In this week’s episode, we dive deep into the latest breaking news on AI and creativity—from Hollywood blockbusters to bestselling books, indie film festivals, cutting‑edge art platforms, and even the future of coding as an art form.

We start with Disney’s AI film experiment, where the studio tested deepfake‑style technology to digitally replace Dwayne Johnson’s face in the live‑action Moana remake. This raises huge questions about actor likeness rights, ethical AI use in filmmaking, and the balance between cost‑saving and creative authenticity.

Next, we tackle the publishing industry’s AI battle. Industry experts predict an AI‑written bestseller by 2030, but top authors like Naomi Alderman are pushing back against unconsented data scraping, copyright infringement, and the erosion of human literary voice.

Then we showcase the 2025 Reply AI Film Festival, with finalists from over 67 countries proving that AI‑assisted storytelling can be emotional, visually stunning, and powerfully human.

In our fourth story, Stability AI CEO Prem Akkaraju shares his vision for AI empowering, not replacing, artists—from paying creators for training data to streamlining post‑production tasks like rotoscoping and color correction.

We wrap up with Elon Musk’s bold prediction: that AI will turn coding into a creative pursuit like painting, shifting programming from pure function to artistic expression.

If you’re passionate about AI in film, AI in publishing, AI art tools, AI music production, creative coding, and the future of digital creativity, this episode is packed with insights, real‑world examples, and debates shaping the creative industries right now.

Listen now and join the conversation on how AI is transforming the way we create.

Welcome to the first episode of We Are the Machine, a podcast exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping creativity—from music and film to authorship, identity, and the way we understand what it means to make something that matters.This show is about more than AI tools. It’s about the fears, fractures, and flickers of hope that define the creative life. It’s about letting go of perfection. About not waiting another 20 years. About saying something—finally—even if you have to say it with help.Whether you’re a musician, filmmaker, writer, artist, or simply someone reckoning with how fast the world is changing, this episode is for you.🧭 IN THIS EPISODE:⚙️ Why This Podcast ExistsWhat stopped me from sharing work for two decades? Why speak now, and why through a show like this?This section dives into the fear of not being good enough, the myth of the solo genius, and the role of vulnerability in art—especially when machines become co-authors."If someone only hears one episode, I want them to feel like they’ve been given permission to begin."🌀 The Name: We Are the MachineIs it literal? Metaphorical? Emotional?This episode unpacks the provocative idea behind the title: Are we becoming machines, or are machines becoming us?What does that mean for authorship, ownership, and the shifting boundaries between human and artificial expression?🎶 The Myth of the Individual CreatorI spent years writing songs I never released. Why?We explore the pressure to be perfectly human, the lie of “authenticity,” and how AI—ironically—may be the thing that breaks that spell.“When Suno sang back my words, it didn’t feel like cheating. It felt like someone finally listened.”🔁 Co-Creation vs. AutomationWhat scares us about AI in art? The loss of control? Of uniqueness? Or maybe… that we no longer have an excuse not to create.This section explores co-creating with AI—what it feels like, how it distorts or amplifies your voice, and why the fear might actually be a mirror.“Would your song still be yours if someone else sang it? Then why not if a machine does?”💿 The Role of the Artist NowIn a world of generative tools, what’s the new job of the artist?Is it less about technique and more about vision? Curation? Story architecture?I reflect on how my work now differs from my early efforts—and what I care about more than being understood.🪞 What the Machine Can’t TouchThere are still things machines can’t reach:A cracked voice reading a line. The line you almost deleted. The silence before you hit “send.”This part is about the essence of being human in a time when output can be automated—but origin still matters.🔊 WHY LISTEN?This isn’t just a podcast about AI.It’s about:The long road to releasing something realHow AI can act as a mirror, a partner, or a threatWhy some artists hide—and what it takes to come outWhat it feels like to be both creator and receiver of your own work“Before I understood the tools, I understood the feeling.”If you’ve ever buried your best work...If you’ve ever wondered whether your voice matters anymore...If you’re asking what makes art still human in a post-human world...This is your moment.