Creativity Squared: On A.I. and the Power of New Art Genres

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Dear Creativity Squared Member,

Happy Halloween from my favorite alien and podcasting live audience member, my dog Chex! She listened in as I interviewed two more guests today, and I can’t wait to share those conversations with you in the coming weeks.

For Creativity Squared’s 71st episode, I had the great honor of interviewing Dr. Walter D. Greason.

It’s not every day that you have the honor of meeting a national treasure who is creating new art genres and movements to help us expand our imagination and stretch our understanding of what’s possible.

First inspired by Marvel and DC comics in his youth, Dr. Walter D. Greason is the distinguished DeWitt Wallace Professor in the Department of History at Macalester College. 

Wondering why there weren’t Black people in the futures presented in classic sci-fi stories, Walter became one of the founders of Afrofuturism, a new lens to re-imagine a tomorrow that’s inclusive for all. He also gave the world the “Wakanda Syllabus” and helped bring the fictional city of Wakanda to life in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Blank Panther blockbuster films!

Named one of “Today’s Black History Makers” by The Philadelphia Daily News, Walter is an educator, historian, media ecologist, economist, and urbanist all in one who has authored eighteen books on democracy, capitalism, and digital economies in the world today. His latest book and Amazon bestseller, “The Graphic History of Hip-Hop,” is a graphic novel and scholastic experience charting the evolution of the genre Hip-Hop and its myriad impacts on culture and society.

With such a deep wealth of wisdom on the power of art, especially in today’s infinite, digital landscape, combined with his understanding of the transformations shaping our society and culture both at a macro level and down to a personal one, it’s a privilege to have Walter on the show.

This is a conversation I’ll be revisiting often as we explore some of the most pressing topics of our time as we transition from the Information Age to the Imagination Age. I hope you enjoy it and find as much inspiration from Walter as I have.

Check out Episode 71 today!

Scroll on to discover:

• 🥸 Featured Blog Post: How to Spot Deepfakes and Disinformation in the Final Days Before the 2024 Election

• 📆 Calendar of Events: A.I. Conferences & Events Radar

• 🤯 A.I. + Creativity News Roundup

• 🎧 More on Episode 71

• 👯‍♀️ Apply to Join the Clone Club

• 💎 Creativity Squared Premium Member Benefits

• 💝 Milestone Rewards

• ❤️‍🔥 Premium Members: Episode NFT

We’re just getting started, and if you enjoy our content, I’d really appreciate it if you could share, review, like, subscribe, leave a comment, and help spread the word about Creativity Squared in whatever way you’re willing to. Your support is greatly appreciated, and the whole team looks forward to growing with your help. Thank you!

Have a wonderful time celebrating Halloween and if you can vote in the US election, please consider this as encouragement to vote and vote early. You know my values and who I’m voting for. 😉 

Here's to exponential possibilities!

Helen

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

🙌 SUPPORT CREATIVITY SQUARED & ARTSWAVE

🎨 I want to live in a world where artists not only coexist with A.I., but thrive. And because it’s important to support artists, 10% of all revenue Creativity Squared generates goes to ArtsWave, a nationally recognized non-profit that supports over 150 arts organizations, projects, and independent artists. Consider becoming a Premium Member today!

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📆 A.I. CONFERENCE & EVENTS RADAR

NOVEMBER 5: CincyAI Meetup, Cincinnati (Co-Host)

NOVEMBER 12: WITCON 2024 (Speaker)

NOVEMBER 20: Columbus AI Summit by OhioX, Columbus

DECEMBER 3: CincyAI Meetup, Cincinnati (Co-Host)

DECEMBER 11-13: Responsible AI Summit, Virtual (Speaker)

Interested in having me speak at your event or host a workshop for your organization? Reach out!

Your A.I. + Creativity News Roundup

With all of the A.I. news flooding our feeds and screens, we’ve got you covered. News to check out includes:

How AI will be shaped by 2024's presidential election results Axios — A.I. regulation is at a fork in the road ahead of the U.S. Presidential election. If Vice President Harris wins, her administration is expected to continue the Biden administration's balanced approach to A.I., supporting chipmakers and implementing modest oversight without stringent regulations. On the other hand, a Trump victory could lead to a more unpredictable A.I. policy landscape, heavily influenced by Elon Musk, who has significant interests in A.I. and federal contracts. Congressional elections will also play a crucial role in shaping A.I. legislation. Regardless of the election results, states and courts will remain pivotal in defining A.I.'s future.

Animal consciousness researchers urge planning for welfare of sentient AI The Hill - Researchers in animal consciousness argue that as A.I. technology advances, developers must consider the welfare of potentially sentient A.I. systems. Advocates say sentient A.I. should be receive the same moral considerations as aniumals, emphasizing that humans often misjudge sentience based on appearance and behavior. They warn that A.I. systems could be designed to mimic human-like characteristics and call for proactive measures to address these issues before they become significant problems.

AGBO Hires AI Expert to Develop Tech for Film and TV Shows The Hollywood Reporter — AGBO, the production company led by Joe and Anthony Russo, has hired Dr. Dominic Hughes as its chief scientific officer to integrate A.I. into its creative processes. Hughes, an A.I. and machine learning expert with a background at Apple, will collaborate with AGBO's storytelling and innovation teams to develop A.I. technologies that enhance creativity. This move comes as the entertainment industry increasingly adopts advanced generative A.I. technologies. AGBO aims to ensure that these technologies are developed by and for the creative community, empowering artists to tell more ambitious stories.

'Curse of Frankenstein' Star Peter Cushing Reanimated via AI for Documentary Decrypt — The documentary "Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters," airing on Sky Arts, features a special homage to actor Peter Cushing, using A.I. to recreate his likeness. The A.I. revival, produced by Deep Fusion Films, combines audio clips from Cushing's performance in "Curse of Frankenstein" with stills of the actor. With permission from Cushing's estate, the project aims to honor his legacy while exploring the relationship between A.I. and human performances. This isn't the first time Cushing's likeness has been revived; a similar technique was used in the 2016 film "Rogue One."

Meta is working with US government to use Llama AI The Verge — Meta is actively working with the U.S. government to integrate its A.I. model, Llama, into various public sector applications. Mark Zuckerberg highlighted partnerships with the State Department to address challenges like access to safe water and reliable electricity, and with the Department of Education to simplify the financial aid process. Despite no contracts announced yet, Meta's push comes amid political tensions and competition with other A.I. companies like OpenAI and Anthropic. Zuckerberg also teased the upcoming Llama 4, promising significant improvements and continued investment in A.I., even as Meta reported strong financial growth with $40.5 billion in Q3 revenue.

Megan Thee Stallion Files Suit Against Influencer Over Deepfake Harassment Decrypt — Megan Thee Stallion is taking an alleged stalker to court, claiming that the stalker spread deepfake porn of the rapper online. Megan’s suit against Milagro Gramz seeks monetary damages from Gramz, as well as a court order to end the alleged harassment. Megan claims that her ex boyfriend, Torey Lanez is behind the provocations, highlighting how A.I.-generated sexual deepfakes are becoming a potent tool of misogyny in digital spaces. 

AI-generated political memes get 2.4M interactions in recent months, study finds Axios — According to a new study, A.I.-generated political memes on Facebook are going viral online. Generally feature fake personas endorsing political views, the memes have been used to spread disinformation ahead of the U.S. presidential election. The Center for Countering Digital Hate's report highlights the challenges in identifying and reporting A.I.-generated content, as well as Meta's evolving policies on labeling such content. Despite efforts to label A.I.-generated posts, many remain undetected, raising concerns about the impact of A.I.-driven disinformation on democracy.

EXCLUSIVE: OpenOrigins, a blockchain software to combat deep fakes, expands globally with $4.5 million from Galaxy Fortune — Investors are getting involved in the fight against deepfakes. A London-based startup that uses blockchain technology to detect A.I.-generated image fraud. recently raised $4.5 million in seed funding. OpenOrigins' software can be installed on cameras or smartphones to confirm that photos and videos are human-made, and it can also validate historical content. This technology is particularly useful for newsrooms, but it has broader applications, including fraud prevention in insurance and verifying dating app profiles. The company is expanding globally, starting with India and the United States, and aims to secure digital archives before A.I.-generated content becomes indistinguishable from real media.

Listen: Ep.71 The Power of New Art Genres: In the Age of A.I. and Digital Economies, Dr. Walter D. Greason, the Preeminent Historian on Afrofuturism, Expands Our Imagination on What’s Possible 

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“Afrofuturism pushes us towards a freer world where… we're not just the money that we make and the status we achieve, where we're fed by our relationships with each other.” - Dr. Walter D. Greason

Join us for the latest episode of Creativity Squared, featuring Dr. Walter Greason, the distinguished DeWitt Wallace Professor in the Department of History at Macalester College. 

Today’s conversation spans a wide array of topics, from the mythological power of comics to Walter’s perspective on the current state of democracy and the world as we transition to digital capitalism, opening up new avenues for economic freedom. Walter also shares what co-powering is, along with a snapshot of the current media landscape in the age of genAI, the convergence of mediums, and the counter-convergence backlash we’re seeing globally. With expertise in Black Speculative Arts, the racial wealth gap, and patterns of economic globalization, Walter shares new frameworks to help us re-imagine the future as well as our relationships with time and each other.

In a world that can be overwhelming, listen in as Walter provides answers and shows what’s possible when we break free of current narratives and give ourselves the time, love, and permission to dream about what’s possible — enjoy!

Check out Episode 71 today!

Digitally Clone Yourself!
The Avatar Experience Cincinnati

👯‍♀️ Ready to be digitally cloned? Get your own custom synthetic avatar! Creativity Squared is collaborating with our partner and sponsor, Render, to bring The Avatar Experience to Cincinnati, OH, on October 25 and 26 at ADC Fine Art Gallery (1013 York St. Cincinnati, OH 45214). Digitally clone yourself to unlock streamlined and dynamic video content — Book your cloning appointment today!

There are less than a thousand known hyper-realistic custom synthetic avatars in existence, so participants will be at the forefront of this groundbreaking A.I. technology. Custom synthetic avatars are part of a massive and growing digital avatar market and is projected to be $270B by 2030.

Custom synthetic avatars can be used for creating:

• Dynamic online course instruction

• Streamlined SEO video production of blog or audio-only content

• Turnkey social media and email marketing video content

• Engaging customer service messaging

• And more!

👯‍♀️ In case you missed the announcement, I’ve digitally cloned myself! Learn all about mine in episode E14. Not Deepfaked! I Cloned Myself. You’ll meet Helen 2.ODD, my digital double, and discover why and how I made my A.I.-created custom synthetic avatar.

Thank You to Render

Creativity Squared is supported by Render which provides Digital Likeness solutions for personal brand businesses, thought leaders, influencers, and business leaders who want to leverage their synthetic, A.I.-powered Likeness to communicate more effectively online and create audio and video content from anywhere without going on camera. Learn more by visiting: https://rendermedia.ai.

Interested in partnering with Creativity Squared? Reach out!

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