Creativity Squared: On A.I. and World-Building

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Dear Creativity Squared Member,

Hello from snowy Cincinnati today! I just got back from the first-ever Ohio AI Summit that took place yesterday. While I was there, I about jumped out of my seat when I received the email that my presentation "Farewell, Information Age — Welcome to the Imagination Age" was selected to be part of SXSW 2025!!! 🎉 

I just signed the acceptance paperwork this morning, so it’s not live on the site yet, but I’ll share the link once it is. For those in the Cincinnati area, Creativity Squared is partnering with the University of Cincinnati's 1819 Innovation Hub for a special salon-style viewing of it on Monday, December 9, from 4-6pm — hope you can join! 

Not only that, but I have more exciting news to share with you: I’ll be heading to Miami for Art Basel to do a live podcast recording with TIME100 AI 2024 honoree Willonius Hatcher (aka King Willonius)! He’s an award-winning filmmaker, A.I. storyteller, author, and comedian — and the creator of the viral sensation "BBL Drizzy." This will be part of the FilmGate Interactive Festival XI, one of the top ten immersive festivals in the world. Snag your ticket now — would love to connect in Miami!

Today's Creativity Squared guest first went viral on YouTube in 2007, and later made history in 2017 by releasing the world's first A.I.-composed pop album! Episode 74 features Taryn Southern, a creative technologist, pioneering artist, strategist, and speaker whose work explores the intersection of emerging technology and human potential. 

Taryn’s accolades include directing and producing a Tribeca award-winning documentary on the future of A.I. and the human brain in 2019, followed by creating an award-winning Google VR series. In 2020, she became one of the earliest content creators to create an A.I.-avatar of herself. 

Since 2021, Taryn has served as Chief Storyteller at a leading implantable neurotechnology company, where she launched the world’s first Brain Computer Interface museum and oversaw a communications strategy for two successful funding rounds totaling over $230M+. She is passionate about helping people use A.I. and emerging tech to amplify creativity and wellbeing.

Today's conversation explores the evolution of A.I.-assisted creativity, from Taryn's groundbreaking A.I.-composed album to her current meditative album in development that celebrates the human experience. We dive into her work deconstructing storytelling taxonomy and building custom A.I. tools, while examining how world-building, immersive experiences, and storytelling are transforming through emerging technologies. 

What are Taryn’s predictions about the future and why will she be one of the first in line for a humanoid robot? Listen in to find out — enjoy!

Check out Episode 74 today!

Scroll on to discover:

• 🎞 Featured Blog Post: Now Is the Time To Uplift Art That Imagines New Futures

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

• 🤯 A.I. + Creativity News Roundup

• 🎧 More on Episode 74

• 👯‍♀️ 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!

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.

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🎨 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

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

DECEMBER 5: Art Basel's FilmGate Interactive Festival XI, Miami (Live Podcast Recording)

DECEMBER 9: Farewell, Information Age — Welcome to the Imagination Age, Cincinnati (Speaker) 

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

MARCH 2025 TBD: SXSW, Austin (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:

A.I. Scaling Laws Face Diminishing Returns TechCrunch — A.I. researchers are discovering that simply building bigger models is hitting a wall, forcing labs to rethink their strategies. While scaling laws once promised breakthroughs, recent data shows diminishing returns. Experts suggest focusing on smarter architectures rather than sheer size to sustain progress.

The Growing Problem of A.I. Deepfakes on Instagram Wired — Social media is grappling with a surge of A.I.-generated influencers based on stolen images, sparking outrage from real creators whose likenesses are being exploited. These deepfakes are becoming more sophisticated and harder to detect, raising questions about consent and ethics. Platforms are under pressure to crack down on this issue before it undermines trust in digital spaces.

Mistral's Free A.I. Chatbot Rivals GPT Decrypt — A new chatbot from Mistral is generating buzz for offering GPT-level performance at no cost, challenging the dominance of paid models. Users appreciate its flexibility and transparency, but some worry about how the lack of barriers might enable misuse. Mistral says it's focused on democratizing A.I. access while monitoring its societal impact.

OpenAI Expands ChatGPT Voice Mode to the Web TechCrunch — OpenAI is rolling out an advanced voice feature for ChatGPT’s web users, allowing more natural and engaging conversations. Early adopters are impressed by its fluid responses, but critics note concerns about privacy in voice data collection. OpenAI emphasizes its commitment to secure and ethical use of this new capability.

Google's Gemini Chatbot Gets Memory Upgrade The Verge — Google's Gemini chatbot now remembers past conversations, a step toward more personalized interactions. Users find the feature helpful, though some worry about the implications for privacy and data security. Google says its updates aim to make A.I. more intuitive while safeguarding user information.

AI in the Confessional: A New Spiritual Experiment TechCrunch — A chapel in Lucerne, Switzerland, is experimenting with A.I. in the confessional booth, named "A.I. Jesus," that offers machine-generated spiritual advice on a 24/7 basis. Reactions to the Holy A.I. have been mixed, though, with some finding its advice helpful while others see it as a gimmick. Despite the innovation, the chapel's theologian insists that human priests remain indispensable, emphasizing that A.I. cannot replace the personal touch and nuanced judgment of human spiritual guidance.

A.I. Landlord Tool Sparks Discrimination Settlement The Verge — A property management A.I. system, SafeRent, faced legal challenges for allegedly discriminating against low-income renters. After a settlement, SafeRent promised updates to avoid bias, but critics question the fairness of A.I. in housing decisions. Advocates say stricter oversight is crucial as A.I. enters sensitive sectors.

Fluffy Robot Pet Sparks Emotional Week Online The Guardian — Moflin, an A.I.-powered fluffy robot pet, went viral after a video showed its owner forming a deep emotional bond with it. Critics say the interactions highlight how A.I. can mimic companionship, while others worry about the ethical implications of emotionally manipulative tech. Still, fans adore Moflin’s uncanny cuteness.

Ben Affleck Warns Visual Effects Industry Faces Major AI Disruption The Decoder — Ben Affleck is concerned about A.I.'s impact on the visual effects (VFX) industry, predicting that A.I. will make high-cost VFX work far more affordable. While he remains confident that A.I. won’t replace creative filmmaking, he warns that VFX professionals face major challenges. A.I. will streamline tasks, cutting production costs and transforming the industry. Still, Affleck said that A.I. lacks the true artistic judgment required for directing performances, suggesting it won’t replace human creativity anytime soon

Listen: Ep.74 A.I. & Creators of the Future: Explore How GenAI is Transforming World-Building, Immersive Experiences, and Storytelling with OG A.I. Artist Taryn Southern

Apple | Spotify | YouTube | Pandora | Amazon | Google | SoundCloud | iHeart Radio

"Seeing this other intelligent form, regardless of how you want to relate to it, and whether or not you believe it ever has a possibility of being conscious, just seeing the intelligence come out of it certainly makes me feel less special as a human, and I'm so okay with that." — Taryn Southern

This week for Episode 74, we sit down with a creative technologist, pioneering artist, strategist, and speaker whose work explores the intersection of emerging technology and human potential, Taryn Southern.

As an early content creator, Taryn uploaded her first video to YouTube in 2007 — and it went viral. Ten years and 750 million views later, Taryn has produced more than 1,500 pieces of digital content for networks like Conde Naste, The Today Show, MTV, Snapchat, and Maker Studios. She’s written for Business Insider and TechCrunch, and served as a host for Discovery Channel’s #1 late night show. A three-time Streamy Awards nominee, her work has been featured in Billboard, Fast Company, Wired, Vanity Fair, Harvard Business Review, and more.

Fast-forward to 2017, Taryn released the world’s first A.I.-composed pop album, then in 2019, directed and produced a Tribeca award-winning documentary on the future of A.I. and the human brain, followed by creating an award-winning Google VR series. In 2020, she became one of the earliest content creators to create an A.I.-avatar of herself. 

Since 2021, Taryn has served as Chief Storyteller at a leading implantable neurotechnology company, where she launched the world’s first Brain Computer Interface museum and oversaw a communications strategy for two successful funding rounds totaling over $230M+. She is passionate about helping people use A.I. and emerging tech to amplify creativity and wellbeing. 

Taryn also shares her fascinating work with brain-computer interfaces and her vision for how technology might reshape our physical and digital worlds. From questioning our relationship with productivity to contemplating a future with more "spaciousness," this episode offers fresh perspectives that challenge conventional thinking.

What are Taryn’s predictions about the future and why will she be one of the first in line for a humanoid robot? Listen in to find out — enjoy!

Check out Episode 74 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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