THE GRAIN: AI vs. Creativity

Recently, the federal government released its new national AI strategy, AI for All. I downloaded it, printed all the pages, and sat down with a highlighter. What interested me wasn’t just the policy itself. It was the story Canada is trying to tell about AI. The strategy is built around words like trust, literacy, adoption, and sovereignty. It assumes that AI will become part of our lives, our workplaces, our schools, and our economy. But as I read, I kept coming back to a few simple questions:* Trust for whom?* Literacy for what?* And adoption on whose terms?To help unpack it, I invited Joe Castaldo onto the podcast. Joe is a business journalist at the Globe and Mail who has spent the last several years covering artificial intelligence, including Canada’s emerging AI policy.What I appreciate about Joe’s reporting is that he doesn’t approach AI as either magic or doom. He’s interested in what is actually happening: where the technology is useful, where it’s falling short, and what questions still remain unanswered.In this conversation, we discuss:* Canada’s new AI strategy and its focus on adoption* Whether AI literacy automatically leads to trust* The government’s $50 million creative technology fund* Copyright, consent, and training data* What meaningful support for artists and creators might look like* Why AI feels inevitable to some people, and why others resist that framingOne line from the conversation is lingering with me: Joe notes that the strategy assumes Canadians should be using AI, but never fully explains why.That question sits at the centre of this episode.If AI is becoming infrastructure, then understanding it isn’t just about learning a tool. It’s about understanding the values, assumptions, and tradeoffs being built into the future around us.I hope you enjoy the conversation and please share your thoughts in the comments. Links to stuff we talk about:* AI for All: Canada’s new AI strategy [ISED Canada]* Ottawa’s new AI strategy includes more than $2.3-billion for training, adoption and startups [Joe Castaldo, The Globe and Mail, gift article]* Joe Castaldo, The Globe and Mail [Reporter profile]Subscribe to support THE GRAINListen, like, comment, and share THE GRAIN to join the conversation we need to be having about the pleasure and peril of AI and the future of creativity. You can watch this and other video episodes of THE GRAIN Podcast on YouTube.Subscribe to THE GRAIN Newsletter, for deep dives on how AI is impacting creative industries right now. Read more about THE GRAIN and our upcoming live events at thegrain.ai Reach me at ronit@thegrain.ai Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok Get full access to THE GRAIN with Ronit Novak at thegrainai.substack.com/subscribe

“BBL Drizzy” started off as an insult—but it ended up making music history instead. A year ago, when Kendrick Lamar and Drake spurred one of the most high-profile rap beefs of our time, comedian and screenwriter Willonius Hatcher saw an opportunity. He wrote some lyrics, fired up an AI music tool, and created a soul-infused anthem that caught fire. As a result, “BBL Drizzy” went viral, hip-hop producer Metro Boomin amplified it even further, and in a wild twist, Drake’s own team licensed the track, making it the first AI-generated work to be officially sampled by a major artist.But this wasn’t just a lucky meme moment. King Willonius had been working toward this for years—experimenting, failing, writing three songs a day, directing wildly popular audio dramas on the pandemic-era app Clubhouse, and sharpening his storytelling voice. Last year he was named TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People in AI. In his own words: “You can’t cheat the process, but with AI you can amplify it.”In this episode, we talk about:* The creation of “BBL Drizzy” and how it caught fire* How tools like Udio are reshaping music production* The decades-long tension between sampling, authorship, and copyright* Why he sees AI as creative reparations for under-resourced artists * What it really means to be an “AI artist”—and why it’s never as simple as pushing a button* The grind behind the scenes: writing, experimenting, and staying ready for the momentWhether you’re into hip-hop, creativity, tech, or just want to understand how a joke track ended up changing the music industry—this one’s for you.For more on King Willonius, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and creator of “BBL Drizzy”:* @kingwillonius on Instagram* King Willonius’s personal website* Willonius Hatcher speaking at C2 Montreal* 100 Most Influential People in AI [TIME Magazine]* The filmmaker who says AI is reparations [Wired Magazine]* Drake drama showed how AI prophecy can become reality [THE GRAIN]🎧 Listen now, like, comment, and share THE GRAIN to join the conversation at the edge of AI and creativity.Stay tuned for my grains of thought in the newsletter, for news and insights on how AI is impacting the creative industry worldwide.Read more about THE GRAIN at thegrain.ai and get in touch with me at ronit@thegrain.ai.Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn and Substack. Get full access to THE GRAIN with Ronit Novak at thegrainai.substack.com/subscribe

Creativity has always been a through line in my life and career. For my specialized honours thesis in university, I studied the psychology of creativity—how and why artists are compelled to create.What I found is that creatives are problem-solvers. They seek conflict that they can process and address, using their creativity as a tool for resolution. Over time, they begin to embody and repeat the way they solve these problems—whether by mastering a specific medium or honing a distinctive style. Their method of problem-solving becomes their identity, something they craft and refine throughout their careers. To grow, a creative will seek new challenges—reinforcing and evolving their unique way of confronting conflict.For example, James Baldwin confronted racial injustice through his book The Fire Next Time; Pablo Picasso conveyed the horrors of the Spanish Civil War with his painting Guerinica; Nan Goldin shed light on addiction and the AIDS crisis through her photography; Frida Kahlo transformed her physical pain into surreal self-portraits. The list goes on. As you can see, external and internal conflicts intertwine, as creators absorb the world’s pain, and in turn, externalize their own. Sometimes, creatives work together—forming collectives to address a shared struggle, or because their artistic approaches align.Today, AI poses an existential challenge for creatives—a pivotal moment for our survival. What makes this conflict especially complex is that it directly affects the very tools and processes we rely on to address challenges. A parallel would be Picasso having to paint about why there is a shortage of paint. Which he did—during his Blue Period—because his limited resources influenced his creative choices.My guest today on THE GRAIN Podcast is Michael Inzlicht, professor of psychology at the University of Toronto and the Rotman School of Management. Work and Play Lab is where he studies human motivation, empathy, and the effort we exert to reach our goals—whether in work or leisure. His recent report, published in January, found that AI chatbots like ChatGPT are often perceived as more compassionate than human crisis responders and therapists.Lately, creatives are being encouraged to use AI as a companion and collaborator early in the ideation process. I ask Michael what that means for brainstorming, bias, and creative fulfillment. If AI makes problem-solving easier, does that make the process less meaningful—because less effort was exerted?As instinctive problem-solvers, creatives have the power to confront this challenge in their own unique way. But we need to talk about how and why we are compelled to confront this crisis.Please enjoy my conversation with Michael Inzlicht, on THE GRAIN Podcast.Listen now to THE GRAIN with Ronit Novak, as I continue my podcast probes into the pleasure and peril of AI and the future of creativity—recorded at Made Human Studios in the Little Jamaica neighbourhood of Toronto, Canada.Some links to what we talk about…* Work and Play Lab* Study: AI judged to be more compassionate than expert crisis responders (University of Toronto)* She Is in Love With ChatGPT (New York Times)Stay tuned for my grains of thought in the newsletter, for news and insights on how AI is impacting the creative industry worldwide.Read more about THE GRAIN at thegrain.ai and get in touch with me at ronit@thegrain.ai.Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn and Substack. Get full access to THE GRAIN with Ronit Novak at thegrainai.substack.com/subscribe

Listen now to THE GRAIN with Ronit Novak, as I launch Season 2 of my podcast probes into the pleasure and peril of AI and the future of creativity—recorded at Made Human Studios in the Little Jamaica neighbourhood of Toronto, Canada.Links to some stuff we talk about…* n-v-r: The Department of Never Been Done Before* Dré Labre’s portfolio website* Design Fiction Daily: Dré Labre newsletter on Substack* The Artifact Scanner: a handheld tool designed to unlock new possibilities* Voidz: This is Where Reality Ends—an AI artist based in Toronto* Dara Vandor: Imaginary Friends photo booth project* Chairman Ting art and design studio* Beeple sold an NFT for $69 million (March 2021)Stay tuned for more grains of thought about creative futurism in the newsletter.Read more about THE GRAIN at this link and get in touch at ronit@thegrain.ai.You should also follow @thegrain.ai on Instagram and LinkedIn and Substack. Get full access to THE GRAIN with Ronit Novak at thegrainai.substack.com/subscribe

Click here to catch up on Part 1 of my conversation with Stephen Marche.Listen now to THE GRAIN with Ronit Novak, as I continue my series of podcast probes into the pleasure and peril of AI and the future of creativity—recorded at Made Human Studios in the Little Jamaica neighbourhood of Toronto, Canada.Part 2 of my conversation with Stephen Marche delves deeper into the mysteries unknown potential of AI and what that means for creativity. Our conversation expanded my mind, and I think it will for you too. Here are links for further research into some of the topics we discussed:* Was Linguistic AI Created by Accident? [The New Yorker]Marche’s 2024 article about what the ‘T’ in GPT stands for and why AI researchers are still baffled by it.* Lawmakers passing the buck on non-consensual sexually explicit deepfakes are running out of time. [THE GRAIN]My grain of thought from this past summer on the increasing prevalence of sexually explicit deepfakes, the damage they cause, and what can be done to stop them.* The Filmmaker Who Says AI is Reparations. [Wired]Willonius Hatcher argues that AI is a form of equity for struggling artists who lack access to big studios, budgets, and connections.Stay tuned for AI vs. 2024, a podcast roundup of the AI newsmaker moments that impacted the creative industry in this past year, along with my grains of thought on what’s in store for 2025.For news and insights on how AI is impacting the creative industry, sign up for THE GRAIN Newsletter.Read more about THE GRAIN at this link and get in touch at ronit@thegrain.ai.Follow @thegrain.ai on Instagram and LinkedIn and Substack. Get full access to THE GRAIN with Ronit Novak at thegrainai.substack.com/subscribe

Creative professionals, including those of us in media, have become accustomed to hearing that our jobs may soon be replaced by artificial intelligence.Ronit Novak’s new podcast THE GRAIN is encouraging honest conversations in the creative community—from filmmakers to those in advertising, design and photography – about the impact of AI on their careers.She joins this episode of Broadcast Dialogue—The Podcast from Made Human Studios in Toronto’s Little Jamaica to talk about why creatives need to start talking openly about AI and the future of creativity. Get full access to THE GRAIN with Ronit Novak at thegrainai.substack.com/subscribe

Listen now to THE GRAIN with Ronit Novak, as I build my series of podcast probes into the pleasure and peril of AI and the future of creativity—recorded at Made Human Studios in the Little Jamaica neighbourhood of Toronto, Canada.Links to some stuff we talk about…* Ian Mackenzie takes creative reins at McCann Worldgroup [Campaign Canada]Mackenzie oversees all creative work for the network’s creative operations in Canada—and serves as McCann’s global AI creative lead* How the ad industry Is making AI images look less like AI [Wall Street Journal]“It’s a back-and-forth conversation with technology and technology experts, but against a unifying and evolving creative vision that really involves layers,” said Ian Mackenzie* The evolution (and navigation) of the ‘Black Elevation Map’ [Strategy]It reveals where Black-owned businesses and cultural institutions are most likely to be present or absentStay tuned for further grains of thought about advertising in the newsletter.Read more about THE GRAIN at this link and get in touch at ronit@thegrain.ai.You should also follow @thegrain.ai on Instagram and LinkedIn and Substack. Get full access to THE GRAIN with Ronit Novak at thegrainai.substack.com/subscribe

Check out the fresh trailer ahead of the first four weekly episodes starting October 8. And stay subscribed to THE GRAIN on Substack (and beyond!) for discourse about the pleasure and peril of AI and the future of creativity.Read the press release with details on upcoming episodes.I'm Ronit Novak. I'm an art director and photo editor. I'm a mentor, a teacher, a writer, and I'm a public speaker. Just like you, I've been increasingly curious about the conversations surrounding creativity and artificial intelligence.I wonder about the impact it will have on my career in the creative industry and everyone else's. I created THE GRAIN to be a platform for meaningful conversations with critical thinkers and to share them with you. The AI world is full of opportunists who are saying that there is a better, cheaper way to do what creatives do.It's leading artists to freak out about losing their jobs. I want those artists to stop and think, to stabilize, and to remind themselves of their inherent creative value. THE GRAIN is for creative industry professionals, schemers and dreamers, and anyone who wants to think about the evolution of our endeavours.Whether you're a consumer or producer—or on both sides of that fence—there's no better time to share than when change is in the air. I can't pretend to know what's going to happen in the future, but I'm keeping tabs on what's happening today. I'm reading articles every day, and I'm writing down my insights and grains of thought that you'll get in a weekly newsletter. You'll read in my newsletters and hear in my podcast that THE GRAIN is not about threats or trinkets or tech. It's about the shared experience of adapting to a new era.THE GRAIN is not a sales pitch and is not hyping new AI tech developments. It's human-made, with real people telling their stories. Listen to THE GRAIN wherever you get podcasts for in-person conversations with industry experts recorded at Made Human Studios in Toronto. Subscribe to THE GRAIN newsletter for regular updates on how artificial intelligence is impacting our creative industry.Read the press release with details on upcoming episodes. Get full access to THE GRAIN with Ronit Novak at thegrainai.substack.com/subscribe