Zao and the addiction to Face Value
CR columnist and AI maestro Perry Nightingale tries out the hugely popular Chinese deepfake app Zao, and after getting over some language barriers is surprisingly excited by what he discovers
Creating His Dark Materials
The world of Philip Pullman’s epic adventure series has been brought to life in an eight-part drama co-produced by the BBC and HBO. We talk to Executive Producer Joel Collins about building alternate realities and creating a host of CGI creatures
Why we need to rethink AI – before it’s too late
In his new book Human Compatible, computer scientist Stuart Russell argues that it’s time for a radical shift in our approach to designing AI, before we lose control of systems that were built to help us
Could VR put an end to phobias?
Virtual reality is already making a big impact in the gaming world, but its potential to treat severe phobias such as the fear of heights has so far been relatively untapped. Aimée McLaughlin investigates the possibilities of VR therapy
Tea Uglow on bravery and fear
Can you really pick and choose whether to be brave? Tea Uglow, Creative Director of Google Creative Lab in Sydney, examines society’s understanding of fear and bravery, and the clichés and limitations it may contain
Will AI ever be able to replicate love?
Machines might be rapidly replacing humans in the workplace, but the complexity of deep human emotions and the innate, creative way that we make connections remains far beyond them, argues Perry Nightingale
How I Get Ideas: Sound Designer Yuri Suzuki
The sound designer and recent Pentagram addition gets his ideas from a surprising array of places, whether that’s the latest Marvel blockbuster or the scribblings in his personal collection of Moleskine notebooks he has built up over the past decade
Holly Herndon on Spawn and humanising AI
The electronic composer’s latest album Proto sees her team up with her AI ‘child’, Spawn. Speaking at Sónar+D with Mat Dryhurst, Herndon explains the importance of getting your hands dirty on the topic of AI
Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja and Andrew Melchior on creativity and tech
For 30 years, Massive Attack has continued to redefine creativity. Speaking at Sónar+D, Robert Del Naja and the band’s ‘CTO’ Andrew Melchior discuss the connection between machine learning and creativity
No Hard Feelings: How tech helps us tell better brand stories
Emotion tracking is providing a way for brands to target their ads at audiences who will be most receptive to them. Nelly Gocheva from T Brand Studio, the marketing unit of the New York Times, explains how it is changing storytelling
Creating sustainable sequins
Elissa Brunato has developed sustainable sequins that shimmer without the use of chemicals. We talk to the designer – a runner up in the MullenLowe NOVA Awards, and winner of the Creative Review Innovation Award – about her work
Top Secret: delving into the shrouded history of GCHQ
To mark the intelligence agency’s centenary, a new exhibition at the Science Museum is spotlighting the role it played in historic events including World War Two and the Cold War, along with the rapidly changing landscape of cyber security
