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Matan Cohen Grumi, Founding Creative Director at Pika – Interview Series

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Matan Cohen Grumi is a multifaceted creative professional with a rich background in various fields. Currently, he serves as the founding creative director of Pika, an AI-based creative platform. In his role at Pika, Matan leads the marketing video efforts, focusing on developing new approaches to storytelling and visual content creation using AI technologies.

Matan has extensive experience in the advertising industry, with over two decades of experience leading creative and production teams. He has directed television commercials for international brands such as Adidas, P&G, Nestle, Sabon, and Columbia. Additionally, he has worked as a creative director and campaign production manager for Israeli Prime Ministers Benjamin Netanyahu in 2015 and Yair Lapid from 2019 to 2022.

Matan is known for his innovative use of AI in creative projects, which has made him a prominent figure in the international AI and creative communities.

You are a creative director and commercial director with over two decades of experience leading and creating advertising work for countless clients and categories. Can you share some insights on how your role has shifted inside an AI focused company?

When I first tried Pika for the first time about a year ago, I was fascinated by the technology and immediately started experimenting with it. The initial challenge was to generate clips with genuine emotion, which Pika excelled at, and this drew me in. Creating compelling videos with AI requires a shift in approach. After 20 years of doing it a certain way, adapting can be challenging at first. However, once you find your voice and create with the help of AI, the endless possibilities make it hard to let go.

As AI continues to evolve, how do you see the role of creative directors and other creative professionals changing? What skills do you believe will become more important in the future?

We are witnessing a revolution that offers creative professionals more ways to visualize complex and creative ideas, enabling us to try crazier concepts. The ease of execution allows us to visualize more ideas and curate the best results, opening a world of creative possibilities.

Can you elaborate on how Pika’s AI collaborates with human creators? What processes do you have in place to ensure that creativity flourishes alongside technological innovation?

Pika is a tool that helps users visualize their ideas, making it easy for everyone. Every video created on our platform is a collaboration between the person with the idea and our technology that brings it to life. It all starts with a person and an idea.

How do you foresee AI video technology like Pika's impacting cultural expressions and storytelling across different societies?

As creating stunning videos becomes easier, our platform will enable millions of people to visualize their ideas in video form, similar to how mobile phone cameras democratized photography 15 years ago. This accessibility will significantly impact cultural expressions.

Given your extensive background in traditional media, how have you adapted storytelling techniques from TV and branding for AI-driven platforms? What unique advantages does AI offer in transforming these narratives?

The main advantage is the sense that anything is possible. For the first time, we have a tool that can transform any idea into a stunning visual from text. This feels like magic to me, even after two years. Great ideas can now be easily executed, which is still amazing

What role can AI play in democratizing content creation?

As I mentioned, AI makes the visualization of ideas quick and practically free compared to traditional methods. This democratizes content creation, allowing anyone to bring their ideas to life.

How do you keep your team inspired and innovative in a field that is as rapidly changing as AI? Are there particular strategies or practices that help maintain high levels of creative output?

I draw inspiration from unexpected places. Creativity often involves connecting unrelated dots in a way that makes sense. This approach influences our marketing strategies and product development. As more companies enter the field, it's crucial to stand out and differentiate ourselves.

Looking ahead, what emerging trends in AI do you predict will most significantly influence the collaboration between AI and creative professionals over the next five years?

It's hard to predict, but AI will continue to empower creative professionals. However, I believe that the human touch and talent will remain essential to rise above the massive amount of AI-generated content. The democratization process is incredible and will foster a new generation of talent, but the pursuit of new art forms that inspire us will always drive creativity.

Readers who wish to learn more should visit Pika.

Antoine is a visionary leader and founding partner of Unite.AI. He is driven by a deep passion for the future of AI and robotics. A serial entrepreneur, he believes that AI will be as disruptive to society as electricity, and is often caught raving about the potential of disruptive technologies and AGI.

As a futurist, he is dedicated to exploring how these innovations will shape our world. In addition, he is the founder of Securities.io, a platform focused on investing in cutting-edge technologies that are redefining the future and reshaping entire sectors.