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Creativity Squared: On A.I. and What We're Optimizing For

Dear Creativity Squared Collective —

Happy New Year of the Horse! Hope this finds you well wherever you’re reading this in the world!

Lots going on, so here’s what I’ve got for ya this week — 

Here are some thoughts on the latest news, too — 

🚩 Sam Altman’s Dangerous Framing

Sam Altman recently argued that when comparing energy costs, an already-trained A.I. model answering a question may have reached parity with — or surpassed — a human doing the same.

This framing is worth examining.

When we start evaluating intelligence primarily through energy efficiency, we risk centering optimization as the highest value. If taken as a guiding principle for policy or resource allocation, that kind of thinking can lead to prioritizing machines over people — and reducing humans to “energy-expensive labor units.”

That’s a slippery slope toward a dystopian Intelligence Age.

I’m pro a human- and community-centered future. The value of a human being cannot and should not be measured in kilowatt-hours.

The real question isn’t whether A.I. can answer a query more efficiently. The question is what kind of future we’re optimizing for.

I want to live in a future that centers human agency, creativity, and dignity — not one where efficiency metrics quietly redefine our worth.

What do you think? Comment on my LinkedIn post or DM me! 

⚠️ Sam Altman’s “Access = Agency” Misguided Ad Logic

In a tweet earlier this month, Sam Altman stated that "access creates agency" — but Meta's 'access through ads' created the opposite.

Meta exploits the vulnerable, discriminates against protected classes, and enables industrial-scale fraud.

Meta's track record is the blueprint:

🚩 $16B earned from scam ads in 2024 (10% of revenue)
🚩 15 billion scam ads served daily to users
🚩 Meta involved in 1/3 of all successful scams in the U.S.
🚩 DOJ lawsuit for algorithmic discrimination in housing, employment, credit ads
🚩 Targeting depressed teenagers with ads when they felt "worthless" or "like a failure"

Access without capability is just exposure.

Giving someone a violin doesn't make them a musician.

Access creates potential for agency, but requires education, support, and context.

Otherwise, it creates new forms of helplessness and dependency. Sound familiar?!

Now imagine Meta's ad system powered by the most capable A.I. ever created.

An A.I. that can generate personalized scam content in real-time, create deepfake endorsements on demand, and adapt messaging based on user vulnerability — at superhuman scale.

It's a crisis of imagination to assume there's no business model between expensive subscriptions and surveillance capitalism 2.0.

The question isn't whether we can afford to make A.I. accessible without ads.

The question is whether we can afford NOT to learn from Meta's mistakes before replicating them with exponentially more powerful technology.

We're sitting on so much DATA from the Information Age, but where's the WISDOM?

What are your thoughts? Comment on my LinkedIn post or DM me!

💡 Radical Idea for the Future of Facebook

While Zuck is on trial, I’m just going to drop this hot take: My vote is for him to hand over Facebook as a public utility as the first-ever World-Benefit Organization overseen by an independent, democratically voted global body.

I’d love to see it evolve from a Meta money-making exploitation machine into a platform truly centered on human well-being and connection, one that actually fulfills its mission to bring the world closer together.

Facebook could be rebranded to:

FacesOfEarth.com — the digital home designed for humans that’s the safest and most fun place to gather virtually together…one where Zuck even lets his own kids play in.

What do you think? What are your hot takes? Share on my LinkedIn post or DM me! 

———

Thanks for taking the time to read this newsletter 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
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How creatives are collaborating with A.I.

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💝 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! 

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

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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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