Truth, Integrity, AI and the Power of Imagery - A Recap of DMLA’s 2025 Conference

By Thomas Smith, CEO Gado Images

In October, the biggest thinkers and leaders in the media space gathered together for three days in Atlanta at the Digital Media Licensing Association’s 2025 conference. We discussed everything from photojournalism and truth to the specifics of digital asset management, the world of archives, and cybersecurity.

As one of the organizers of the conference and an active participant throughout, I took away several big-picture messages from this year’s event. Firstly, it feels like our industry has gotten a very strong handle on artificial intelligence, the impact it will have, and the very practical matters of how to integrate it into our companies.

We’ve had to grapple with AI from its very earliest days--the DMLA’s first session about generative AI took place all the way back in 2018! That first-mover advantage and early need to address the technology means that we are much further ahead than many other industries and groups in understanding AI’s impact.

We set the tone early. After Joe Naylor (President, DMLA / CEO, ImageRights International) kicked things off with the President’s Welcome, the keynote--"Trust & Transparency: The Future of Journalism"--brought former CNN anchor Robyn Curnow, host of "Searching for America," to the stage. 

In an era of deepfakes and disinformation, Robyn spoke candidly about credibility, the stakes for our field, and the path back to trust through fact-based reporting and boots-on-the-ground journalism. As Robyn reminded us, scribes and recorders of daily life have existed for millennia; we take our place in that long lineage when we do the work well.

Whereas in previous conferences there were open questions like, "Will this industry still exist in the face of AI?", the 2025 event turned to practical specifics about implementation.

In "Generative AI: The Good, Bad, Ugly," moderated by Stacey Tyrell (AllSides AI), Vered Horesh (Bria.ai), Josh Mesnik (Waffle Video), Ben Hall (independent filmmaker), and Mark Milstein (Microstock Solutions) unpacked what’s actually working, what isn’t, and where teams have stumbled. We heard real stories about places where AI is working in the industry and where it falls flat–and fascinating insights about how creatives are using the tech actively today.

On security, "How to Keep Image Workflows and Systems Safe in the Age of AI" brought together Sarah Lefebvre (MediaViz AI) with David Moulton (Palo Alto Networks), William Liani (Vista/Depositphotos), and Arturo Pérez Amores (Wesog Systems). 

One of the big takeaways for me was the fact that, because images are valuable, they are an appealing target for bad actors. Keeping these valuable materials--and the data associated with them--protected is more important today than ever, and the panel delivered concrete practices tailored to image-centric platforms.

Largely because our industry has gotten an early handle on AI and isn’t scrambling to figure out what to make of it, I felt like we had more space than ever during this conference to focus on the pillars of our industry and the incredible creative work that drives everything we do.

"In the Trenches--Looking at the past year with working photographers," moderated by Jonathan Wells (SIPA USA), showcased powerful work by Natrice Miller and Arvin Temkar (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution), Elijah Nouvelage and Alyssa Pointer (independent), Matt Pearson (WABE Atlanta), and Megan Varner (independent). 

In a whirlwind tour of recent assignments, they showed Atlanta communities, national politics, stories of protest and resistance, and the everyday moments that define a year. Again, imagery is at the core of what DMLA does, so to see this incredible work provided motivation for navigating all the challenges of working in media today.

I also had the joyful experience of moderating "Preserving History through Content, Collaboration, and Community," where Cassandra Ilidge (Getty Images--VP Global Partnerships & Exec. Dir., HBCU Programs) and Alexandru Giboi (Secretary General, EANA) shared how partnerships, news preservation, and cultural stewardship ensure our collective stories endure. 

Audience members–even those with limited experience in the archival space–told me afterward that Cassandra and Alexandru’s words moved them to tears, and that they had never realized how personal archive imagery can be.

Our legal conversations advanced in two parts. First, Joe Naylor with Nancy Wolff (Partner, Cowan DeBaets Abrahams & Sheppard; DMLA Counsel) held a fireside chat that shared deep analysis of cases like Bartz vs Anthropic.

Later, "Legal Hot Topics," moderated by Margaret Vincent (Stocksy), brought Nancy back alongside Katherine Briggs (Envato) to sprint through recent rulings, contract trends, and the evolving AI policy landscape--what to change now and what to watch in 2026.

During the marketing and strategy discussions, we learned about the practical specifics of applying all these things to our daily work.

"The Future of Advertising in the Age of AI," moderated by Leslie Hughes (DMLA / iSPY Visuals), convened Javier Santana (Chemistry) and Tracy Tolliver (Show Creative) to talk creative process, trust, and rights management as automation expands.

 "Looking Forward--2026 Trends & Expectations," led by James Allsworth (Alamy) with Trace Cohen (Stocksy), Candice Murray (Alamy), and William Liani (Vista/Depositphotos), mapped where discovery, selection, and licensing are heading next–and showed why adding services on top of imagery is a crucial future trend that our industry is fast embracing.

Search, of course, is a huge driver for many of our businesses. It feels like it’s always in flux!. In "SEO, AI & the Future of Search," moderated by Joe Naylor, I joined Chip Schenck (DataStax) to talk generative engine optimization and the highly specific ways our industry can benefit from it. As someone who writes, speaks, and consults about GEO, I found the questions from Joe and from the audience particularly helpful in framing this important subject for image-driven businesses.

Of course, it wasn’t all discussions about high technology and high-minded topics like truth and integrity! The conference also provided ample opportunities to connect on a personal level and spend quality face-to-face time with colleagues.

Our popular dine-around series continued this year, with small groups heading out for great food and conversation around Atlanta. We also had an Unwind "Media Mix and Mingle" with a sponsor showcase, plus a closing cocktail party immediately after the final session--bookending the program with real time to meet, compare notes, and start collaborations.

Thanks especially to our sponsors Google, PicRights, Orange Logic, Wesog, CDAS (Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahms & Sheppard LLP), Sipa USA, ImageRights International, PICHA, iSPY Visuals, Adobe, WaffleVideo.AI, MediaViz AI, and Copycat legal, who made the event possible.

Our setting in Atlanta facilitated these discussions, from the warm Southern hospitality (and  food!) to the literally elevating design of the Marriott Marquis (which, at 42 stories, has the tallest atrium of any hotel in America).

As DMLA approaches its 75th anniversary, we’re looking ahead to an exciting year of increased educational opportunities with an expanded webinar program, as well as more chances to gather locally with colleagues.  One thing we heard from participants is that they don’t want to see each other and gather to learn only once per year! Many folks said they wanted more opportunities to do all the things they love at the conference.

Stay tuned as DMLA works hard to provide these opportunities in the year ahead. We hope to see you throughout 2026--and we extend a heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this year’s conference possible.