Throughout Converge-Con, ten photos will be on display in the art gallery at the Carolina Union. Some of them might be fake. Can you tell? Come to the gallery and vote on which ones you think are real and which ones are AI. The truth will be revealed on this website after the end of the conference.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
HUSSMAN SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MEDIA
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA
CONVERGE-CON YEAR 1
SCROLL DOWN
“When you cut into the present, the future leaks out.” - William S. Burroughs
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AI isn’t just a tool anymore. It’s a thing. We don’t know what that thing is exactly, but it’s a thing and it’s never going away now. It’s going to get bigger. We have to figure out how to live with it. That means asking ourselves tough questions about what we really do, at a fundamental level, and how we can partner with this thing to turbocharge the best of humanity, not the worst.
SCHEDULE
10.23
Throughout Converge-Con, ten photos will be on display in the art gallery at the Carolina Union. Some of them might be fake. Can you tell? Come to the gallery and vote on which ones you think are real and which ones are AI. The truth will be revealed on this website after the end of the conference.
The rules of communications are being re-written in real time, driven ever faster by the speed of technological innovation. In this session, we’ll examine the impact of recent advancements on audience behaviors and the ways brands, companies, and organizations can actively keep pace with change… from modernizing the concept of the “newsroom” to preparing for reputational opportunities and risks posed by generative AI. We’ll also gaze into the not-so-distant future and discuss ways innovation is heralding a new era in storytelling, reputation management, and corporate communications, and the new roles it'll require of us all by the end of 2025.
Co-hosted by the Parr Center of Ethics
Journalism has always been one of the industries most affected by technological change. From the town crier to the printing press, from radio to television to the Internet, it has remained. And now AI is here, presenting challenges and opportunities unlike any that came before. In this session, Tyler Dukes, Lead Editor of Innovation at McClatchy, walks us through the modern AI-driven newsroom and takes a look at the future.
In this session, Peter Sherman, the former Executive Vice President of Omnicom, will explore the opportunities and challenges AI brings to global marketing. Drawing on his experience guiding some of the world’s largest brands, Sherman will discuss how marketers can responsibly andeffectively integrate generative AI into practice.
AI-generated video presents unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Is it an entirely new art form, or the death of visual reality? Or both? In this session, Jarrard Cole, Supervising Producer in Live Journalism at the Wall Street Journal, debuts his first completely AI-generated short film, "Me and My Robot," and discusses the pros and cons of this new storytelling medium.
At this event, UNC student leaders will moderate a panel discussion on the academic, ethical, legal and social implications of using AI in undergraduate education. Panelists and audience members will get a chance to share their experiences and opinions about a technology that is rapidly changing the college game.
Mark Katz, professor of music at UNC, will lead a conversation about how this art form has adopted and adapted to technology for hundreds of years. Pablo Vega, a renowned audio engineer and composer, will discuss the ways he seeing AI change the music industry.
Colby Teixeira, Art Director at TBWA, explores how generative AI is reshaping advertising’s creative process, from concept development to visual storytelling.
At this event, leaders from the UNC Graduate and Professional Student Government will moderate a panel discussion on how AI is affecting the graduate student experience. Has AI changed the value of a graduate degree? Has it changed the way graduate students learn, research, work, and live? Audience members will get a chance to share their own experiences and opinions.
Recent UNC Hussman grad Christina Mangelsdorf ’24 shares her journey of searching for an entry-level role as a case study in learning to embrace AI as a tool to stand out. From research to real-world trials, she explores the ups and downs of navigating post-grad life and finding new ways to stand out in an ever-evolving professional landscape.
This town hall meeting, titled "Risk/Reward," will explore the potentially catastrophic risks of AI, including environmental damage, stress on the power grid, deepfakes and reality apathy, and existential threats to humanity itself. The panel will include: Mike DiPetrillo, CEO of Terra-Trust; Caroline Baxendale, Digital Producer at CNN; Dr.Mohammad Jarrahi, Professor at the School of Information and Library Science at UNC; and Dr. Thomas Hofweber, Professor of Philosophy at UNC. Students will have the chance to talk to the experts in an open, vibrant setting.
INVITATION ONLY
The renowned media and lighting designer Tao Wang will debut an immersive, interactive AI-driven experience, made especially for Converge-Con.
Capacity is limited to 10 people at a time. The experience lasts around 5 minutes per group.
10.24
Throughout Converge-Con, ten photos will be on display in the art gallery at the Carolina Union. Some of them might be fake. Can you tell? Come to the gallery and vote on which ones you think are real and which ones are AI. The truth will be revealed on this website after the end of the conference.
Co-hosted by the UNC Center for Faculty Excellence. Six professors at UNC will lead the audience in fast-paced, AI-driven "lessons" that showcase of the future of learning.
9:05-9:20: Scott Geier, School of Journalism
9:20-9:35: Heidi McNeilly, Schools of Dentistry & Social Work
9:35-9:50: Dayna Durbin, UNC Libraries
9:50-10:05: Dana Riger, School of Education
10:05-10:20: Maria Carnovale, School of Public Policy
10:20-10:35: Todd Cherner, School of Education
10:35-10:45: Audience Questions/Discussion
In an exciting live experiment, the UNC School of Law will hold a first-ever mock criminal trial with an all AI Jury in its on-campus courtroom. Human law students will serve as prosecutor, defense attorney and witnesses, but the case will be decided in real time by three AI programs that will deliberate with one another in the form of avatars with synthesized voices as the audience watches
During the closing reception for Converge-Con, watch as experts from various fields compete for prizes in timed AI prompting challenges.
SPEAKERS
Caroline Baxendale
CNN
Caroline Baxendale is a Digital Video Supervisor for CNN, where she produces video content and data-driven stories for the network’s digital platforms.
Rob Bernstein
Ketchum
Rob Bernstein is Chief Innovation Officer at Ketchum, where he brings more than 25 years of expertise in creative, content strategy, digital and social media, technology and innovation. His extensive body of media work spans everything from traditional media to Generative AI and includes award-winning digital campaigns for such brands as the FDA, Estee Lauter, Jeep, and Mastercard.
Prior to Ketchum, Rob oversaw IPG Mediabrands’ digital arm, Reprise, as N.A. Managing Director. He also launched IPG Mediabrands’ social media practice and led consultative teams for brands including Merck, Coca-Cola, American Express, and Amazon across e-commerce, paid search and social, mobile and creative/production. Before agency life, Rob worked as a senior editor / contributor writer at such publishers as Ziff Davis, Maxim, Wired, and Men’s Journal. He also headed the digital division at WWE, where he helped John Cena join social media and launched the media company's award-winning online network app and its YouTube Channel, which stands as the 2nd Most Viewed of All Time.
Jarrard Cole
Wall Street Journal
Jarrard Cole is the Supervising Producer for Live Journalism at The Wall Street Journal. He has more than 15 years of experience in audio, video, and emerging technologies at WSJ. In June 2025, Cole directed an entirely AI-generated short film, “My Robot & Me,” that explores modern culture’s obsession with efficiency.
Mike DiPetrillo
Terra-Trust
Mike DiPetrillo is the CEO of Terra-Trust, a company that uses AI-driven data analytics to reveal the hidden costs and downstream risks of tech decisions. Prior to co-founding Terra-Trust, he served as the CTO of Fiutur, the Chief Revenue Officer and Head of Sustainability Platforms for Devvio, and Senior Director of Blockchain at VMware.
Tyler Dukes
McClatchy
Tyler Dukes is the Lead Editor for AI Innovation in Journalism at McClatchy. In his role, he oversees a team of journalists who help McClatchy's 30+ local newsrooms responsibly harness data, automation and artificial intelligence to elevate and strengthen reporting. He also currently teaches journalism courses at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy. Prior to joining McClatchy, Dukes worked as an investigative reporter for The News & Observer, served as a public records reporter for WRAL-TV, and spent a year as a Murrey Marder Nieman Fellow in Watchdog Journalism at Harvard University.
Dr. Thomas Hofweber
Professor of Philosophy at UNC-CH
Dr. Hofweber is the William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research focuses on metaphysics, the philosophy of language, the philosophy of mathematics, and the foundations of artificial intelligence. He is the author of two books, Idealism and the Harmony of Thought and Reality; and Ontology and the Ambitions of Metaphysics. Hofweber also serves as the Director of The AI Project, an organization that aims to advance research and collaboration on the philosophical foundations and significance of artificial intelligence and virtual worlds.
Dr. Mohammad Jarrahi
School of Information and Library Science at UNC-CH
Dr. Jarrahi is a Professor in the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research focuses on the use and consequences of artificial intelligence in knowledge-intensive organizational contexts. His current projects examine the transformative impacts of generative AI systems, such as large language models, on knowledge work. He also explores methods for studying the emergent behaviors and performances of these systems as users engage with them in real-world interactions. Throughout his research on AI, he has employed metaphors from other disciplines (e.g., symbiosis and human-horse interactions) to conceptualize human-AI interactions. Additionally, he is interested in the concept of algorithmic management and how algorithms might transform managerial roles within organizations.
Mark Katz
Professor of Music at UNC
Mark Katz holds degrees from the College of William and Mary (B.A. in philosophy) and the University of Michigan (M.A., Ph.D. in musicology). Before joining the faculty at UNC, he taught at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University. His scholarship focuses on music and incarceration, music and technology, hip hop, cultural diplomacy, and the violin. His most recent books are
Christina Mangelsdorf
Development and Alumni Affairs Assistant
Christina Mangelsdorf is a 2024 UNC graduate with a degree in Media and Journalism and a passion for advertising and marketing communications. She currently serves as the Development and Alumni Affairs Assistant for UNC Hussman and recently moved to Chicago with her chocolate lab, fulfilling her lifelong dream of living in a big city.
Mangelsdorf is part of the generation that grew up on the hinge of it all. Some of her earliest memories include watching VHS movies on box TVs, when Netflix was still a service that sent DVDs in the mail, and receiving a lime green iPod in elementary school. She spent her adolescence navigating the rise of Instagram, Snapchat streaks, and TikTok trends, then carried that digital fluency through college, where social media and tech became second nature for connecting, learning, and creating. Having seen what life looked like before and how fast technology reshaped everything after, she feels uniquely positioned to reflect on this next leap: entering the workforce at a time when AI is seemingly replacing entry-level workers. She’s got thoughts on that, and she’s not afraid to share them.
Peter Sherman
Omnicom
Peter Sherman is the former Executive Vice President and head of innovation, integration and growth at Omnicom, the world's largest marketing services company. As one of the primary architects of Omnicom's integrated marketing models, Sherman has deep experience in operationalizing platforms that combine data/tech/AI with elite storytelling to drive immediate outcomes. His AI/data savvy stands in addition to a reputation for building and supporting inclusive and creative teams/cultures that perform well beyond their weight. Prior to joining Omnicom, Sherman served as CEO of several advertising companies, including JWT North America, BBDO Worldwide and BBDO Europe.
Colby Teixeira
Art Director, TBWA\Chiat\Day
Colby Teixeira is an Art Director at TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, where he explores how AI and emerging tech can reshape the creative process inside one of the world’s largest ad networks. As part of TBWA’s social-first unit FEED and Omnicom’s first global AI pilot, he’s helped build workflows that bring emerging tools into real client campaigns for brands like Hilton, Apple, Carnival, Philips, and more.
Before joining Chiat\Day, Colby cut his teeth at BBDO New York, developing social strategy and full-stack campaigns for Meta, Bacardi, and Macy’s. And while still a student at UNC, he co-founded Franklin Street Market, an entertainment and clothing brand that hosted festival series that grew into a six-figure venture.
Blending agency craft with an instinct for technology, Colby champions a new generation of creatives blending traditional and modern skillsets. He knows AI isn't a magic fix, especially in the big bad world of creativity. But he does know there's some magic to it.
Pablo Vega
Assistant Professor of Music at UNC
Pablo Vega is an audio engineer and composer living in Durham, North Carolina. Originally from Lima, Peru, he and his family moved to Chapel Hill in 1992 where his love of Carolina was nurtured. He received a Bachelor of Music (2008) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, professional certificates in audio engineering (2013) from Living Arts College and Berklee College of Music, a Master of Music in Music Production (2025) from Berklee College of Music, and has been working as a composer and audio engineer professionally since 2009 He owns and runs the recording studio “The Workshop”, is a member of the Collective at Sonark Media, and has composed and scored music for over 20 video games, documentaries, films, and TV shows.
Tao Wang
Department of Dramatic Arts at UNC-CH
Tao Wang is an Assistant Professor and Media and Lighting Designer in the Department of Dramatic Arts at UNC-Chapel Hill. With over 15 years of successful experience in designs and productions, his expertise spans multiple continents, with work in Japan, South Africa, France, China, and the United States.
Wang’s recent projection design credits include major theater productions such as “Narnia,” “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” “The Lightning Thief,” “The Parchman Hour,” “Hamlet,” “Inherit the Wind,” “Shaming Jane Doe,” and “Intimate Apparel.” He has also designed the lighting for “Misery”, “Why I live at the P.O.,” “Emma,” “Jelly’s Last Jam,” “Accidental Death of an Anarchist,” “Memphis Silhouettes,” “New Voices Dance,” and “Peter and the Starcatcher.”
Beyond theater, Wang has served as a lighting and set designer for TV shows and has created event lighting designs for significant celebrations, such as the Chinese New Year at Bird’s Nest, Beijing, and the Twelve Women Music Show in China.
