I’m just back from Creator Live in London. Adobe hosted 500 of the UK and Ireland’s top creators, and I’ve got AI news from the event.
What is Creator Live?
Creator Live by Adobe took place on 17 March at Kensington Olympia in London. I attended as an Adobe Express Ambassador—and the energy was unlike any tech event I’ve experienced.
This wasn’t your typical conference. It was creators learning from creators, with AI woven into every conversation.
Simon Morris from Adobe opened the event with a simple but powerful message:
AI is just a tool. Creativity starts with you.
It’s something I repeat in my own training sessions every week.
You are the strategy. The tool simply accelerates what you already bring.
Niko Omilana, a creator with over 10 million followers, shared advice that applies far beyond YouTube:
- Niche down: Start with a smaller audience, earn their attention, then grow.
- Let your content breathe: Stop overthinking and over-editing. Publish, learn, and improve.
Honestly, that’s advice most professionals need—not just creators.
3 AI Features That Matter
I got hands-on with three new AI features in Adobe Express that every communicator and marketer should know about:
1. AI Assistant
Adobe Express now includes a built-in AI assistant.
You simply describe what you want—a social post, banner, or flyer—and it builds the design for you.
You can:
- Change backgrounds
- Swap images
- Rewrite text
- Adjust layouts
All through the conversation.
It runs on Adobe Firefly and partner models like Google Gemini and Black Forest Labs—but you don’t need to think about that. Just talk to it.
Currently in limited beta on desktop for personal accounts.
2. Clip Maker
This one really stood out.
Upload a long-form video, and Clip Maker will:
- Break it into short-form clips
- Add captions automatically
- Export in different formats (LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, etc.)
If you’ve been avoiding long-form video because editing feels overwhelming—this removes that barrier.
Record once. Let the tool do the rest.
For podcasters, this is huge. I’m already testing it with AI SIX.
3. AI Presentations
Describe your presentation in a prompt, and Adobe Express generates a full slide deck.
You can:
- Apply your brand kit
- Edit and animate slides
- Export to PowerPoint or PDF
If you spend hours building decks from scratch, this is a serious time-saver.
And importantly, it doesn’t look generic. It looks like your brand.
What Ties This Together
All three features reinforce a principle I teach in every session:
The better your brief, the better the output.
AI doesn’t replace your thinking—it accelerates it.
This applies whether you’re using Adobe Express, ChatGPT, Claude, or any other tool.
The real skill isn’t clicking buttons.
It’s knowing what to ask for.
And this is where most people struggle.
They:
- Open a tool
- Type something vague
- Get mediocre results
- Blame the tool
But the tool isn’t the problem—the brief is.
When you give clear, specific, structured instructions, the output improves dramatically.
This is what I mean when I say: Context engineering is the new professional skill.
My Take
Here’s my biggest takeaway:
The gap between people using AI and those who aren’t is widening—fast.
At Creator Live, no one was asking “Should I use AI?”
They were already deep into workflows, testing features, and sharing what works.
That’s the shift.
This wasn’t a room full of tech experts either. It was:
- Photographers
- Designers
- Video creators
- Small business owners
- Marketers
People doing real work with real tools.
They’re experimenting. They’re learning. They’re building skills.
If you’re still on the sidelines, the window to catch up is getting smaller.
Not because AI is complicated—it’s getting easier every month.
But because others are compounding their skills… while you’re standing still.
If you want to build your AI literacy and skills, I can help.
📚 Grab AI Playbook on Amazon, the perfect podcast companion.
📰 Subscribe to Human in the Loop, my LinkedIn Newsletter
🎓 Take the CPD Accredited AI Playbook Diploma
📞 Book a call at digitaltraining.ie
About the Podcast Host
AI and Communications Specialist | Author | Podcaster | International Speaker
Joanne Sweeney is a recognised leader in digital marketing and digital transformation, specialising in the practical application of AI to enhance communication strategies. The founder of Digital Training Institute, Joanne, empowers leaders and communications professionals to leverage AI responsibly and effectively, ensuring transparency, trust, and tangible results.
She completed the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Programme in AI and Public Policy this summer before launching her fourth book AI Playbook, in September. Joanne has also published two editions of Public Sector Marketing Pro, which were preceded by her first title, Social Media Under Investigation Law Enforcement and the Social Web.
Her books have become go-to resources for governments, public sector and policing agencies, as well as marketing and communications professionals, all navigating the challenges of the changing Internet.
Joanne is the host of the AI SIX Podcast, a daily six-minute podcast that provides actionable insights, expert interviews, and practical advice to help professionals navigate the new world of work.
