← Monday Meeting12 Aug · 1 h 01 min
Getting Curious About Specialized AI Workflows | Aug 10, 2026
<p>In this open discussion episode, the Monday Meeting community digs into Adobe's new After Effects AI Assistant, agentic workflows and MCPs, the booming market for interactive graphics in Rive, and how AI is reshaping specialization and career strategy in motion design.</p><p>This episode covers:</p><ul><li><strong>First impressions of Adobe's After Effects AI Assistant</strong>: The beta tool promises to build comps from text descriptions, but early reactions raise questions about speed, pricing, and when it's actually worth changing your workflow.</li><li><strong>How one agent can replace a stack of AI subscriptions</strong>: Why paying for isolated AI features inside each app might be selling yourself short—and how a single agentic workflow with good context can organize Illustrator files, Rive state machines, and more.</li><li><strong>Where AI helps and where it doesn't</strong>: The tasks worth handing off (labeling layers, hunting down broken expressions, batch settings) versus the ones where you'll spend more time prompting than doing it yourself.</li><li><strong>Rive's interactive graphics boom</strong>: How the "Flash on steroids" tool is powering live event graphics for NBA All-Star Weekend, Final Four broadcasts, and interactive games—and what that market looks like for freelancers.</li><li><strong>How to make developers love working with you</strong>: The handoff documentation approach that keeps clients coming back, plus a free open-source Rive player tool shared with the community (link in show notes).</li><li><strong>Spotting AI misrepresentation in freelance work</strong>: The growing problem of hired artists secretly passing off AI output as handmade—and where the community draws the line on acceptable use.</li><li><strong>Hyper-specialization vs. covering more ground</strong>: How AI lets artists go deeper into a niche or expand their range to deliver full products solo—and how to decide which path fits you.</li><li><strong>Do degrees still matter in an AI world?</strong>: A spirited debate on liberal arts education, critical thinking, and what to tell the next generation entering creative careers.</li></ul><p><strong>Upcoming Events:</strong></p><ul><li>Game Night date TBA—keep an eye on the website and Discord for the official date</li><li>Guest episode later this month: Nick and Sam Snyder from Snaggletooth TV on passion projects outside client work (date TBA)</li><li>Next open discussion: September 14th</li><li>Office hours on Discord on non-podcast Mondays—portfolio reviews, reel reviews, troubleshooting, and hangouts</li><li>Ilya is seeking beta testers for a new After Effects expression editor—post in the Discord to join</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Visit <a href="MondayMeeting.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">MondayMeeting.org</a> for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!</p><p><br></p><p>SHOW NOTES:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.patreon.com/Monday_Meeting">Monday Meeting Patreon</a></li><li><a href="https://discord.com/invite/2zDcj7PyB7">Monday Meeting Discord</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/monday-meeting-podcast/">MondayMeeting LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/mondaymeetingpodcast/">MondayMeeting Instagram</a></li><li><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/mondaymeeting.bsky.social">MondayMeeting Bluesky</a></li><li><a href="https://mondaymeeting.substack.com/%E2%81%A0">MondayMeeting Newsletter</a></li><li><br></li><li><a href="https://forge.mograph.life/apps/ae">IVG Tool Kit</a></li><li><a href="https://aescripts.com/rav-rive-animat
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