AI is carving sculptures like Michelangelo
š° News Roundup
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The Secretary of Education thinks AI is a steak sauce. In a baffling moment, whilst on a panel for āArtificial Intelligence in the workforce,ā the Secretary of Education Linda McMahon called AI, āA-1ā multiple times, like the steak sauce. I asked ChatGPT what the difference was, so you didnāt have to. The response: āOne replaces human labor. The other replaces flavor.ā
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xAI acquiring X? Try Sam Altman acquiring Sam Altman. OpenAI has discussed acquiring Sam Altman and Jonny Iveās hardware brand āio productsā for $500 million. The company is rumored to be creating a screenless phone-like product, which hints at a similar concept to Humane AI or Rabbit devices.
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Robots are carving statues like Michelangelo. This week Monumental Labs posted a video of their robots carving St. Joseph from a solid block of marble. Watching a robot carve something so artistic and historic gives maximum WestWorld vibes, an eerie yet beautiful thing to watch. Monumental states that the church the statue is destined for is significantly reducing their costs by using the AI driven robot carving company. The company has already carved an AI generated piece of work, that artist Alexander Reben (and Artist and the Machine speaker) also shared this week.
By the way, Monumental Labs co-founder Sebastian Marino will be speaking on our Embodied AI, Cyborgs & Creativity session at the Summit on April 24!
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Your DoorDash order is now AI generated. This week, DoorDash introduced AI tools for restaurants, including AI copyrighting, image replacement, and menu enhancement. An example on DoorDashās website shows a meal in a polystyrene package instantly replaced into a white ceramic bowl by the AI. The camera never lies? Now it does.
š Tool of the Week: Daze.Chat
Most AI tools want to automate your life. Daze wants to make texting chaotic again, in true Myspace 2008 style. Daze is a Gen Z-coded messaging app that lets you draw on your texts, layer gifs, drop weird fonts, stickers and even harness a little AI magic to remix your messages into unhinged masterpieces. In a world of sterile chatbots and boring Slack threads, Daze is proof that not every AI tool has to feel like homework. Sometimes it should feel like vandalizing your own group chatā¦
š¤Ā Check it out: [HERE]
š¾ Summit Spotlight: How Meow Wolf Is Bringing Its Storyverse Into the Digital Realm
Meow Wolf has revolutionized immersive storytelling, crafting physical worlds that transport audiences into living narratives. But as digital experiences, AI, and open-world gaming reshape how we engage with stories, how does a company built on tactile creativity evolve for the future? In this fireside chat, Meow Wolf Founder Vince Kadlubek joins Andrew Goldstein to explore the next frontier of experiential storytelling, where AI and interactive digital layers converge with physical spaces.
Weāre just TWO WEEKS out from the Summit. Down to the Wire? Same.
šØDo Not Miss
As we build up to the AI & Creativity Summit, with just two weeks to go, check out some of our favorite sessions!
Meet Your AI Twin
AI twins are no longer science fictionātheyāre being built now to help us scale our knowledge, creativity, and presence. But what exactly makes an AI twin? From cognitive ābrainsā to expressive interfaces, and from expert advisors to personalized video communicators, different applications are emerging fast. This demo-driven session showcases three cutting-edge takes on AI twins including the āMaking Ofā Reid Hoffmanās AI Twin, hosted by Virtual Human Economy expert Natalie Monbiot.
AnonymousĀ artist Claire Silverās avatar live interviewed by Artist and the Machine Founder Dani Van de Sande.
Join renowned anonymous artist Claire Silver and Artist and the Machine founder Dani Van de Sande for a thought-provoking opening conversation on the evolving relationship between humans and AI in the creative process. From co-creation to authorship, theyāll explore how AI is reshaping artistic expression, unlocking new forms of creativity, and redefining what it means to be an artist in the age of intelligent machines.
Building the Next Generation of AI-powered Media & Entertainment
Bryn Mooser (Asteria), Christopher Sinnot (AWS) and Raffi Kryszek (Proto) explore cutting-edge AI and immersive technologies reshaping Media and Entertainment. From AI-assisted filmmaking to real-time content generation and the newest models, this session dives into the innovations redefining creativity, production, and audience engagement. Expect behind-the-scenes insights, real-world case studies, and a candid discussion on how AI is unlocking new possibilities for studios, creators, and media pioneers.
Solving Hard Problems with AI
AI promises transformation, but how do enterprise leaders cut through the hype to drive real ROI? AE Studio, the world-renowned AI product studio, shares the frameworks and strategies theyāve used to quietly solve complex AI challenges for the biggest enterprises in the world. Join CTO & COO Melanie and Greg for a dynamic, discussion-based session designed for organizations and founders tackling high-stakes AI implementation. Expect real-world insights, interactive problem-solving, and a behind-the-scenes look at how AE Studioās 150+ PhD-level team unlocks AI-driven gains for companies like Samsung and Berkshire Hathaway, and fasting-growing founding teams.
Innovating Inside the Machine ā Using AI to Spur Company-Wide Creativity
In todayās fast-paced AI landscape, much of the enterprise conversation revolve around efficiency, automation, and cost-cuttingābut what about creativity? How can AI unlock new realms of innovation within large organizations, not just optimizing processes but fueling bold ideas, breakthrough campaigns, and new ways of thinking? What does it take for executives in these large organizations to balance top-down systems and tools with the urgency to stay on the cutting edge and drive innovation from the bottom up? Join Hannah Elsakr (Adobe Firefly), Mike Houston (Amazon), and Chaim Haas (Bloomberg) as we explore how AI is driving company-wide creativity, enabling industry giants to stay agile within their corporate structures, and reshaping the future of innovation at scale.
Weāre getting close to capacity. Come join us in our exploration of human-machine collaboration before itās too late!
š¤ Interview: Justin āHasardā Lee
Justin āHasardā Lee is a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and the #2 Wall Street Journal and International bestselling author of The Art of Clear Thinking, we caught up with him, before he speaks at our AI & Creativity Summit on April 24.
In your book “The Art of Clear Thinking”, you explore making fast, high-stakes decisions. With AI now assisting human decision-making, how do you see the balance between human intuition and AI-driven data evolving?
The key is blending data and intuition to make data informed decisions. Both provide a lens through which you can increase your chances of making a correct decision. Weāre gather more data than ever before, and AI can provide far better insights than in the past. However, for messy, real-world decisions when you have skin in the game, youāll want elements of both.
As a fighter pilot, you’ve experienced firsthand the importance of situational awareness. Do you think AI systems will ever reach a point where they can match, or even surpass, human pilots in making split-second, life-or-death decisions?
Ever is a long time. Itās impossible to forecast what will be possible in 100 years. However, for the foreseeable future the best decision-maker in combat will be human and machine working together. Combat is the most dynamic environment in the world. Elements of the decision-making process can be automated, however, not all of them.
Much of your work focuses on training high-performance individuals for extreme situations. How do you see AI and simulations transforming the way we train future pilots, business leaders, and decision-makers?
AI is extremely good at teaching and role playing with humans to help us learn better. In the future everyone will have their own custom AI tutors. Similar to a great teacher, AI will meet us where weāre at and push us the perfect amount. Weāve only scratched the surface of this; however, the potential is extraordinary.
In your book “The Art of Clear Thinking,” you emphasize the importance of mental clarity under pressure. What are some practical techniques or habits you’ve developed to maintain focus and composure when facing high-stakes decisions?
An important technique is to have a framework for making decisions. Itās critical to know where you are in the decision-making cycle and what youāre optimizing for. The framework that I used as a fighter pilot is ACE: Assess, Choose, Execute. Not only is this effective for making a decision on your own, but it allows your team to be aligned with you during the process so that you can make better, faster decisions.
As AI begins to “think” alongside us, what are the uniquely human traits, like adaptability or creativity, that you believe will remain irreplaceable in the cockpit or command center?
If I had to sum up our strengths as humans in one word I would say, flexibility. We can come up with new and creative solutions in domains with low data far better than AI. Humans have an uncanny ability to use mental models theyāve acquired in a completely different domains and then, based on causal relationship, adapt and implement the new model to solve a problem in a unique way. Computers, and more specifically AI canāt come close to human at doing this in a broad way.
Youāve spent a career pushing limits, whatās the next frontier youāre curious to explore, either personally or professionally?
I am primarily focused on speaking and advising companies on corporate decision-making. In the last year Iāve had a chance to work with some incredible executive teams, everyone from Meta to Northrop Grumman to universities and startups. Iām currently on a flight back from a keynote I gave on decision-making at IBMs new flagship office.
Join the pioneers of human-machine collaboration before itās too late!
Til next time,
Dani Van de Sande (Founder), James Joseph (The Weeklyās Editor) & the Artist and the Machine team.
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Paige Piskin is an award-winning AI and XR creator, known for pushing the boundaries of digital makeup, character design, and augmented reality experiences. With AR effects generating more than 300 billion impressions, shared 2 billion times, Paige has worked with major brands like Netflix, Bratz, Warner, and Coldplay, bringing immersive storytelling to life. She has also been a guest judge for Netflix, consultant, and 2x hackathon winner, recognized for her innovative work in AI-driven AR experiences. Paige is passionate about blending generative AI with character design, expanding the possibilities of digital self-expression and interactive storytelling.
Claire Silver is an anonymous AI-Collaborative artist that works with oil, acrylic, collage, photography, and different digital mediums to create her work. She often blends the classical style and mythos into her art, collaboratively producing work that feels at once familiar and strange. Her work explores themes of innocence, trauma, the hero’s journey, and how our view of them will change in an increasingly transhumanist future. Claireās art can be found in the permanent collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, has been at Sotheby’s London and Christie’s New York and in galleries, museums, and festivals all over the world. Featured in the New York Times, WIRED, Fortune, NPR, and countless podcasts, Claire takes every opportunity to explore her unending fascination with AI, fight for visibility for this budding art movement, and wonder at the magnitude of this moment in history. She often feels like a caveman painting fire. Claire is vocal in her belief that with the rise of AI, for the first time, the barrier of skill is swept away and that in this evolving era, taste is the new skill.