In this episode of Creatives WithAI, Lena Robinson and David Brown are joined by Tim Carter (CEO) and Simon Mirren (Creative Officer) of Karmanline, a newly launched company focused on integrating AI into the content production industry. Together, they dive into the provocations and potential of AI in storytelling and content creation, from the philosophical to the practical.

Simon brings his decades of experience as a showrunner and storyteller (Criminal Minds, Versailles etc.) to interrogate whether machines can ever grasp the soul of a narrative. Tim, with a background in IP, tech, and ethics, unpacks how generative tools can (and should) be leveraged across the production pipeline without sidelining the deep craft and collaboration that makes filmmaking human.

From fake AI startups and the dangers of anthropomorphising machines, to the creative chaos worth protecting in an increasingly optimised world, this episode is a must-listen for anyone working in, adjacent to, or even worried about AI’s influence on the future of media.

Takeaways:

AI Creativity: A machine might generate content, but it can’t understand tension, soul, or satire. That still belongs to humans, at least for now.
Middle Ground Disruption: AI is widening the talent pool, but in doing so, it’s making life harder for average-skilled professionals.
Human-Centric Storytelling Matters: Technology can support storytelling, but it shouldn’t overwrite the stories of marginalised voices.
Collective Craft is Sacred: Every role on a film set, from grips to carpenters, holds meaning. Disregarding that in pursuit of “efficiency” is both arrogant and shortsighted.
Let’s Talk Back: The episode challenges us to stay involved, speak up, and resist the sanitisation of creativity through algorithmic convenience.

( PS – We want to hear from you! Got a question for Lena and Dave to tackle in a future episode? Drop it in the comments on our socials and we might feature it on the show.)

Find Tim and Simon Online:

Tim Carter (CEO, Karmanline) – LinkedIn
Simon Mirren (Creative Officer, Karmanline; Showrunner (Criminal Minds, Versailles etc) LinkedIn
Karmanline

News article Links referenced in this episode:

1st News Article Tim Mentioned: I tested Google's VEO 3 Myself: Here's what they don't show you in the keynote
2nd News Article Tim Mentioned: Video of Emily M Bender & Sébastien Bubeck at The Computer History Museum
Article Lena Mentioned: 'Nobody wants a robot to read them a story!' The creatives and academics rejecting AI - at work and at home.
Mentioned by Lena: Simon's Linkedin Post re"EI and IQ intelligence tests"

People/companies worth a look and mentioned in this episode:

Justine Bateman: (Actress, director, writer, outspoken on AI in Hollywood) IMDb
Emily M. Bender: (Linguist, AI critic) Website
Dave Chappelle: (Comedian / example of creative nuance) Website
Donald Glover (Actor, writer, creator of Atlanta) IMDb
Google Veo 3: (Recent software release mentioned by Tim) Website
Google Assistant: (Software mentioned by Dave) Website
Criminal Minds: (TV show Simon worked on) IMDb
Versailles: (TV show Simon worked on) IMDb
CSI (Crime Scene Investigation): (TV show Simon worked on) IMDb
SpinVox: (Historical AI-voice startup referenced by Tim) Wikipedia
Builder.AI (AI startup outed for using human labour behind the scenes) Website
OpenAI (Developers of ChatGPT) Website
Anthropic (AI research company mentioned in context of safety/AI blackmail) Website
Computer History Museum: (Location of Emily Bender’s public AI debate) Website
Kodak: (film and digital photography company) Website
Red Digital Cinema: (RED cameras used in Simon’s productions) Website

135. Tim Carter & Simon Mirren: AI’s Missing Soul: Who’s Really Telling the Story?