Our AI Philosophy
As the creative industry reckons with the latest AI technologies, and many of our fellow creatives have swirled in a doomsday spiral, we’ve thoughtfully explored the tech while betting on our human-first approach.
When I created this illustration (yes, without AI) and slapped it on a t-shirt for our company retreat in March, I had no idea it would become a mascot of sorts for our experience during this AI-fueled era. The design captures more than just a Santa Cruz surf/skate attitude — it’s the violent clash of art and commerce, confronting the human role in the creative process. Amidst this soul searching we discovered exactly why our creativity matters, and how to responsibly use AI tools in a world that desperately needs more real, more truth, and more employed artists :)
In the long arc of tech history, many paradigm shifts have disrupted commercial creativity (and AI is the paradigm-est shift imaginable), but ultimately we trust that talented humans have always and will always be essential to making content that matters. Just as microwave ovens didn’t destroy chefs, 3D printers didn’t end toys, and synthesizers didn’t eliminate orchestras, AI tools will only prove the value of collaborating with experienced filmmakers. We’re not facing annihilation against AI, we’re facing a thrilling new competition against bland, against unoriginal, against fake, against cheap, and against a race to the bottom of mass-produced spam. We resist. We rebel. Humans crave original, meaningful, truthful art, advertising and entertainment… and they crave the process of creating it, too. So while impressive, easy tools keep popping up, the underlying creative process hasn’t changed — it’s only become more precious.
We’ve published our AI philosophy and continually update it for transparency on how we use (and don’t use) these powerful tools. So far, our bet has succeeded: we’re truly fortunate to see our business grow as we deliver more human art into the world. After all, isn’t that why we’re here?
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