AI is Not Inevitable: A Human-Centered Future for Creativity and Technology

In this talk, Paco Torres—filmmaker, creative director, and AI innovator—shares a deeply personal story that began on a beach in Spain, where he saved the lives of drowning immigrants during a commercial shoot. This moment of urgent human reaction becomes a metaphor for how we must confront the technological currents shaping our world.
As generative AI floods the creative industries, we’re told it’s “inevitable.” But Paco challenges this narrative. What if we applied the same human-centered principles we use in life-saving situations to how we design and deploy AI?
Through storytelling, audience participation, and critical reflection, Paco explores:
The ethical and emotional cost of “automated creativity”
Why speed and scale are not substitutes for meaning
How Design Thinking can offer a blueprint for ethical AI development
The need for open dialogue, global agreements, and responsible innovation