Embracing AI ‘the Muse’ and redefining collaboration with Anna Cowie

08/23/24 • 65 min

New host Lena Robinson kicks off with a lively chat with fellow Kiwi and seasoned creative Anna Cowie, who's now making waves from Cambridge. They dive into Anna's eclectic career journey—from her days at Elam Fine Arts School in New Zealand to her evolution into a digital fine artist and senior creative director. The conversation is a fun mix of art, tech, and creativity, with Anna spilling the beans on how she’s always viewed the computer, and more recently, the iPad and Apple Pencil, as just another set of pens, pencils and canvas to play with.

Anna also gets into the nitty-gritty of how AI has worked its way into her studio, not as a rival, but as a muse and collaborator. AI is pushing boundaries, speeding up her creative processes, and adding a new layer of inspiration, all without ever stepping on the toes of her artistic integrity. While AI can add a spark, Anna insists it can't replace the keen eye and emotional depth that only a true artist brings to the table. This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about how AI and technology is shaking up the art and design world in the best way possible.

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Thanks for listening, and stay curious!

//Lena

Links relevant to this episode:

Thanks for listening, and stay curious!

//Lena

Previous Episode

Handover to our new host Lena Robinson

In this episode, Lena Robinson joins us to discuss the future of the podcast and is announced as the new host for Creatives WithAI.

We explore AI's impact on creativity and how artists are using AI as a tool to enhance their work. Lena shares her background and the experiences that shaped her perspective on non-conformity and the importance of challenging the status quo.

Lena shares her excitement about upcoming guests on the podcast, including Tom Morley (an AI artist), Nicole Yershon (a business innovator), Minter Dial (a marketing expert), and Tim Carter (a former Google executive).

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Thanks for listening, and stay curious!

//david

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Next Episode

Will AI in film solve the 'Monkey problem' with Tim Carter

Tim Carter, a seasoned tech executive, lawyer, and collaboration coach, shares insights from his 25-year career at the intersection of business, law, and technology. With a background as an intellectual property lawyer and product strategist, Tim has played a key role in building technology-based ecosystems across various industries. Now focused on the media and creative sectors, Tim is working to develop best practices and ensure creatives are safeguarded when it comes to the use of AI in the creative and film industries.

In this episode, Tim discusses how AI is transforming filmmaking, particularly in areas like dubbing and dialogue replacement (the 'Monkey problem'), while emphasising that AI serves human creativity. He also addresses the challenges and ethical considerations of AI in the industry.

Takeaways

AI allows filmmakers to retain their creative choices while reaching broader audiences by providing seamless translations and lip-syncing in different languages (if you're old enough you'll remember the awful dubbing/syncing 'problem' on the original 1978 show 'Monkey').
The use of AI in the film industry has positive impacts like quality when wanting to expand audience reach beyond language 'borders', and concerns i.e. potential job displacement.
AI is a tool in service of human intent and creativity, enabling filmmakers to solve problems of speed, scale, repeatability, cost, and complexity. AI tools in the film industry can and will automate the creation of material while providing more flexibility for creative professionals.
Safeguards are currently being put in place by actors' unions to protect their performances from being changed in post-production without their approval.
Over the next three to five years, AI is expected to continue automating the creation of material and making it more accessible to a wider, more diverse audience than original films would have allowed.
AI will enable improved collaboration between different creative departments, such as scriptwriting and visual artistry, from the beginning of the project i.e. massively improving initial pitch materials.
The impact of AI on the industry will depend on how it's used and the collaboration between diverse stakeholders.

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Thanks for listening, and stay curious!

//Lena