David Usher’s journey from a multi-platinum, Juno Award-winning musician to becoming an AI pioneer exemplifies the power of adopting a creative mindset to redefine boundaries and hit the reset button on what you thought possible. His remarkable journey mirrors that which every person, company, and institution must take as we stand on the precipice of our AI-fueled future.
David entered the AI space long before it became mainstream, driven by a deep curiosity about the technology and its potential to transform human experiences. He is the founder and CEO of Reimagine AI, an AI creative studio that builds interactive virtual beings. Their work has been used in health care for Alzheimer’s patients, governments, and entertainment (Time Square, New York City), and they even created the first intelligent NFT exhibited at the Louvre in Paris.
Through sharing his story, David demonstrates why tapping into our innate creative thinking is the key to unlocking the potential of artificial intelligence. His dynamic presentations, which feature live music, technology, and humour, not only illustrate why audiences need to embrace this new technology but lays out a roadmap to actually doing it.
Leading the AI Revolution
David’s fascination with AI began about a decade ago. He was already running a tech startup that focused on building brand aggregated streams (this was when Twitter first launched) and was the bestselling author of Let the Elephants Run: Unlock Your Creativity and Change Everything, which explores the similarities between the power of creativity to drive success in the arts as well as entrepreneurship and the business world. But it was through speaking and working with clients from across industries that it finally clicked. If he was talking to companies about creativity and innovation, and how AI was the next big thing, then he better have firsthand experience with it.
David’s first big AI project was with Google Brain, where he explored whether or not AI could help him write song lyrics. It was called Lyric AI and from this, David caught the AI bug. He founded Reimagine AI in 2018. The tech was still terrible back then, David said, but he’s since built a successful and pioneering company and technology using large language operating systems.
One of David’s most personal projects, and one which he takes great pride in, involved creating a digital version of a friend diagnosed with terminal cancer. Lucy AI is an immersive multimedia experience where participants were invited to speak with this virtual being that retained and responded with his friend’s memories, voice, and experiences. It is the story of Lucy’s life told through a collage of film, music, and movement, powered by artificial intelligence. This remarkable achievement showcased how AI can encapsulate essence and memory, hinting at a future where technology could preserve the human experience.
Adopting a Creative Mindset
For David, creativity is not a skill limited to the arts, it’s an innate human quality that can be learned, enhanced, and applied to everything we do. “My book,” David said, “is all about how creativity is the same no matter who you are.” It’s a methodology rather than something industry specific. This mindset has allowed David to explore AI with the same curiosity and passion that fueled his career as a musician.
In his keynotes, this is what David strives to unlock and ignite in his audiences — their creativity. In a world where technological tools and processes are evolving at breakneck speed, it’s essential to find comfort in change, comfort in the chaos. Creativity provides that foundation, David said, which is why it’s such an essential skill in the age of AI.
AI is built to automate repetitive tasks, allowing people to focus on what they do best — critical thinking and innovative problem-solving. “The core of creativity is exploratory curiosity,” David said. “Creative thinking is a way to synthesize information, and in a world of endless data, this skill becomes vital.”
Empowering Companies and Individuals to Embrace AI
On par with the Internet and how it dramatically changed the way we work and live, David believes embracing AI is crucial to future business success. Not only will it make your organization more efficient, he said, it will also keep it competitive in the labour market. It’s important to remember that the next generation of employees will be “AI natives” who have grown up with the technology and will expect to use it in the workplace.
To jumpstart their AI journey, David encourages businesses to adopt a two-horizon approach:
- The short term: Learn the language of AI and explore the AI tools you can use right now to streamline your current operations.
- The long term: Be on the lookout for things that could change the scope of your business, not now but in the future. Being engaged and aware of coming change is essential.
To those tentative to take the AI leap, David’s advice is to just be curious. AI doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Start small, learn one thing every day — that’s how you build AI literacy. “I come from music. If I can understand this stuff, you can,” he said. AI literacy isn’t a gift for the select few, he continued, but an opportunity available to anyone willing to start the journey.
Harness Creativity, Ignite Curiosity
As a keynote speaker, David empowers audiences to join him in this technological revolution, leveraging his experience as an AI CEO, award-winning musician, and bestselling author. His story shows audiences that with the right mindset, anyone can harness AI, and his expertise enables them to take a proactive approach to this new technology, not as passive users but as engaged, curious minds ready to shape their futures.
Contact us to learn more about David and how he helps organizations reboot their creativity to thrive in this brave new world of disruptive change.
