AI Creative Summit 2026
Shaping the Future of Creative Production and Product Development
Sponsored by Coca-Cola, Adobe, and the Newhouse Office of Community, Culture and Engagement.
Join us for two days of hands-on work with the AI tools changing how media gets made and how products get built. The AI Creative Summit brings together students, faculty, and industry leaders across two tracks: one for creators making images, audio, and video, and one for builders designing and coding apps with AI. Pick the track that fits you, or the one that stretches you.
Day One: Panels & Workshops
Learn the tools, trends, and tough questions behind AI-powered creation. In Track 1, you’ll work through image, video, and audio generation and Adobe Firefly. In Track 2, you’ll go from AI-assisted UI/UX design to vibe coding, then move into advanced product development, building working prototypes with AI as your co-developer. Industry experts will share how they’re rethinking how stories and products get imagined, made, and shipped.
8:30 - 9:00 Student Checkin (432/434 Newhouse 3)
9:00 - 9:15 Welcome and Kickoff
9:15 - 10:00 Keynote with Tom Matheu
10:15 - 11:15 AI Image Generation (Track 1) & AI for UI/UX (Track 2)
11:30 - 12:30 Adobe Firefly (Track 1) & AI Product Dev/Vibe Coding (Track 2)
12:30 - 2:00 Lunch and Panel
2:15 - 3:15 AI Audio Generation (Track 1) & Advanced Product Dev/Vibe Coding (Track 2)
3:30 - 4:30 AI Video Generation (Track 1) & Advanced Product Dev/Vibe Coding (Track 2)
4:45 - 5:00 Wrap Up and Competition Overview
Day Two: The AI Creative Challenge
Day two puts it all to work. In a hackathon-style competition, student teams will build something original around a surprise theme, whether that’s AI-generated content, a working product, or a mix of both. Industry guests and faculty mentors will coach teams as they go, and the day ends with an awards showcase judged by creative and technology professionals.
9:00 - 9:30 Arrival/Registration
9:30 - 3:00 Work on Competition Production
9:30 - 10:30 Open Source Image Models
3:00 - 3:05 Submissions Due
3:05 - 3:30 Judges Deliberate
3:30 - 4:00 Screening and Awards
Discover. Create. Collaborate.
Whether you’re a creator, technologist, or storyteller, the AI Creative Summit is a chance to try the tools shaping your field and make something real in two days.