PODCAST: AI vs. Fear—Lee Towndrow

PODCAST: AI vs. Fear—Lee Towndrow

From THE GRAIN: AI vs. Creativity by ronit@thegrain.ai

July 8, 2025 · 1h 6m

About this episode

Lee Towndrow discusses the fear surrounding AI and offers strategies for creatives to move beyond it.

So much of what’s happening around AI feels like performance. People saying they’ve got it all figured out. Creatives pretending they’re not anxious. But when I saw Lee Towndrow’s post on LinkedIn, where he just came out and said “I’m scared,” it stopped me in my tracks. Lee didn’t pretend. He did the cringe. And it resonated.He’s a Creative Director and VFX artist I’ve always admired for his polished but quintessentially human aesthetic. It’s a powerful combination that elevates and honours humanity. In reflecting on AI and a future yet unknown, Lee encourages us to face our fear while offering powerful strategies for moving beyond it. Links of stuff we talk about … * Fear [Lee Towndrow’s LinkedIn post] * Lee Towndrow [personal website] * AI 2027 Report [Daniel Kokotajlo, Scott Alexander, Thomas Larsen, Eli Lifland, Romeo Dean] * Sheila Heti [personal website] * Leilanni Todd [personal website] * ‘ Manchild’ by Sabrina Carpenter [music video] 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…

People in this episode

Host: Ronit Novak

Guest: Lee Towndrow

Topics covered

  • AI
  • creativity
  • fear
  • VFX
  • human aesthetic
  • creative industry

Keywords

  • AI
  • creativity
  • fear
  • VFX
  • human aesthetic
  • creative industry
  • Lee Towndrow

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: THE GRAIN, LinkedIn

Books & works: Manchild

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