About the Episode
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About the Episode:
On this thought-provoking episode of Higher Ed Pulse, host Mallory Willsea sits down with Myla Edmond—Senior Vice President at RW Jones Agency and Interim Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications at UNC Greensboro—to unpack the creative identity crisis brewing in higher ed marketing thanks to generative AI. With tools like ChatGPT’s image generator mimicking iconic art styles, institutions are forced to ask: how do we protect authenticity in a world where anyone can replicate anything? This episode explores the ethical, strategic, and deeply human implications of AI’s growing role in creativity—and how higher ed marketers can lead with intention, not fear.
Key Takeaways
- AI’s creative mimicry is raising real ethical questions: Tools like ChatGPT’s image generator can imitate unique art styles without consent, challenging what originality means in the digital age.
- Higher ed must rethink brand protection: When AI can replicate tone, visuals, and messaging, schools need to move beyond surface-level branding and clarify their institutional identities.
- Collaboration—not replacement—is the way forward: AI should be seen as a thought partner, not a team member. The best results come from humans and machines working together.
- Most institutions aren't prepared—yet: Conversations around AI in higher education have mostly focused on academic integrity, not creative applications in marketing and brand strategy.
- A guiding principle is needed: Every higher ed MarCom team should establish a north star for AI use that centers human creativity, transparency, and collaboration.
What’s the Real Threat: AI Appropriation or Innovation?
In this episode, Mallory sets the stage with ChatGPT’s now-viral image generator—a tool that can instantly create illustrations in styles like Studio Ghibli, raising eyebrows (and legal questions) about artistic ownership. At the heart of the issue? These iconic styles are being replicated without permission.
Guest Myla Edmond offers a nuanced take: this isn’t a simple case of theft or tribute. Instead, it exposes a fundamental issue—when AI replicates art without human context or acknowledgment, it removes the emotional intention and authorship from the equation. It’s not just about imitation; it’s about credit and consent. This becomes even more problematic when the outputs are monetized. And yet, Myla reminds us that artists have always drawn inspiration from one another. The difference now? There’s no person left to tell that story.
Can AI Help or Hurt Higher Ed Brand Distinction?
When the conversation turns to how this impacts higher ed, Myla gets candid: we’ve had a brand distinctiveness problem long before AI showed up. Institutions often sound the same, look the same, and promise the same things—and our audiences have noticed.
But rather than resist AI, Myla sees an opportunity to improve brand implementation. AI can help teams that are stretched thin and stuck in copy-paste cycles by offering a launchpad for better creative execution. Still, she emphasizes that AI should never be speaking for an institution. Human strategy, storytelling, and context remain essential.
Are Colleges Ready to Set Standards Around AI Use?
So what are campuses actually doing about all this? According to Myla, most institutions are still playing defense—fixated on preventing academic misuse of AI rather than exploring how to leverage it for brand and marketing innovation. While some early adopters in MarCom departments are experimenting, institutional-level strategies are rare.
What higher ed needs, Myla argues, is a guiding principle. Her north star? Collaboration. Use AI as a partner, not a replacement. Whether it’s helping brainstorm, refining a message, or checking for gaps, AI works best when it's supporting, not substituting, human creativity. It’s time to lean into the use case—not the fear.
Connect With Our Host:
Mallory Willsea
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea
About The Enrollify Podcast Network: The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Some of our favorites include Generation AI and Confessions of a Higher Education Social Media Manager.
Enrollify is produced by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.
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