Design, 2012) is a leading innovator in strategy around AI, social marketing and digital marketing. Business Insider previously named MacDonald as one of the “15 advertising executives leading the industry’s charge into generative AI” for his work at creative ad agency Mekanism. As Director of both Social Strategy and the company’s AI Lab, Jeff has been a leader in the company’s approach to AI and plays a pivotal role in thought leadership around emerging tech. His research and practice includes creating new systems and workflows, educating employees, pitching AI technology to clients, setting client expectations and more. MacDonald is an alum of Brandcenter and is experienced in a dizzying array of technologies in communications. MacDonald teaches courses in Brandcenter’s Experience Design program as an adjunct faculty member, and he is an incredible educator and mentor for our students.
In a lecture titled “Do Human Things,” MacDonald spoke with first year students about trends in AI, his observations, and thoughts on the industry moving forward. Topics included creating AI personas to unlock data, copyright issues with work created with the aid of AI tech, workflows to flesh out ideas (not replace production), and even the emergence of bespoke agencies who will buck the entire trend.
As a tech enthusiast, MacDonald sees the future with optimism and pictures a world where AI systems take over mundane tasks and humans get to spend more time and energy on creative.
He says, “It’s all about using AI to enable faster, data-driven decisions while keeping the human touch at the forefront of our work.”
If you’re interested in learning more, follow Jeff on LinkedIn, where he shares easy to follow tutorials, insights on AI trends & tools and generally helps demystify all things AI!