In this episode of Empowered by AI, Michelle sits down with award-winning AI artist and filmmaker Kimberly Offord, the visionary behind PlaygroundPastime.ai. Kimberly shares how her journey from real estate to creative direction led to viral visuals, groundbreaking short films, and the creation of her very own AI film contest.

Kimberly’s mission is clear: to reimagine how underrepresented voices are seen in the AI space—because the way we teach AI to see us will define the future of storytelling. We discuss prompting with purpose, the power of emotional imagery, launching a global AI film competition, and how her AI music video for Grammy-nominated artist Lalah Hathaway became a breakthrough moment for AI-generated film.

This episode is a call to action: create anyway, tell your story, and prompt what you want to see.

🌐 Explore her work: https://playgroundpastime.ai

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Kimberly’s backstory: real estate, creative marketing, and her first AI leap
• 04:00 – Midjourney & Runway: from brand visuals to cinematic world-building
• 06:30 – What Playground Pastime means and why imagination needs protection
• 08:00 – How nostalgic imagery and childhood wonder inspire her work
• 10:00 – Bias in AI imagery: why size, disability, and nuance still don’t show up
• 12:00 – Prompting with persistence: how to push AI to reflect reality
• 15:00 – Behind the scenes of “Tunnels,” her official AI music video for Lalah Hathaway
• 18:30 – Creating soulful visuals with small teams and honest storytelling
• 20:00 – Using AI film as a starting point for bigger, live-action collaborations
• 22:00 – The origin of the Playground Pastime AI Film Contest—and why it’s needed
• 24:00 – Stories emerging from the contest: from comedy to intergenerational memory
• 26:00 – How to watch the replay and support the featured creators
• 28:00 – Advocating for inclusion in AI: what platforms still get wrong
• 30:00 – Weird mode, creative partner feedback, and the hidden biases of Midjourney
• 32:00 – Advice to creators from marginalized communities: do it anyway
• 34:00 – The legacy she’s building—and how AI lets you paint what you’ve always imagined
• 37:00 – What’s next: Season 2 of the contest, a live theater premiere, and the Chicago AI Film Festival

Kimberly Offord is showing us what it means to lead creatively, persistently, and inclusively. Her work at PlaygroundPastime.ai proves that AI storytelling doesn’t have to come from big teams or technical mastery—it can come from one voice, one vision, and one powerful prompt.

If you’re building a brand, telling a story, or dreaming of a world that reflects you, this episode will meet you right where you are—and challenge you to build what’s missing.

🎧 More episodes + tools: innovativeaistudio.com/podcast