AI won’t replace your artists, but it will free them to create more with Jen Taylor

What if AI could actually amplify human creativity instead of replacing it? In this episode, Amanda and Adam chat with Jen Taylor, Director of AI Strategy and Integration at Capacity Interactive, about how arts and culture organizations can adopt AI thoughtfully and strategically. From building ethical frameworks and training teams to unlocking practical use cases that drive real business results, Jen shares how to position AI as a thought partner rather than a shortcut—and why keeping humans in the loop is essential to avoiding "AI slop." Whether you're a marketer looking to level up your strategy or an arts administrator curious about where AI actually fits into your workflow, this conversation is packed with actionable insights on how to use these tools to work smarter, not just faster.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to position AI as a thought partner for strategy, not just a workflow optimizer—unlocking deeper thinking on target audiences, messaging, and campaign refinement
• The three-phase adoption framework: establish clear organizational policies, invest in training and prompting literacy, then identify business outcomes tied to measurable results
• Why ethics matter differently in arts organizations: address ownership concerns, environmental impact, and imitation risks by making active, intentional choices about tool use
• How to build consistency across departments using branded AI tools that understand your voice, style, and mission without sacrificing human oversight
• The "human-driven AI" principle: keep humans in every loop—from prompting strategy through verification—to avoid "AI slop" and ensure quality output
• How to use AI for audience insights and personalization by testing messaging across multiple audience segments, then letting AI surface unexpected audience opportunities

About the Guest(s):

Jen Taylor is Director of AI Strategy and Integration at Capacity Interactive, bringing over 15 years of experience building and engaging audiences across streaming and digital platforms. With a background in theater marketing and digital audience growth at A&E Networks—where she managed strategy for both ad-supported and subscription streaming businesses—Taylor has become a leading voice in helping arts and culture organizations adopt AI responsibly. In this episode, she shares practical strategies for arts administrators looking to leverage AI for operational efficiency while preserving human creativity and artistic integrity. Her work bridges the gap between cutting-edge technology and the arts community, offering actionable frameworks for organizations seeking to enhance their marketing and administrative workflows without compromising their values.

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Episode Highlights:

[00:20:14] Use AI to Elevate Strategy, Not Just Speed Up Tasks - 

Jen Taylor emphasizes that while AI excels at automating repetitive tasks, its real power lies in serving as a thought partner for strategic thinking. Many organizations get excited about efficiency gains, but miss the opportunity to use AI for deeper strategic work like audience analysis and campaign refinement. The distinction between "making a plan" and "making a strategy" is critical—AI can help you move beyond constant tactical execution into thoughtful, intentional strategy development. Ask AI to stress-test your plans, identify misalignments with specific audiences, and explore angles you might have missed. This approach transforms AI from a time-saving tool into a strategic advisor that elevates your entire marketing function.

[00:07:11] Implement a Three-Phase AI Adoption Framework - 

Rather than rushing to use AI tools, Jen recommends a structured, phased approach: establish clear organizational policy first, invest in training and prompt literacy second, then identify business outcomes tied to specific results. Many arts organizations worry about ethics and values alignment, so beginning with policy ensures AI adoption stays true to your mission. The nuance matters deeply—approving ChatGPT is just the start; you must then decide what features and capabilities team members can actually use. Following this framework prevents scattered adoption and ensures your organization gains consistent, measurable value from AI investments.

[00:12:26] Address AI Ethics Head-On by Making Active, Intentional Choices - 

Jen identifies three critical ethics concerns for arts organizations: ownership and fair compensation for artists whose work trained AI models, environmental impact from computational demands, and the risk of imitation and copyright violation. Rather than paralysis, she advocates for making deliberate choices that mitigate these risks. For example, opening a new chat when changing topics reduces computational load, and applying the same ethical standard you'd use offline—don't ask AI to do what you wouldn't steal manually—keeps your use aligned with your values. This active, thoughtful approach prevents "AI slop" and ensures the tool enhances your work rather than compromising your integrity.

[00:34:13] Build AI Tools for Audience Consistency and Personalization - 

Jen demonstrates practical use cases where AI drives measurable business impact: building custom tools that ensure consistent brand voice across departments, and creating systems that identify which audience segments will respond to specific messaging. By feeding AI your target audiences and ad copy, you can discover unexpected audience overlap and generate new messaging variations tailored to incremental segments. This approach treats AI as a discovery and personalization engine, helping you move beyond assumptions about who your audience is. The result is more sophisticated, data-informed audience targeting that increases conversion and resonance.

[00:40:15] Keep Humans in the Loop at Every Stage of AI Use - 

Jen's philosophy of "human-driven AI" means your strategy, judgment, and oversight remain central throughout the AI process—from crafting the initial prompt through validating the output. Rather than fully automating decisions, use AI to generate options and insights that you then critically evaluate, refine, and ultimately decide upon. This hands-on approach requires you to maintain skills across your area of expertise, occasionally doing work manually to keep your thinking sharp. The difference between this active collaboration and fully automated, unreviewed AI output is visible to your audience; quality emerges when humans and AI work together intentionally.

Episode Resources:

• Jen Taylor on LinkedIn
• Capacity Interactive on LinkedIn
• Capacity Interactive Website
• Amanda Vandiver on LinkedIn
• Adam Landis on LinkedIn
• Branch on LinkedIn
• Branch Website
• How I Grew This on Apple Podcasts
• How I Grew This on Spotify
• How I Grew This on Simplecast