Artificial Intelligence is no longer just a tool—it’s an active force in shaping how stories are told. For the first time, AI directed and produced a high-quality commercial, marking a historic moment not just for filmmaking, but for higher education, marketing, and the future of content creation.
As a long-time advocate for innovation in branding and storytelling, I had the privilege of working with Claremont Graduate University (CGU) on this groundbreaking project. Partnering with Zillion Creative and Grammy-nominated, Clio Award-winning director Grady Hall, we engaged ChadGPT, a custom AI Director created by Zillion, to oversee the entire creative process. This wasn’t just an experiment—it was a real-world execution of AI and human creativity working together to create a broadcast-quality spot faster, cheaper, and more efficiently than either could achieve alone.
Why Claremont Graduate University? #CGU100
CGU has always been a pioneer in education, research, and innovation. As the university celebrates 100 years of shaping future leaders, it is also embracing the technologies that will define the next century. AI is no longer something to fear—it is something to understand, integrate, and harness for meaningful progress.
This commercial serves as more than just a marketing piece; it is a statement—a demonstration of how AI can help human creative teams enhance content creation efficiency and quality in every stage of the process.
How AI Became the Director
ChadGPT, short for “Creative Hybrid Ai Director”, started with veteran DGA director Grady Hall seeking to use current AI platforms to optimize budgets and maximize creative results. He trained ChadGPT on his own powerful Agile Creativity story mapping tools and creative process, as well as his highly inventive directing work, which has included Super Bowl spots, global campaigns, TV series, and content for 35 of the Fortune 100 companies.
As AI platforms expanded, so did ChadGPT’s reach. Hall worked with Almost Gold founder Linas Jodwalis to develop ChadGPT from a behind-the-scenes brainstorming tool into a versatile AI creative collaborator.
The CGU “Living History” project represents the first time that ChadGPT spearheaded the process from concept to delivery – working alongside a human team to ensure the final ad campaign was not only visually compelling but also aligned with CGU’s legacy and mission.
Key elements of AI’s role in this project:
- Generating and refining the creative concept
- Structuring and writing the script
- Organizing and selecting archival footage to include in the project AI model
- Choosing locations, storyboarding, and prioritizing the shot list
- Assisting in editing and visual effects
- Enhancing efficiency while maintaining an ethical, copyright-safe AI approach
What This Means for the Future of Advertising and Higher Education
The debate around AI’s role in content creation is heating up. Some fear it will replace human creativity, while others see it as an amplifier of human ingenuity. This project proved that even highly advanced AI doesn’t eliminate the need for human storytellers—it empowers them to do more with what Hall and his team call “Hybrid Intelligence.”
For CGU, this marks a bold step into the future, showcasing how AI can be integrated into education, research, and creative industries. For brands and agencies, this project is proof that high-quality AI-directed content is no longer theoretical—it’s happening now.
Final Thoughts
The way we create, distribute, and engage with content is evolving at lightning speed. AI is no longer on the horizon—it’s here. The question isn’t whether AI will change storytelling, but how we choose to embrace and shape this new era.
CGU, Grady Hall, and Zillion Creative have set a new benchmark. The future of branded storytelling is unfolding before us, and I’m excited to be part of it.
What do you think? Is AI the next great creative partner, or are we heading into uncharted territory? Let’s start the conversation.
Starr Hall, Publicist