Associate Dean Konstantia (Dia) Kontaxis opens the inaugural AI in Communication Symposium, highlighting the school’s commitment to innovation and research. Photo: Wes Fleischer/University of Miami

By Keira Faddis
5-4-2026

The University of Miami School of Communication hosted its first-ever AI in Communication Symposium on April 10, bringing together faculty, researchers and industry leaders to explore how artificial intelligence is making an impact on the field of communication.

Designed to spotlight AI’s growing influence, the symposium highlighted how the technology is transforming journalism, public relations, film and digital media—while also raising important questions about ethics, literacy and professional practice.

“The inaugural AI in Communication event was a remarkable demonstration of the depth and breadth of AI work happening across our school,” said Konstantia Kontaxis, Professor of Cinematic Arts and Associate Dean for Research and Creative Activity. “From cutting-edge faculty research to practical tools for the classroom and newsroom, the day made clear that our community is approaching AI with both curiosity and critical thinking.”

The symposium opened with a keynote from Seth Piezas, the founder and executive director of the Colabi Foundation and senior product manager in physical AI at NVIDIA. His talk addressed the sweeping changes AI is bringing to the field, which offered a framework for how communication education should evolve in an AI-driven future.

Throughout the day, faculty presentations showcased the wide range of AI-related work taking place across the school. Research topics included the impact of AI-generated voice tone on public speaking anxiety, the development of a competency scale for AI health literacy, and an experimental study on readers’ ability to detect hallucinations in AI-generated news. A panel on AI as a creative partner in film production further highlighted the technology’s role in shaping storytelling and media creation.

“One of our key takeaways is somewhat counterintuitive but quite revealing,” said Chen (Crystal) Chen an assistant professor who gave a presentation on AI in public speaking, “While we initially expected that a confident AI tone paired with constructive feedback would boost users’ confidence and reduce anxiety in public speaking, the effects actually vary by education level.”

Mike Reilley delivers an interactive workshop on using AI tools responsibly in journalism and communication. Photo: Wes Fleischer/University of Miami

The symposium also emphasized real-world applications and classroom integration.

Afternoon sessions featured professional development presentations from Marcia Gomez on AI in public relations and Barbara Millet on AI in UX research education, alongside curriculum showcases from Christine Jung, Boriana Treadwell and Yanfang Wu. These sessions highlighted new and updated courses incorporating AI into areas such as 3D modeling, journalism and digital communication.

Closing the event, Mike Reilley, senior lecturer in digital and data journalism at the University of Illinois Chicago, delivered a hands-on session titled “AI Tools That Won’t Get You Fired.” His presentation encouraged using AI with “cautious curiosity,” covering prompting, ethics, legal considerations and tools like Notebook LM and VisualPing.

Across the School of Communication, faculty are using AI to analyze news, images, video and audience behavior. The school is working to expand its focus on AI literacy and working to strengthen students’ foundational understanding of the technology.

These efforts — along with the addition of the AI in Communication Symposium — reflect the School of Communication’s commitment to preparing students not only on how to use AI, but to evaluate its impact on the field the students prepare to enter.

The event was supported by the Wolfson AI and Communication Literacy Fund and the Maribel Wordsworth Speaker Series.