#StartupsEverywhere: Chris Cooley, CEO and Co-Founder, Cooley Comics LLC
This profile is part of #StartupsEverywhere, an ongoing series highlighting startup leaders in ecosystems across the country. This interview has been edited for length, content, and clarity.
Accessible storytelling with AI
Cooley Comics LLC is a creative startup blending AI with storytelling to allow underrepresented voices to tell their own stories. From creating characters to teaching AI ethics, Cooley Comics is shaping the future of storytelling. We recently met CEO and co-founder Chris Cooley to discuss AI, copyright issues, and more.
Tell us about your background. What led you to Cooley Comics LLC?
The idea for the company came to me in a dream, which acted like a jolt to my system and featured my friend Tony. He is a young man with cerebral palsy. In the dream, I saw that it is society that highlights Tony’s disability as a weakness. He doesn’t see it that way, and in the vision his weakness was showcased as a superpower! This inspired me to present an idea to him, to make his life into a comic book. Which he accepted.
From there, we started using AI to help create the story, so Tony and others with challenges could participate on a deeper level. I come from a visual art background and had a basic understanding of AI then, so there was lots of trial and error. As we learned more about AI together, we realized this process could be replicated so that others were able to tell their story. We based much of the company’s services on the idea that AI can be used as an accessibility tool.
Today, we do online and in-person workshops with community organizations who serve young people throughout our community and beyond. We have established public-private partnerships with the county library system and the school district in our city. In our main workshops students complete a little bit of pre-work and then attend a live workshop. During the session they learn AI skills and ethics and then make a 16-page comic book, creating a character and putting them in scenes.
How have you approached AI with regards to your product?
We approach AI as an accessibility tool, providing opportunities for people who normally wouldn’t have them. There is a layer of using AI as a solution to poverty and economic development. We also lean into using AI to make things more scalable, efficient, and effective. If bad policy meant we lost access to the AI models we use, the process would look a lot different even though we would still be able to use the templates we created.
The key is teaching people about the ethics of using AI. For example, if a participant wants to see themself as a Pokémon trainer in their story, we’d teach them that it’s not appropriate to directly put “Pokémon” into the model, but instead that they should describe and create their own character. It not only builds AI literacy but also helps students learn to not take the easy way out. It also showcases the complexities and dynamics of intellectual property and ownership. Our workshops stress the importance of AI as a tool, not a replacement for thinking or creativity.
What AI models do you use? Why did you choose those models?
We use a combination of AI models — ChatGPT, DALL-E, Midjourney, VideoGen, and Runway. We are constantly exploring new models and implementing their use. There are times when the kids will come in with ideas about new models to use.
We use these models because we don’t have the money to invest in building our own right now. I’ve talked to AI builders who stress that it wouldn’t even be worth trying because everything will change in a year. At this stage in our company, we rely heavily on widely available models because it’s more affordable while we are in Lean Startup mode.
What are your goals for Cooley Comics LLC moving forward?
At the core, the company was created to give people opportunities, so if the few people who have gone through our program have a better life because of it, we are successful. Now, if I can amplify that by 1000s of people, then it's even better. We want participants to be seen, heard, and have fun. This is a company prepared for longevity and sustainability, rather than developed in three years for a short-term flip. I've made that commitment to myself and others, that this is purposeful work.
All of the information in this profile was accurate at the date and time of publication.
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