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Jun 26
Sand Technologies
AI has become the headline act in nearly every industry, from healthcare and telecoms to media and entertainment. But the conversation is often polarized in the creative world: AI is either hailed as the future or feared as a threat. That framing misses the real opportunity.
Yet, as artists such as Timbaland, Jidenna and Tommy Brown shared during the recent U.S. launch of Sand Technologies, AI is rapidly redefining how creativity is expressed and accessed. While AI offers new ways to amplify creativity, unlocking its full potential will require more meaningful collaboration between creatives, artists and businesses.
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During the panel discussion, the artists underscored AI’s role in helping them move faster from idea to execution. Whether using AI to generate melodies, explore harmonies or iterate faster, artists are embracing the technology as a partner. It’s a shift in workflow and mindset: from control to collaboration.
Yet, as the panelists clarified, this isn’t about offloading creativity but expanding it. AI isn’t a substitute for instinct or vision but a tool to push past creative blocks, explore new ideas and uncover other creative directions. For businesses beyond the creative world, this mindset still applies. Using AI to augment human thinking can unlock faster innovation, reveal unexpected solutions and create space for more strategic work.
Beyond streamlining processes, AI is also changing access. Jidenna described AI as a tool that “democratizes dreaming.” It lowers the barrier for those without traditional training, expensive equipment or industry connections to bring their ideas to life. Whether it’s a teenage filmmaker in Nairobi or a bedroom producer in the Bronx, AI is putting advanced creative capabilities in the hands of more people than ever.
This shift has implications that go far beyond aesthetics or efficiency. It’s about expanding who gets to participate. When more voices and experiences are included in the creative process and in how problems are framed and solved, the result is more relevant, human-centered innovation. For example, in smart city initiatives, involving residents in shaping AI solutions leads to better systems, broader impact and outcomes that genuinely reflect the needs of the communities they serve.
While AI tools are powerful, they don’t create meaning on their own. What you get out of AI depends on what you put in. Therefore, as the panelists brought up, prompt engineering is becoming increasingly important, not just a technical task but a creative skill.
To harness AI in creative work, individuals need to move beyond basic commands and learn how to guide the technology with intention. The real skill lies in asking better questions, knowing what references matter, which emotions to evoke and how to guide a machine toward something that resonates. Prompting, in this sense, is becoming a new form of creative literacy.
The rise of prompt engineering also requires a shift in how companies work and are structured. With AI managing repetitive tasks, people will be valued for how they guide and shape those tools. That means leaders need to start thinking differently about the skills their teams need, how people are trained and how teams are structured to stay competitive.
Another major takeaway from the conversation was the need for creatives to play an active role in shaping AI tools, not just using them. Too often, AI systems are built in technical silos without the cultural insight needed to make outputs feel authentic or emotionally resonant.
Involving creatives in the development and training of AI then becomes a key responsibility. Machines learn from the data they’re given, and without the input of artists, designers and cultural thinkers, they risk learning a narrow and incomplete version of the world. When creatives help shape these tools, they teach AI what nuance, beauty, and meaning look like.
In addition, if artists are not involved in training these models, their histories and futures may be excluded from the equation. As a result, companies building AI need to move beyond engineer-only teams and bring in artists, designers, cultural historians and storytellers to develop relevant, resonant and real tools.
Finally, it is crucial to note that as AI becomes more capable, human judgment becomes even more essential. One speaker put it simply: “Data does not equal wisdom. Story is more powerful than facts.” While AI can structure information and generate outputs, it can’t determine meaning, intent or emotional truth. That responsibility falls to people, those who bring vision, context and clarity to the flood of possibilities.
Similarly, this is where taste and cultural fluency become critical. AI cannot replicate knowing what resonates, what matters now, and what’s worth sharing. This action requires human instinct and an understanding of what matters and connects. As AI takes on more of the production, this discernment will define the quality and impact of the final result.
The future of creativity will be shaped by the people who engage with it. For artists, that means learning how these tools work, how to prompt, experiment and contribute to how AI is trained. If your perspective isn’t part of the process, it risks being left out of the results.
For companies, it means involving artists and cultural voices early, not just engineers. The most valuable tools are built with real-world insight, emotional context and creative intuition. Innovation works better when it includes the people who will use it, challenge it and take it in new directions.
Finally, this moment also calls for a shift in mindset. Intelligence isn’t just about knowing the answers; it’s about being curious enough to ask better questions. That’s where real creativity and real progress begin.
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