The Imagine RIT Festival will feature a wide range of interactive exhibits fueled by artificial intelligence

Rochester, New York – Artificial intelligence is no longer just a concept of the future—it’s a centerpiece of the present, and it’s going to be everywhere at this year’s Imagine RIT: Creativity and Innovation Festival. When the RIT campus opens its doors to thousands of visitors on April 26, attendees should expect to encounter AI not only behind the scenes but woven into nearly every corner of the experience.

From helpful chatbots to interactive dream analysis apps, Imagine RIT 2025 is set to become an immersive showcase of just how far AI has come, thanks to the efforts of students, faculty, and staff who are building new tools with both innovation and responsibility in mind.

If navigating over 430 exhibits sounds overwhelming, don’t worry—AI has your back.

Meet the Imagine RIT Bot

For the first time, festivalgoers will have access to the Imagine RIT Bot, a new generative AI chatbot custom-built to help visitors explore the massive festival. Think of it as your own personal assistant for the day, designed specifically for the event—like ChatGPT, but with a hyper focus on the festival itself.

Need to find an exhibit where you can throw things? Or maybe you’re mapping out a path that includes two robotics demos and a musical performance before lunch? Just ask the bot. It’s smart, it’s fast, and it’s already proving how practical and personalized AI can be in everyday life.

You’ll find the Imagine RIT Bot at the AI Hub Showcase, where it shares the spotlight with several other cutting-edge tools created by the RIT community.

“AI is here to stay and it’s going to change us,” said Christopher Collison, director of RIT’s AI Hub. “AI will enable the creation of different jobs and it will automate certain things, so we should able to spend more time doing the things we truly enjoy. RIT’s mindset is that we need to create and use AI responsibly and for the better.”

Tutor Bot Wants to Help You Learn

One of the most intriguing exhibits at the AI Hub Showcase is Tutor Bot, a smart teaching assistant designed to help people learn, not just find answers. Unlike some AI tools that simply spit out solutions, Tutor Bot goes deeper—guiding users through lessons and helping them understand the “why” behind what they’re learning.

What makes it even more special is that it can adapt its tone and approach based on who it’s teaching. Whether you’re a third grader or a college student, Tutor Bot can explain complex topics in a way that clicks.

Visitors will be able to try sample lessons in algebra, physics, chemistry, survival skills, and even how to make “redstone” in Minecraft. The bot was built using insights from RIT faculty and is one of the tools that might soon be available to all RIT students.

Behind the project are students Gregory Ojiem, a fifth-year computer science major; Hunter Landolfi, a fifth-year computer engineering major; and Neav Ziv, a third-year computer science student. Their work highlights how RIT is building AI tools from scratch—with a strong focus on ethics, education, and empowerment.

A Glimpse into AI’s Future

In addition to Tutor Bot, visitors will get to try out other AI prototypes under development. These include an advisor bot to help students with course scheduling and a research concierge bot that creates quick bios of RIT researchers. These tools are designed not just to impress, but to solve real-world problems.

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“We want the public to get involved because AI is for everyone, not just big companies,” said Collison. “It’s very empowering to do hands-on work with AI—anyone that learns how to use AI, can be a part of it.”

That message—AI is for everyone—runs through nearly every display at Imagine RIT this year. And the festival offers more than a chance to observe; it’s a chance to engage, to question, and to explore.

Dreaming in Data

Not all AI at the festival will be strictly academic. Two RIT students are turning their side project into a potential social media hit—Dreamcatcher, a dream-sharing app powered by artificial intelligence.

Jonah Witte, a second-year computer science major, and Gabriel Casselman, a second-year motion picture science major, are behind the app, which allows users to record, post, and compare dreams in a shared digital space. The AI at the heart of the app uses a Google embedding model to break down dreams into numerical data, spotting trends and connections between users.

“We saw this as an untapped market,” said Witte. “I’ve always been a big dreamer, and I like telling friends about my dreams. This is a dream journal where you can share with others and compare.”

The app might even help users discover that their friends are dreaming about the same symbols—or each other.
“The AI will identify trends,” Casselman added. “Maybe all your friends have a dream about whales on the same night or maybe your friends are appearing in each other’s dreams.”
They’ll be offering a live demo of Dreamcatcher during the festival and are eager to hear feedback from attendees.

“We’re excited to get feedback from people,” said Casselman. “And we’ll keep adding interesting things as we go.”

Experience It All at Imagine RIT

Imagine RIT isn’t just a tech fair—it’s a celebration of human creativity, student innovation, and forward-thinking education. Whether you’re exploring robotics, digital art, sustainability, engineering, or AI, there’s something for every curiosity.

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And this year, artificial intelligence won’t just be on display—it will be your guide, your teacher, your companion, and even your dream interpreter.

The Imagine RIT: Creativity and Innovation Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, and is free and open to the public. To start planning your day—and maybe ask a few questions ahead of time—visit the Imagine RIT website or chat with the new Imagine RIT Bot.

As RIT proves, AI isn’t a distant concept—it’s already part of our everyday lives. And at Imagine RIT, it’s ready to meet you around every turn.