A new AI Brand Companion shines a spotlight on artists, creativity and the Cincinnati community, celebrating the magic of humanity.
CINCINNATI, OH, UNITED STATES, September 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Vurvey has revealed its collaboration with BLINK, marking the festival’s first-ever Official AI Partner for BLINK 2026. Through this alliance, Vurvey launches Blinky, a tailor-made AI Brand Companion hosted on the BLINK website that will function as the festival’s digital spokesperson and creative collaborator. Crafted specifically for BLINK, Blinky will assist attendees in uncovering artists and installations, navigating the event and obtaining answers to queries during the festival. The partnership also underscores Vurvey’s dedication to investing in the Cincinnati region and creating AI experiences centered on the people it serves, at a moment when rivals are increasingly leaning toward automation.
Fundamentally, BLINK is a tribute to artists, imagination and human viewpoints. The partnership investigates how AI can bolster that experience without supplanting the individuals and concepts at its core. Instead of offering yet another static festival guide, Blinky is intended to foster a more interactive method for people to engage with BLINK—helping them find what sparks their interest, explore artists’ creations and connect with the festival on their own terms. It situates AI in a cultural setting where curiosity, creativity and human interaction are the central focus.
Vurvey will design, develop and operate Blinky throughout the 2026 festival period, running from October 8 to October 11 in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. The experience will include a custom BLINK personality and conversation framework, with the AI trained on the festival’s schedule, brand tone and visitor experience. Vurvey will also create the BLINK Wayfinder, offering attendees an interactive tool to discover artists and installations and access real-time details to help them move through the festival.
This collaboration is part of Vurvey Labs’ next phase, honoring the “magic of humanity.” Vurvey is bringing AI into a festival centered on artists, individual expression and human creativity to celebrate their work and what makes them human. Blinky is designed not merely to provide information but to help people uncover the distinct viewpoints, nuances and experiences that give BLINK its human character. The Cincinnati Regional Chamber has agreed to take part in a co-authored case study following the festival, recording what unfolds when AI is created alongside the people it serves.
“BLINK has always been about what happens when artists are given the tools, scale and freedom to make people see the world differently. AI is another tool in that evolution, but the human idea still has to be at the center of it. What excites me about Blinky is that we’re not using technology to replace creativity, we’re using it to help millions of people get closer to the artists, stories and ideas that make BLINK what it is. For a festival built around curiosity and discovery, that feels like a really natural experiment for us,” said Andrew Salzbrun, Co-Founder of BLINK.
“BLINK is thrilled to partner with Vurvey to create the Blinky Companion, harnessing new technology and innovative ideas to make BLINK more welcoming, accessible and engaging for everyone,” said Leslie Mooney, Vice President and Executive Director at BLINK.
The collaboration will produce a real-world example of how AI can support culture, community and human connection, while providing Vurvey and the Cincinnati Regional Chamber an opportunity to share those insights with communities in Cincinnati and beyond.
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About Vurvey Labs
Founded in 2021 by Chad Reynolds, Vurvey Labs exists to ground artificial intelligence in lived experience. Vurvey delivers a suite of co-creation tools that give design thinkers the superpower to build with the world.
Frontier intelligence celebrating the “magic of humanity” is at the heart of Vurvey’s approach. Unlike most AI systems trained on scraped data, Vurvey’s models are built from trillions of consented interviews with real people.
Trusted by leading brands including Unilever, Vans, Kenvue, and JPMorgan Chase, Vurvey Labs gives teams the ability to build with an endless fascination with people, mapping the perspectives of as many real people as possible to develop ideas that are sharper, more empathetic, and grounded in human experience rather than approximations of it.
About BLINK
Started in 2017, BLINK is a biennial celebration of public art and light that spans the urban core of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. The massive four-day event features 80+ large-scale projection mappings against some of the city’s most iconic architecture, interactive light-based installations in its public spaces and expansive murals across its buildings, all by renowned local, national and international artists. The largest of its kind in the country, the festival’s mission is to nurture a sense of community, connection and inspiration through the medium of public art. In 2024, BLINK spanned 30+ city blocks, crossing the Ohio River into Covington, Kentucky and was experienced by over 2 million people. BLINK is by the artists, for the people. Executive producing partners are the Cincinnati Regional Chamber, AGAR and the Haile Foundation. We welcome all to Cincinnati, Ohio to experience the magic and wonder of BLINK once again October 8-11, 2026.
Daniela Quesada
Reverve Agency
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