INSIDE NEDA'S AI INTERNSHIP: ”AI DOESN’T REPLACE HUMAN CRAFT – IT MAKES IT MORE IMPORTANT”

Can you tell us about your internship?

I'm interning with Billy Boman, who was our teacher in Content Generating. He runs Billy Boman AI Productions together with his partner Monika Kaczanowska, a Stockholm-based boutique studio built on a clear idea: art directed realism, powered by AI. Cinematic thinking applied to AI tools, with a director's instincts and the speed of a native workflow. Billy has worked on campaigns for Taylor Swift, a Lewis Capaldi music video on Piccadilly Circus, and a Super Bowl spot. And, he just got his own name installation under the Hollywood sign, do I need to say more? For someone curious like me, this is a combination completely in my taste.

How did it come about that you chose to do your internship with Billy Boman?

Very organically. Early in Billy's course I realized generative AI is what I want to work with, we were taught to think like photographers and directors, not just prompt engineers. We had a competition, and my final project was a short film that won, and one thing led to another. I remember barely sleeping during that project, but it was too much fun to stop. You know that feeling when time just disappears, that was my sign I was onto something. Billy asked if I wanted to jump on some projects with him, which I'm deeply grateful for. Getting to work alongside him while still in school taught me an enormous amount, and it's nothing I take for granted. And when he later asked about the internship it felt like an obvious choice. Every day I feel more curious, and I'm still learning something new all the time.

How do you notice that your AI Content Engineering (CE) education is useful at your internship?

Beyond the tools that I’ve learned, it's a mindset that I bring with me. With 15 years in creative industries I've seen new tools and technology arrive, disrupt, and eventually just become part of our toolkit. AI is no different. It doesn't replace human craft, it makes it more important. My ideas, my style, my instincts and my experience still matter. It's about being conscious of when and how AI earns its place in the process as a tool.

Has anything surprised you about the industry?

The AI pace. A tool that's revolutionary today can be outdated next week. It requires a mental flexibility I've really had to train, as Billy says: "Learn to fall in love with AI models, and learn to fall out of love."

And of course how much the human element still determines quality. Creative vision, aesthetics, storytelling… that can't be automated away. If anything, it becomes more valuable.

What are you taking with you from your internship?

That there are no shortcuts. You don't write a prompt, click generate and call it done. Behind every result that actually lands is an enormous amount of iteration, patience and creative judgment. That's where having a good team, and a real eye that makes all the difference. And then there's Billy's phrase: "AI and…" Not AI as an end in itself, but as an extension of everything you already are. As a creative and curious person working with PR and Fashion, different projects and hobbies, I felt for a long time that those felt like separate lives. Working with AI changed that. It’s where all of it gets to meet and become something new. That, and a deep respect for what a large-scale production with AI actually demands, is what I'm walking away with.

Any tips for someone looking for an internship?

Don't chase the perfect option on paper. Reflect on your strengths, what you want to build, and where you'll actually get to grow. Find someone whose work and mindset you respect and who challenges you. The rest figures itself out.

What do you hope to work with going forward?

I come from PR and fashion, but this year has changed how I see what I'm capable of. Working with advertising and film has felt completely right. I want to work at the intersection: strategic, creative storytelling, with AI and traditional craft combined. Preferably with brands and people that aren't afraid to do something bold.