My colleague Erik Magelssen has been helping us as creators navigate the world of AI with a weekly talk for the team about the latest developments. Then we discuss how these things impact our work. It has been super useful so we’ve recorded a pilot podcast to share the info and insights more widely. The goal here is to talk about practical use cases for AI and not get lost in the hype. We’ve gone lo-fi with this one to ensure ease of regular production, and I’m sure we’ll get a bit better as presenters over time! Hope you enjoy. Happy Thursday, Simon.
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YouTube pushes authenticity
Last month YouTube updated its monetization policies in an effort to boost relevance, creativity and authenticity. The change means content now needs to be authentic, raising the bar from merely being “non repetitive”. What this means for creators is you won’t get paid for low-effort AI-generated content, voiceover-only videos, or 'spammy rehash' videos. Creators need to focus on long term value over quick clicks to actually make a living in the creator economy. While many creators use AI in their processes it has to remain a tool. AI noise isn’t going to get the YouTube push it once did with a pivot to narrative - something all successful creators probably knew anyway.
AI as an intern not creator
Just because YouTube has no interest in low effort AI content doesn’t mean creators can’t use the technology. Over 80% of creators are using AI in their workflow as an intern. Creators still need to check the results (as they do with an intern) but AI can save time and money. So what should you task your AI intern with? Well, research and bouncing ideas off is the most popular. Other uses include copyeditor, social media analyst and in some cases, contract reviewer. It’s here to help, especially if you’re a one person operation, but it still needs oversight.
Managing successful creator relationships
Once you hire a creator for a campaign, how do you go about forming a strong partnership? First, don’t bring them in at the last minute. Give them time to understand the brief or product so you get quality content. Next, don’t try and short change a creator. You’re paying for their expertise and creativity, at the very least be upfront with your budget so a creator knows if it’s worth their effort. This goes for creators from different ethnic or cultural backgrounds too. Finally, be super clear about deliverables. You’re hiring creators so they can look from outside at your product and bring a fresh content perspective. But you need to remember they don’t work in your organisation and don’t know the lingo or definitions - so overbrief if you have to.
Cool Tools
Someone finally made a drone for people who can't multitask while flying. The Antigravity A1 captures everything around it in 8K, so you focus on flying and worry about composition in post. It weighs under 249g and comes out in 2026. Honestly, it just sounds less stressful than trying to nail the perfect shot while not crashing into a tree.
Hot Tips
This is not really lazy, it's actually quite hard to do this consistently in a disciplined way. It mirrors the approach I've always believed in for creativity, that is to break your creative life into three equal parts: 1) experiences, including talking to people. 2) Reading. 3) Writing (if that's your bag) but creating some 'thing'.
Viral Hits
It's always interesting to see which old internet trends get a second life. The "pass the brush" challenge is back, but it's smarter now. The concept is the same - passing an item across the frame to reveal a transformation - but creators are using the simple transition not just for a makeup reveal, but to showcase a full outfit right after. It's a classic format that's been optimized for modern attention spans, giving you two satisfying reveals for the price of one.
Stuff from us
How do you make a topic like health insurance feel engaging? For our latest project with Prudential Singapore, we brought in a detective! We had a great time producing this new video where our investigator gets the expert take on the importance of health insurance directly from Prudential's own financial representatives. It was a super creative way to explore a serious subject, and we can't wait for everyone to see it.
The “AI as intern” frame feels right. It can help gather, sort, and rough out ideas, but the creator still has to decide what feels earned. Viewers can usually sense when the human part left the room before the edit was finished.