In partnership with

Creativity Squared: On A.I. and Critical Thinking

Dear Creativity Squared Collective —

Happy New Year! Hope the holidays treated you well and that your 2026 is off to a fantastic start!

I’ve seen a lot of great A.I. trend predictions for this year, including from my CincyAI Co-Founder and Co-Host Kendra Ramirez, the SXSW-fave futurist Amy Webb, and from the MIT Technology Review.

Instead of an A.I. trend list, today’s intention is to plant a seed of encouragement for the year ahead: embrace the process of learning and growth.

I have a confession: I’m horrible with directions, and sometimes I’ll get lost even with the Google Maps blue line to follow. I’ve had friends joke that I’ll walk into a store and not remember which way I came in, and whichever direction I suggest we go, we should walk the opposite way as it’ll likely be the correct one! 🤣

Why do I mention Google Maps? It’s my second brain for navigating. I don’t memorize directions or routes because I rely on Google Maps to get everywhere.

This, however, has come at a cost to me: without Google Maps, I’m pretty worthless when it comes to directions and navigating where I need to go.

When I think about A.I. and where we’re at now, it’s important that we don’t do the same thing with our thinking that we did with navigation. We can’t over-rely on and outsource all our thinking to A.I. as it’ll come at a cost — our critical thinking skills will erode.

A study out of MIT’s Media Lab has already shown that participants who crutch on A.I. can’t explain “their” work and have worse recall of what it included!  

When I use Google Maps, I more often than not copy and paste the address and just follow its directions. This begs the question: Who wants to become just an A.I. copy-paster? This is a sure way to be replaceable by an A.I. agent — or by someone who not only knows A.I., but also brings strategic thinking, creativity, imagination, judgment, and intuition to the table.

Back in college, I’ll never forget when a professor said that America is like a drive-through fast food window — convenience above all else. When it comes to getting answers and doing work, A.I. makes it very convenient.

Here’s the catch, though: learning and growth don’t come from convenience — they come from friction and struggle.

Following a blue line on a map doesn’t improve my navigation or directional skills; it simply gets me from point A to point B. Fast food is convenient but not healthy. And A.I. that does all our cognitive tasks for us? Convenient, but ultimately not good for protecting our critical thinking over time.

As we enter 2026, my encouragement to this community is not to treat A.I. like Google Maps. Embrace the process of learning and growing, which may not be as convenient as asking A.I. every time you feel the urge to, but keeps your intuition, judgment, and confidence sharp — and you irreplaceable.

I’ve been doing an internal gut check before I use A.I., asking myself: Is this what I should be doing, or is it just what’s most convenient? If it’s the latter, I try to figure out the answer or work without A.I. first and use discernment when it’s enhancing my thinking versus when I’m crutching on it.

For example, when it comes to writing copy, I’ll always do the first draft and then will use A.I. to help strengthen what I’ve written. I know that in some cases it’d be easier to have A.I. just write it for me out of the gate; however, this is when I take a beat and ask if this is the best course of action. Unless it's very inconsequential copy needed quickly, I make myself do the thinking first. Intuitively, I know when I'm "cheating" — and in the long run, know I'm ultimately cheating myself.

I don't want my thinking to erode like my navigation skills have — worthless without technology!

So, here’s to nurturing our intuition, imagination, and judgment through the process of learning and growth for 2026 and the years to come.

In other news:

• Really excited to be launching a new digital community for CincyAI — if you’re in the area, consider joining today!

• I’m working on an Imagination Age workshop with the fab Paqui Lizana, a strategist at IKEA, founder of Brilliant Failures AI Studio, and creator of the ALL IN Futures framework for human-A.I. collaboration. When intelligence becomes ubiquitous, unlocking creativity and imagination becomes invaluable. Stay tuned for more details!

• I’m looking for podcast sponsors to launch season 3 this year and available as a speaker for your next event. Of course, you can also pre-order my forthcoming book on the Imagination Age today!

Until next week, here’s to playing in the playground of possibility to manifest more magic in 2026! 🪄✨

-Helen

Helen Todd (she/her)
Human behind Creativity Squared
linkedin / twitter / pinterest / Instagram / threads
CreativitySquared.com
youtube / instagram / facebook / tiktok
How creatives are collaborating with A.I.

See every move your competitors make.

Get unlimited access to the world’s top-performing Facebook ads — and the data behind them. Gethookd gives you a library of 38+ million winning ads so you can reverse-engineer what’s working right now. Instantly see your competitors’ best creatives, hooks, and offers in one place.

Spend less time guessing and more time scaling.

Start your 14-day free trial and start creating ads that actually convert.

Explore the ad library

💝 PRE-ORDER YOUR BOOK

Become a Creativity Squared and #ImaginationAge supporter today! Pre-order my forthcoming book as a crowd-funded advance, enabling me to bring it to life. The book is based on my SXSW presentation of the same name, “Farewell, Information Age — Welcome to the Imagination Age.” Your financial support enables the movement and this independent female voice to champion it — thank you to everyone who’s already ordered a copy!

💝 SUPPORT CREATIVITY SQUARED & ARTSWAVE

How can you support this show? I’m so glad you asked! ☺️

Here are a few ways you can contribute to this independent female voice’s platform who’s championing Responsible A.I. and a human-centered future where it’s Dolly Parton and Holly Herndon — protectors of dreams and generative in their generosity and work — ushering in the #ImaginationAge (not AI ushering in the Intelligence Age, where humans are erased, starting with the framing…but I digress!).

Please consider supporting Creativity Squared in whatever way you can and would like to:

✅ Subscribe to the Creativity Squared YouTube channel (one day in the near future, I’ll be making money from this channel!)

🎨 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 or making a one-time tip!

🦋 I'm SUPER excited to share that my SXSW presentation, Farewell, Information Age — Welcome to the Imagination Age, is becoming a book! 📗 The conversations on my podcast Creativity Squared have informed many of the concepts. Pre-order your copy today as a crowd-funded advance to support an independent female voice. Your support will enable me to bring this idea to life — and is greatly appreciated! 🥰💛

🎉 And as a reminder, when you support this show, you’re also supporting ArtsWave! 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. For the third year in a row, we’re proud to partner with ArtsWave to also amplify the phenomenal artists selected for their 2025 Black and Brown Artist Program, elevating underrepresented voices and bridging cultural divides through art. You can get caught up on previous years’ ArtsWave interview series here!

🚀 Interested in becoming a sponsor of Creativity Squared? Reach out!

👍 AFFILIATE RECOMMENDATIONS 

💝 Using these links also supports Creativity Squared, and we only recommend what we actually back!

🐝 We use Beehiiv for this newsletter and are big fans! (If you’re not aware of Substack’s racist issues, this NYT article is for you.)

🎙 Riverside is the platform we use for recording podcast episodes, and recommend the web-based software!

🎶 Play Audio Agency, headquartered in Cincinnati, is home to the team that helps produce the show and are audio rock stars!

🖥 Need a new website or the slightest of help on your current site? Check out e9 Digital — they created, and help us host and manage Creativity Squared’s website! They know how to make accessible websites which I love. Mention Creativity Squared for 20% off too!

📆 EVENTS, A.I. CONFERENCES & MORE! 

🎤 SEPTEMBER 16 VARTECH, Bahamas
🎤 SEPTEMBER 29 BOND — Arc Interiors, Orlando
📍 SEPTEMBER 24-26 TEDAI Vienna, Vienna, Austria
📍 SEPTEMBER 26 OhioX Ohio Tech Day (OhioX, #OhioX), Columbus

For the full calendar, check it out here!

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

🗞 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

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

“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! 💝🪄✨

Become a Premium Member to Unlock Exclusive Content and Claim Your NFT

Become a Premium Member to unlock exclusive content and to claim your NFTs of episode cover art!

At $10 per month or discounted to $100 for annual memberships, Premium Members enjoy other benefits too:

• $1 per month (or $10 per year) to ArtsWave

• Premium Member NFT

• First-Dibs at Event Invites

• Access to Monthly Exclusive Content (e.g. Helen’s Monthly Must-Know Video Report on the hottest A.I. news)

• Discounts from Creativity Squared Partners

• Thank You by Name in the Creativity Squared Newsletter

There is also a VIP Founding Member tier for those who want lifetime first dibs and access to Creativity Squared content, events, and whatever we dream up!

Because it’s important to support artists, 10% of all revenue Creativity Squared generates will go to ArtsWave, a nationally recognized non-profit that supports over 100 arts organizations.

Subscribe to Premium to read the rest.