No, Generative AI Doesn’t Kill Creativity

With: Henry Daubrez and Erica Elson
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No, Generative AI Doesn’t Kill Creativity
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No, Generative AI Doesn’t Kill Creativity

About this Video

Sundance Institute's Story Forum: Exploring Art and Innovation is a space to learn, collaborate, and join the conversation; inviting thoughtful dialogue about the artist-first tools and technologies supporting visual storytelling today.


Generative AI is reshaping the creative landscape, sparking intense debate about the future of artistry. Henry Daubrez, Resident Filmmaker and Creative Director at Google Labs, brings a practitioner’s eye to this tension.

With two decades of experience bridging design, film, and emerging tech for global brands, Henry explores the reality beyond the headlines. Rather than preaching blind optimism or doom, he examines how human storytelling prevails amidst automation. He discusses the practical shifts in the creative process and why, despite powerful algorithms, the "human touch" remains the defining variable. Don’t miss this grounded exploration of creativity’s new frontier.


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Henry Daubrez

Resident Filmmaker and Creative Director, Google Labs

Henry is the Resident Filmmaker and Creative Director at Google Labs, following two decades of creative leadership working with some of the world’s largest brands. Working across design, film, and emerging technology, he explores how human storytelling endures in an AI-driven world.

Erica Elson

Moderator | Digital Course & Event Producer, Sundance Collab

Erica Elson is a Producer, Writer and Educator based in the mountains outside Los Angeles. Her short film, WING NIGHT, premiered at Method Fest in Los Angeles. She is the co-author of the book THE AWKWARD HUMAN SURVIVAL GUIDE and co-hosted a podcast by the same name on the 5by5 network for five years. Elson's articles have been published by HuffPost, Lifehacker, and Reader's Digest. Prior to working in education, she worked in television development and writers’ rooms such as VH1’s HINDSIGHT, where she had the chance to write for the spinoff web series PLANET SEBASTIAN.


Elson joined the Sundance Collab team in October 2021 and produces courses, Master Classes, and events in the areas of screenwriting, television writing, directing, producing, and documentary filmmaking. She has moderated conversations with Sofia Coppola, Richard Linklater, Alexander Payne, and Susannah Grant, among others.


Prior to Sundance, Elson was the Thesis Production Supervisor at the American Film Institute for five years. She oversaw several award-winning graduate thesis films, notably the 2021 BAFTA student film winner APART, TOGETHER and the 2023 Sundance Film Festival short WE WERE MEANT TO. While at AFI, Elson developed a passion for sustainable production and created the Green Film School Alliance, which includes forty schools on four continents. She holds a BA in Communication and Film Studies from Concordia University and an MFA in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute. 

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