Culture & Code

Adrienne Lahens has spent 15 years building the systems that connect creators, brands, and technology — from BuzzFeed's native advertising era, through scaling TikTok's creator marketplace across 24 markets, to launching TikTok Symphony and founding Infinite Studios, an AI-native content platform. In this conversation, Adrienne unpacks why "creative is the new targeting," how brands are misapplying AI by chasing tools instead of building systems, and what she means by a creative storytelling infrastructure powered by AI. Plus: the three human skills she believes will be most valuable over the next decade.

Tyler Hochman, CEO of Fore Enterprise and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, discusses how companies move beyond "motor swap" AI adoption to true transformation. Using examples from dubbing studios, sports analytics, and creative production, Tyler reveals what separates failed AI experiments from measurable ROI. Learn about the data cost problem, the emerging "prompt engineer" role, and why human-AI collaboration works best when we understand what AI actually does today vs. what we hope it will do tomorrow.

The AI creative economy is missing something critical: a shared unit of value like keyword search was for the internet. This episode explores why owning infrastructure won't guarantee profits, how creative value is shifting from packaged content to continuous performance, and what economic primitives will enable creators, brands, and platforms to negotiate sustainably. Drawing parallels from the dotcom era, the Roland 808, and sports fandom, we make the case that the future belongs to those who build cultural scenes, not just content.

What if future beings looked back at humanity like we study ancient civilizations? Artist Vanessa Rosa bridges desert ceramics and AI to create Little Martians—an interactive universe of organic seed-beings carrying Earth's knowledge to new worlds. We explore off-grid creativity at Mars College, the tension between handcraft and automation, and how AI democratizes world building for independent creators.

How do you unite a fragmented AI creative industry and bring it into the mainstream? Matty Shimura, Creator Competitions Lead at ElevenLabs and Partnerships, Strategy and Operations Lead at the Chroma Awards, shares his journey from filmmaker to competition organizer. We explore how large-scale creative competitions can bridge the gap between AI tool makers and artists. Learn about the judging process, building fan culture, and why "green lighting yourself" matters more than ever in the age of AI creativity.

Culture & Code speaks with Asa Bailey, founder of Bailey Creative Group and the architect behind the Digital Acquisition Verification Engine (DAVE). Specially designed for filmmakers bringing AI into their workflows, the DAVE system automatically tracks creative human inputs and AI inputs side by side, documenting provenance and providing an audit trail filmmakers need to turn creative ideas and performances into protected, monetizable IP. From live-action shoots to AI-generated scenes, Bailey shows how to use technology to lock in authorship and ownership in real time. We cover virtual production workflows, copyright life before and after Gen AI, plus the shift toward entertainment properties built as living, expandable worlds more than discrete titles or volumes. Essential listening for creators and technologists shaping the future of storytelling and intellectual property.

In August 2023, Culture & Code launched with a manifesto declaring AI as a new creative medium. Two years later, we examine what predictions came true and what surprised us. Drawing parallels between AI creativity and the underground music scenes that birthed hip-hop and electronic music, we explore why AI storytelling feels like punk rock—raw, accessible, hated by establishments, and unstoppable. We dive into the concept of "creative democracy," the hard truth that democratizing creation doesn't guarantee audiences, and why the real scarcity in AI media is taste, trust, and community. Plus insights on building creative scenes through the Seattle AI Film Festival and practical advice for creators and organizations navigating this technological shift.

How do you protect creative work when AI can perfectly replicate your artistic style? IP attorney Adam Philipp, founder of Aeon Law, reveals the legal blind spots emerging as AI reshapes creativity. This deep dive covers real cases like Anthropic's controversial book scanning, why Getty Images sued over AI-generated watermarks, and the Studio Ghibli avatar phenomenon that highlighted style protection gaps. Philipp introduces his concept of "derived style" as a new form of intellectual property and provides actionable advice for creators navigating this uncertain landscape. From copyright registration requirements for AI-assisted works to documentation best practices, this episode equips creators, entrepreneurs, and AI developers with frameworks for thinking about creative rights in 2025. Essential listening for anyone creating with—or competing against—AI tools.

Exploring the intersection of AI and creative storytelling with Jagger Waters of Escape.ai. From theater to AI filmmaking, we discuss how technology is democratizing creativity, the evolution of immersive experiences, and what the future holds for creators navigating between analog and digital worlds.

Dive deep into the world of professional creative AI with Griptape.ai CEO Kyle Roche and Creative Director Amaru Zeas Sigüenza. This episode explores the critical difference between consumer AI prompting and professional creative workflows that use 10-20+ models for artistic control. Learn about node-based workflow orchestration, IP security challenges, and how AI is democratizing creativity while creating new collaboration models. From managing evolving technology to onboarding traditional artists, discover the practical realities of scaling creative AI workflows from solo projects to studio pipelines. Whether you're a creator, technologist, or business leader, this conversation reveals the infrastructure behind tomorrow's creative industries.

A deep dive into the evolution of filmmaking technology and creative independence. From the Matrix trilogy's groundbreaking visual effects to today's AI-powered content creation, this episode traces how virtual cinematography, game engines, and generative AI are democratizing high-quality storytelling. Discover how creators are breaking free from traditional gatekeepers and what "Neo Cinema" means for the future of entertainment across all formats and platforms.

Emmy-nominated filmmaker Nik Kleverov discusses how AI tools are revolutionizing visual storytelling. From creating viral brand campaigns to developing feature films, Nik shares insights on working with major brands like Toys"R"Us and Virgin Voyages using cutting-edge AI technology. Learn about the creative process behind groundbreaking projects, the challenges of iteration and consistency, and practical advice for both newcomers and established professionals looking to integrate AI into their creative workflows.

Most creators see AI as a better tool—faster, cheaper, more efficient. But what if that's exactly backwards? This week's deep dive explores why the most successful AI creators won't be those who master the technology, but those who understand something far more elusive: their audience.

What if we've been thinking about AI all wrong? This episode challenges the prevailing mental models that frame Generative AI as merely a tool or assistant, proposing instead that AI functions more like a creative instrument—specifically, a drum machine. Drawing parallels to the Roland TR-808's journey from critical disappointment to cultural revolution, we explore how underground adoption of "imperfect" technology can reshape entire creative landscapes. From New York's block parties to Detroit's techno scene, the 808 didn't succeed by sounding like real drums—it created its own aesthetic identity. Similarly, today's AI creators are finding power in embracing artificial qualities rather than hiding them. We examine how this shift impacts creative judgment, audience participation, scene formation, and the fundamental nature of artistic authenticity in an age of algorithmic creativity.

In this episode of Culture and Code, we sit down with Colin Petrie-Norris, founder and CEO of Fairground Entertainment, a new AI-powered studio and streaming platform backed by $4 million in seed funding. Colin previously founded Xumo, one of the most successful platforms in the free ad-supported television (FAST) space before selling to Comcast in 2020. We explore the evolution from FAST TV to AI storytelling, examining how distribution strategies, advertising models, and creator empowerment translate to this new frontier. Colin discusses why 2024-2025 represents the optimal timing for AI entertainment, the importance of maintaining storytelling quality alongside visual innovation, and how Fairground plans to build a global creator community. From public domain characters like Dracula and Robin Hood to innovative advertising integration, discover what it takes to build sustainable ecosystems where AI-assisted creators can thrive professionally.

What happens when artificial intelligence and robotics make traditional work obsolete? This episode introduces the "Abundanism" framework - a comprehensive model for transitioning from scarcity-based civilization to post-scarcity society. Drawing lessons from evolutionary biology, economic history, and cutting-edge AI development, we explore how humanity can prepare for a world where basic needs are universally met. The conversation covers the psychological shift required to move from competition to collaboration, the role of Universal Basic Income in enabling creativity, and why the current AI arms race between major powers threatens our one opportunity to get this transition right. Special focus on how creative professionals and technologists can lead this transformation through storytelling and responsible development. A thought-provoking discussion about redefining human purpose, avoiding technological displacement chaos, and building institutions for shared flourishing rather than concentrated power.

Join us for a fascinating conversation from the Seattle AI Film Festival with Debra Aho Williamson of Sonata Insights and Adrienne Lahens, former TikTok executive. Discover how AI filmmakers are achieving Hollywood-quality production with tiny teams, why brands need to think "scale not replacement," and how we're entering the "Imagination Age" where creativity becomes democratized globally. Learn from real case studies, including why Coca-Cola's AI campaign failed and how African storytellers are breaking into cinema. Essential listening for marketers, creators, and anyone interested in AI's creative revolution.

Join us for a fascinating conversation with Lisa Russell, Emmy-winning filmmaker and founder of ArtsEnvoy.AI, who's revolutionizing how stories get told in our AI-powered world. Russell shares her journey from self-taught editor to pioneering AI filmmaker, including her collaboration with Nigerian artist AkayCentric on the climate advocacy music video "Moving On." We explore how AI tools are democratizing creativity across the Global South, breaking down barriers that have historically limited access to professional filmmaking. Russell discusses her work bringing artists into UN policy spaces, building training platforms across Africa, and her vision for AI that's trained on emotional stories and cultural narratives—not just technical data. This episode reveals how creative technology is becoming the great equalizer for marginalized voices worldwide.

What happens when Oscar-winning visual effects meet cutting-edge AI? Dive into the Creative Control Hackathon where filmmakers are wrestling control back from AI black boxes. Discover how the next generation of media production tools are being built to serve directors, not replace them. From camera movements that actually make sense to characters that stay consistent across scenes, explore the technical challenges that will determine whether AI becomes Hollywood's greatest tool or its biggest creative obstacle.

Our latest episode features a fascinating conversation with a 37-year industry veteran Renard Jenkins,who's been at the forefront of Hollywood's technological evolution. From running post-production at major studios to founding a cutting-edge AI consultancy, this week's guest offers unique insights into how artificial intelligence is reshaping entertainment.

Discover how a musician who built million-dollar marketing businesses is now leveraging AI to revolutionize his creative work, opening doors for him to explore graphic design, space travel and theater. John Oszajca shares how he evolved from promoting shows by phone to mastering digital marketing—and now AI. Learn practical strategies for building audiences, the mindset shifts needed for AI adoption, and why the fundamentals of marketing remain unchanged even as the tools evolve. Whether you're a musician, creative entrepreneur, or curious about AI's creative potential, this conversation offers actionable insights on thriving in the intersection of art and technology.

Explore the intersection of AI and filmmaking with Aaron Sanchez, Executive Director of the Austin AI Film Festival. This episode delves into how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing storytelling by dramatically reducing production costs while creating new opportunities for independent filmmakers. Discover how AI tools are democratizing creative expression and learn about Austin's unique position at the crossroads of technology and art. Perfect for filmmakers, technologists, and anyone curious about the future of digital storytelling.

Discover why AI's hunger for training data could revolutionize content creation economics. A fresh perspective on the intersection of artificial intelligence and creative rights, that looks at one of the unique aspects of the current situation: The machines are now part of your audience.

Explore the growing challenges facing AI companies as they struggle to find enough quality data to train their models. From copyright battles to questioning whether bigger datasets equal better performance, this episode reveals why the future of AI might depend on solving the training data crisis.

Explore the intersection of creativity and technology in Hollywood as a veteran industry executive breaks down how streaming economics are reshaping entertainment's future. Learn why AI isn't the disruptor everyone thinks it is, and discover how new technologies are democratizing storytelling while preserving human creativity.

Step into the future of filmmaking with this in-depth look at the groundbreaking AI Film Three Festival as we talk with founder PJ Way. From independent creators using cutting-edge AI tools to institutional partnerships and community building, this episode explores how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing storytelling. Discover how a first-of-its-kind festival in Arizona is helping to shape the future of cinema and creating new opportunities for creators worldwide.

Join us for out conversation with Todd Terrazas, a man on the inside track of how Los Angeles is leading the AI creative revolution. From film competitions to groundbreaking hackathons, explore how technology is transforming entertainment, what it means for creative professionals, and where the industry is headed in 2025 and beyond.

How is artificial intelligence reshaping B2B lead generation? Join us for an in-depth conversation with Shira Simmonds of Smart Reach AI, for an exploration of modern email marketing, where data science meets sales strategy. Learn how companies are leveraging AI to create hyper-personalized communications at scale, understand the power of intent-based targeting, and discover why traditional metrics may be misleading. Whether you're a marketing professional, sales leader, or business owner, this episode reveals practical insights about the intersection of AI technology and B2B growth strategies, while offering a glimpse into the future of business communication.

We sit down with Ramsay Wharton of the Arizona Commerce Authority’s Film & Digital Media Program to talk about what happens when traditional film production meets artificial intelligence? In this episode, we explore how state film commissions are reimagining their role in the digital age. From innovative tax incentives to the emergence of game development hubs, discover how regions are building robust creative economies. Get an insider's look at how film offices are adapting to support both Hollywood productions and small, tech-enabled creative teams. Whether you're a filmmaker, digital creator, or industry professional, this episode offers valuable insights into the future of content production.

Discover how AI and VR are merging to create revolutionary experiences in education, creativity, and daily life. This episode explores the future of immersive technology, from innovative applications to practical challenges, offering insights for both creators and technology enthusiasts.

Discover why creative professionals are at the forefront of AI development. In this first episode of our groundbreaking series, explore how storytelling shapes AGI and why the fusion of creative and technical skills will define the future of digital media. Essential listening for creators, developers, and innovation leaders.

Explore how AI-powered misinformation is transforming global politics in 2024. From celebrity deepfakes to election manipulation, discover the tools and tactics behind digital deception. We examine real-world cases, reveal the psychology of belief, and provide practical strategies to combat false information. Learn why traditional fact-checking isn't enough and how societies can maintain truth in an era of artificial intelligence. Essential listening for anyone concerned about democracy in the digital age

This show features a conversation with Noelle Russell, a multi-award winning technologist and the founder and Chief AI Officer at the AI Leadership Institute. With a career that spans leading roles in tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, Accenture and IBM, to name a few, Noelle has been at the forefront of A.I. innovation. She's built over 100 conversational A.I. applications that have millions of users and has worked on customer projects worth billions of dollars. Noelle and I will focus on the intersection of innovation and ethics for generative A.I. as it applies to creative marketing and media professionals. We're in this moment when I can craft amazing stories and accelerate creative design at blistering speed. And yet the world is simultaneously more vulnerable to deepfakes, misinformation, bias and the death of privacy. And so balancing innovation and ethics isn't some esoteric academic subject.

Virtual Humans: The Impact of Advanced Intelligence and Technology The integration of advanced intelligence and technology into retail and consumer-facing experiences is revolutionizing the way we shop, interact with brands and their online support, and make purchasing decisions. As virtual humans and AI-powered systems become more sophisticated, they're transforming customer service, product recommendations, and even in-store navigation. This panel will explore the current state of the art in virtual human technology and its impact on the retail and complex online interaction, as well as examine future trends and challenges in this rapidly evolving field.

This show is a conversation with Natalie Monbiot was head of Strategy for Hour One, an AI avatar and synthetic video company based in Israel. Natalie focuses on synthetic media and the virtual human economy, in which real people create and profit from their digital selves. Natalie and I are going to explore the virtual human economy through the examples of AI twins made for business leaders like Reid Hoffman and Jensen Huang. We'll touch on how AI twins are poised to transform life, work, and play as people not only offload tasks onto them, but expand their possibilities with them. We'll drill into what the virtual human economy could mean for content creators, and where listeners can learn more about this burgeoning field.

This show is a conversation with Jose Aragon, an international fashion photographer and AI artist based in Madrid, Spain. As his work has appeared in magazines like Elle, Vogue Italia, Vogue UK and Vogue Japan, and was most recently featured in Synthetix, Brazil's leading journal for art and artificial intelligence. Jose and I collaborated on a generative AI story project called the Naruto Whirlpools, which will make his public debut later in 2024. We'll draw a lot of this conversation from that experience, talking about how two people from different creative disciplines work together in the context of generative AI. We're coming together with different skills and mentalities, but with the common thread of using AI to do things we couldn't do before.

This show features Helen Todd, who focuses on AI and creativity. She's not just talking about the future. Helen Tod is building it via her podcast, newsletter and YouTube channel called Creativity Squared. In this show, Helen and I will explore why the nexus of creativity and AI is such a critical area to cover from both a professional and a social point of view. We'll drill into what people mean when they discuss creative uses of AI, including digital cloning, storytelling and the next iteration of the metaverse. So you put all that together, and you've got a spicy cocktail for talking about the future of creative work in an AI environment.

This shows a conversation with Kate Baucherel, who is a speaker, author and consultant specializing in blockchain, crypto and emerging technologies. Kate has spoken at events across the world and online as a keynote, a panelist, a mentor and chair, and regularly appears on BBC radio and TV as a blockchain expert to provide straightforward commentary on news stories. Kate lectures at Teesside University in both the International Business School and the School of Computing, Engineering and Digital Technologies.

This is a conversation with Guy Gadney, of charisma AI, a company that enables rapid creation of story driven experiences with digital avatars for web, mobile and VR platforms. Charisma AI has collaborated with Hollywood studios, global brands and universities, delivering award winning campaigns and educational content built on their ethical AI technology stack. We'll dive into creativity and technology, the cutting edge work at charisma AI, and his views for the future of storytelling powered by AI.

This is a conversation with Oskar Serrander, a co-founder of Wondercraft.AI, an AI powered creative platform dedicated to audio. Wondercraft launched in 2024 to democratize audio Oskar and I will explore the intersection of AI and audio through the lens of Wondercraft. We'll focus on the obstacles and opportunities that inspired his launch, and how AI helped make that dream become a reality. Then we'll move to the bigger picture, which is how AI audio will impact podcasting and other media sectors going forward. We'll wrap up by covering things that audio creators and publishers can do today to help thrive in that new environment.

This is a conversation with Ian Beecraft, who is the CEO of Signal and Cipher, an innovation and design agency helping companies navigate the impact of AI to drive the future of work. Previously responsible for innovation departments at some of the largest ad agencies in the world, Ian has advised brands including Samsung, Intel, Coca-Cola and dozens more about the impact of emerging technologies on their business. Ian is a classically trained musician, a strategist and keynote speaker, and was the first person ever to host a news segment as a synthetic human, streaming to over 100 million devices around the world. At SXSW 2024 Ian gave a featured presentation called Billion-Dollar Teams The Future of the AI Powered Workforce. We'll explore some of the insights offered in that keynote, with special emphasis on AI's impact creative professionals.

This is a conversation with Alvin Wang Graylin, who has over 30 years experience driving innovation in the AI, XR and semiconductor industries. As China President of HTC between 2016 and 2023, Graylin elevated the company to a prominent global position in the virtual reality and augmented reality spaces. Currently, Alvin is global VP for Corporate Development, HTC, vice chair of the Industry of Virtual Reality Alliance and the president of the Virtual Reality Venture Capital Alliance. We're focusing on his new book co-written with Dr. Louis Rosenberg, “Our Next Reality: How the AI Powered Metaverse Will Reshape the World.” I asked him if he could apply its core learnings, storytellers, artists and others who create culture as part of their profession. What does the AI powered metaverse mean for creators? Where do they start and how do they thrive?

This show is a conversation with Rishad Tobaccowala, a genuine big thinker who helps organizations stay relevant and innovative during times of great change. His bestselling book, Restoring the Soul of Business: Staying Human in the Age of Data, ricocheted across c-suites and boardrooms with his message of how to be smart with data while staying true to human values. His newsletter, called The Future does Not Fit in the Containers of the Past, is read by over 30,000 global leaders each week. Rishad is also host of the What Next podcast, where he speaks with leaders across business, technology, academia and the arts on how to make sense of the change is transforming us all. In this show, Rashad and I will explore the impact of artificial intelligence on the creative industries as a leading indicator of what's in store for the rest of society. We'll use a three-part framework that we drew from one of his newsletters. Roots & Wings, Story & Spreadsheet, and Core & Edge Power to explore how individual creators and organizations can move beyond the hype surrounding AI, and focus on the real changes it brings.  

This show will examine what we learned in Austin for how storytelling mainstreams AI into daily life. We’ll use three broad themes drawn from our panel plus several interviews we conducted at this year’s festival: 1.) Why storytelling is foundational for human life, work and play. 2.) How Generative AI transforms storytelling and change our ideas about the storyteller. 3.) How human-driven, AI-powered storytelling can  help people reorient their future, and how you can to do today.  

This show is a conversation with Debra Aho Williamson, a research analyst and market influencer for the social media landscape at Insider Intelligence and eMarketer. Deborah played a pivotal role to shape the discourse around social media marketing, advertising and usage. Deborah and I will explore how AI is redefining the way marketing and advertising is conducted for social media. We'll focus on meta as the primary lens because of its size and influence on the industry, but AI's implications for social media marketing and advertising go well beyond a single company to include popular culture and government policy itself.

Evette Vargas, a Hollywood-based screenwriter and producer across multiple media formats talks about the writing process, the role of AI in Hollywood, and upcoming projects at her production company Indigo Reign Films.

Our interview with voice actress, and artist advocate Carin Gilfry digs into the three C’s of AI & Voice Acting: Consent, Control & Compensation in the Age of AI in Hollywood and beyond

This show is a conversation about AI and fashion. Culture & Code spoke with Carl-Axel Wahlström, a senior creative director and consultant for the fashion industry based in Stockholm, Sweden. Carl is the CEO of the Copy Laboratory, a full service studio that uses AI to redefine visual storytelling for the fashion industry. This interview explores the background, the current practice, and the likely future of AI for fashion media.

Culture & Code recently spoke with Chris Browne, an acclaimed filmmaker and visual effects artist. Chris traces his passion for visual storytelling back to his childhood days experimenting with a video camera to make homemade science fiction films. His early artistic experiments ignited a lifelong calling.

Keith spent his early 20s working in famous but dirty recording studios in New York, producing projects for various media and even playing keys for Lauryn Hill. He was still sleeping on couches and floors when he got a gig at Audible.com, becoming one of the top audiobook directors for Audible Studios. He even got to work with some famous humans and direct a few award-winning audiobooks. After many years of directing at Audible and having had enough winter, Keith relocated to Dallas, Texas, the hometown of hisbeautiful and far-more-impressive-than-he wife. Dallas also happens to be home to a thriving voiceover industry, which worked out nicely for him as he is utterly unqualified to work as a banker, rancher or hipster. Keith no longer sleeps on floors but does enjoy the occasional couch nap.