Google and Douglas Coupland Meet at the Intersection of AI and Creativity

7/26/2021

Work

by Cossette

New campaign by Cossette takes a deeper look at the current and future possibilities of AI.

Can artificial intelligence enhance creativity? This question was at the heart of Slogans for the Class of 2030, a collaboration between Google Canada and Canadian artist, author, and provocateur Douglas Coupland. Using the power of machine learning, Coupland builds off his acclaimed thought-provoking work, Slogans for the 21st Century, and invites Canadians to explore the concept of creative identity at the intersection of artificial intelligence.

To demonstrate AI’s usefulness as a tool to enhance creativity, a Google Researcher took Coupland’s entire 30-year body of written work—thirteen novels, two collections of short stories, seven non-fiction books, and a number of works for film and television, all totalling over one million words — and fed it into an AI-powered language learning algorithm. The outcome was an assortment of suggested language that Coupland used as inspiration to create 25 stand-alone works of art that can be experienced on digital OOH screens in Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto until November 29, 2021. The slogans will serve as a reminder to Canadians and the future Class of 2030 that AI and creativity aren’t mutually exclusive.

AI (or machine learning) receives an unusual amount of paranoia from people who would probably be fascinated, if they just looked at it a bit further. It’s not 1984. It’s not a zombie apocalypse. It’s just taking what seems like noise and locating signals within it. It’s not an alien intelligence... it’s just new ways of looking at ourselves. In my case the noise was a million words reprocessed and reassembled to create something uncannily new.

Douglas Coupland

The focus on the class of 2030 was intentional. Coupland wanted to create works that would serve as inspiration for students who will be graduating from university in 2030. For those teens considering their future career paths, he hoped that this collaboration would trigger a broader conversation on the vast possibilities in the field and would better acquaint them to the fact that AI does not have to be strictly scientific, it can be artful.

Chris Henry, Product Marketing Manager at Google Canada

The video was featured in a 24-hr takeover on the Google Canada homepage and hosted as a virtual exhibit on Google’s Arts and Culture page.

It’s not often you get to work with an iconic artist like Douglas Coupland to reimagine how he approaches his art and creativity. AI and machine learning can be a little bit intimidating. The goal of this entire thing is to help lessen that intimidation factor and give people a new perspective. We want the Class of 2030 and Canadians-at-large to get excited about the future possibilities of both creativity and AI.

Peter Ignazi, Global Chief Creative Officer at Cossette

Credits

Client

Google Canada

Agency: Cossette

Global Chief Creative Officer: Peter Ignazi Executive Creative Directors: Craig McIntosh, Jaimes Zentil Creative Directors: Jacob Greer, Denver Eastman, Simon Clancey Agency Producer: Kristen Neamtz Accounts: Jillian Sypkes, Tyler Harris

Production House: OPC Films

Director: Charlie Tyrell Producer: Jeremiah Lapointe Coordinator: Jacqueline de Niverville Executive Producers: Harland Weiss, Donovan M. Boden, Isil Gilderdale Director of Photography: Chet Tilokani Stop Motion: Stop Motion Department 2D Animation: Marty MacPherson

Researcher / Writer: Josef Beeby Locations: Matt Cassils Mixer Toronto: Adam Parsons Hair & Makeup Toronto: Raquel Atienza Mixer Vancouver: Trent Stewart Hair & Makeup Vancouver: Andrea Blunt Dailies: Gavin Keen Production Assistants: Luke Nairne, Richard Gonzales, Sophia Smith

Music

Composer: Dexter Outhit Dialogue Director: Karen Goora Music & Sound Director: Joey Serlin Audio Engineer: Ryan Chalmers Sound Designer: Kyle Gudmundson Audio Producer: Erin Scott

Transfer: Alter Ego EP: Jane Garrah Senior Colourist: Conor Fisher Colour Assistant: Jonah Venneri

Online: Wingman EP: Sam Simpson Producer: Jenna Edwards VFX: James Andrew

Animation: Nice Shoes EP: Harv Glazer Slogan Animator: Stefan Woronko Illustrator: Marty MacPherson

Editorial: Outsiders

EP: Kristina Anzlinger Editor: Michael Barker Editorial Assistant: Nathan Olszewicki

Editing House: Outsider Editorial

Editor: Micheal Barker Colour/Transfer Facility: Alter Ego Colourist: Conor Fisher Online Facility: Wingman VFX Audio House: Vapor Music