Creativity Squared: On What A.I. Reflects Back

Dear Creativity Squared Collective —

Hope this finds you well wherever in the world you’re reading this!

Thank you to Big Kitty Labs for sponsoring this newsletter! Not only am I big fan of their work, but I’m happy to share that they’re offering a free software strategy session and bonus blueprint — a $2K value! Book your free call now with their AI expert developers to gain clarity on how to transform your idea into a business breakthrough: https://bigkittylabs.com/offer

Today, I want to reflect on a video that keeps bubbling up in my mind. It celebrates GenAI’s ability to show students visualized future versions of themselves based on what they want to be when they grow up. While at first glance this seems like a feel-good GenAI story, the video also comes with warnings of A.I. embedded into it.

In 1990, Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop — a renowned scholar, college professor, and author — published a groundbreaking essay titled “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors.” Her work underscores the critical importance of diversity in stories and how storytelling shapes our identities, both individually and relationally.

She introduced the need for stories that serve as:

• Mirrors — Stories that reflect our own identities and lived experiences.

• Windows — Stories that expose us to other people’s worlds and perspectives.

• Sliding Glass Doors — Stories that allow us to step into another’s experience, if only through imagination.

Now, with AI-powered tools — alongside virtual and augmented reality — we’re entering a new frontier of storytelling, expression, and world-building. These technologies are not just providing mirrors, windows, and doors. I’d add to Dr. Bishop’s work that they're also opening portals: immersive, transportive experiences that allow us to inhabit someone else’s world in ways never before possible.

What does this mean for the A.I. generated images of the students?

If students can now see their future version of themselves as visualized by GenAI, what are they seeing reflected back to them? And more importantly, what guardrails are in place so that the images aren’t unintentionally harmful?

One little boy with glasses was shown his future self as a doctor with a chiseled chin and no glasses, and another with a much lighter skin tone than his own. What new ways of societal expectations are being reinforced through these biased A.I. tools that will impact our kids' perception of themselves?  

In the evolution of storytelling, we're moving away from projecting ourselves onto other people or fictional characters and inserting more visual representations of our ideal selves into content, especially as personalization becomes a new gold standard to engage with audiences. This is a very powerful shift that I'm not sure we fully understand the implications of yet.  

Thinking of Dr. Bishop’s framework, if students can project themselves into any image, moving or still, what are they seeing mirrored back, and how will they be exposed to others’ stories?

Is it empowering or a new, warped story echo chamber?

I absolutely believe in the power of "you cannot be what you cannot see" and that these tools have the potential to unlock new ways of seeing ourselves accomplish our goals, helping us better see and believe in these possibilities too.  

That said, if we aren't clear-eyed about it, then we're just repeating the exact same mistakes that we've seen before and perpetuating a new medium to distort reality and impact our teens and kids who are already facing depression, loneliness, and other harms due to social media.  

Our children and their dreams are precious. The tools we hand them should reflect the caliber of care they deserve.

Two shameless plugs: book me as a speaker for your next event and pre-order my forthcoming book on the Imagination Age today!

Until next week, here’s to playing in the playground of possibility and manifesting more magic in 2025! 🪄✨ 

-Helen

Helen Todd (she/her)
Human behind Creativity Squared
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How creatives are collaborating with A.I.

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👍 AFFILIATE RECOMMENDATIONS 

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📆 EVENTS, A.I. CONFERENCES & MORE! 

🤝 AUGUST 5 CincyAI for Humans (CincyAI, #CincyAI), August meetup, Cincinnati (Co-Host)

🤝 SEPTEMBER 2 CincyAI for Humans (CincyAI, #CincyAI), September meetup, Cincinnati (Co-Host)
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For the full calendar, check it out here!

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🗞 PRESS & PODCAST INTERVIEWS

📺 BBC News (June 5, 2025) — What is the future of digital clones? 

🎤 SXSW 2025 (March 11, 2025) “Farewell, Information Age — Welcome to the Imagination Age”:

🎙 Fulcra Dynamics podcast, “The Augmented Life,” with CEO Michael Tiffany (April 29, 2025) — The Imagination Age Is Here: Reclaiming Attention, Creativity, and the Future of AI with Helen Todd

🎙 AI Explored with Michael Stelzner of Social Media Examiner (November 5, 2024) — Using AI to Expand Your Ideas and Creativity 

🎙 Reflections with an Accent with Kike Calvo (October 18, 2024) — Unveiling AI's Creative Power with Helen Todd | Reflections with an Accent 

🏆 Cincinnati Business Courier’s Fire Awards (May 2025) — Finalist in “Disruptor” category for CincyAI for Humans

🏆 Aviatra Accelerators (September 5, 2024) — Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award 

📖 Movers & Makers Magazine (October 1, 2024) — Notables in AI + Print

📖 Cincinnati Magazine + Print (December 19, 2023) — Clone Wars + Print

🖥 SXSW Conference Community Newsletter (December 5, 2024) — SXSW 2025 Speaker Helen Todd talks Digital Twins

🖥 UC News (July 5, 2024) — Mayor Pureval, Rob Richardson lead ethical AI symposium

🖥 UC News (June 4, 2024) — Community of AI enthusiasts expands in Cincinnati

🖥 AdAge (April 15, 2024) — The Dalí Museum used AI to recreate Salvador Dalí’s voice—so you can ask him anything

🖥 UC Office of Research (February 28, 2024) — CincyAI and Digital Futures Partnership: Growing AI Talent in our Region & Beyond 

Listen: Ep.75 BBL Drizzy, A.I. & Manifesting A.I.: Discover How Will Hatcher Manifested His Way to a Time100 A.I. 2024 Honoree

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“If you're trying to play life safe, then I don't think you can fully experience life, you know. So you gotta go to places that you never been before, be in uncomfortable situations, because that's where the real growth is.” -King Willonius

Discover the magic of manifesting in a Creativity Squared exclusive interview from the ONLY comedian (and one of two artists!) who’s a Time100 AI 2024 honoree in the Innovators category: King Willonius. 👑 

His real name is Willonius Hatcher (his first name is pronounced “Will-OWN-ee-us,” and he also goes by Will). 2024 has been a breakout year for Will after his “BBL Drizzy” comedy song went viral — the first song made in collaboration with A.I. that became a cultural phenomenon, transcending genres and mediums!  

What do Burning Man, Dune 2, and the Frost Planetarium have to do with his story? Listen in to our 75th episode — and the last one for 2024! — to find out.

Creativity Squared interviewed Will live at the FilmGate Miami Interactive Festival XI, one of the top ten immersive festivals in the world! You’ll hear why it’s so special from the festival’s Head Curator, Co-Founder, and Executive Producer, Diliana Alexander. 

On opening night, the FilmGate Miami audience got a preview of the “BBL Drizzy Musical Dome Experience”. Next year, Creativity Squared will be back to see the full production and host another time capsule conversation with Will. 

Once you check out the interview, you’ll know that Will is just scratching the surface of what’s possible — he’s ahead of the entertainment industries, and is definitely one to follow!

Why did he make the Time100 AI 2024 Innovators list? 

For Creativity Squared Founder and Podcast Host, Helen Todd’s take, check out the dedicated blog post accompanying this episode (we recommend starting with this first 😉):

Our 2025 podcast season will kick off again in April, but we’ll keep the newsletter going between now and then, aside from the holidays.

Here’s to manifesting more magic in the new year — enjoy! 💝🪄✨

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