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PHONEY'S THOUGHTS ON AI #03
1+1=3
by Chiara Paludanus
During recent years, we have frequently reflected on the fast-evolving world of AI and its implications for our industry. Through these insights, you’ve been able to follow how we navigate the chances and challenges those developments present. Like AI itself, our studio has been adapting with agility, cultivating new skills and services that we have come to apply - almost daily - to our process and projects. And, as with all experiments, we succeed, we fail, and we try again - only to edge closer to mastery with every turn.
Phoney AI explorations
"Mistakes are valuable. And one thing AI has given us is a means to try, and fail, in a much more efficient, and at times effective, manner."
Now, more than two years after our first foray into the glossy galaxy of artificial creation (hello, The Core Supplements campaign 2023!), it feels like the right moment to take stock. What have we learned, embraced, and perhaps even surrendered in this ‘intelligent’ age - and what does the phoney future still hold in store?
Let us preface this read by acknowledging that we are hardly the only, let alone the most authoritative voice when it comes to AI. Which is why, in true ‘bot fashion’, we take bits of insight from the people around us to help shape our own. A few of those voices have particularly inspired us recently, the first of which we encountered at the Us by night design festival in Antwerp a few weeks ago. In an insightful lecture, visual artist Ugly, Stupid, Honest shared that he often finds his best work emerges from errors, driving him to experiment with glitching in order to unlock new unexpected ideas. His reflection ultimately boiled down to one compelling observation: mistakes are valuable. And one thing AI has given us is a means to try, and fail, in a much more efficient, and at times effective, manner. Perhaps even more liberating is AI's role as a black box - a confidence booster that removes the paralysis of the blank canvas. When you're unsure where to begin, the machine doesn't judge your fumbling first attempts. It simply responds, creating a starting point from which to iterate. In this way, AI doesn't just accelerate failure; it democratizes the courage to try.
Left: Us by night Ugly, Stupid, Honest, Right: AI failure by TPC
"Creativity still demands effort. The muscle still needs work. AI just lets us lift heavier, reach further and expand our creative toolkit."
Is it here, however, where the paradox of AI shows itself: the very tool that can amplify our creative capacity can also wear it down. It's all too tempting to 'get lazy' with the technology, to simply throw random chunks of input into the machine, hoping for magic to materialize. This risk was articulated beautifully in a recent newsletter by Poolsuite, which reminded us that creativity is a muscle that needs to be stressed to get stronger. Leave it dormant for too long, and it atrophies - weakens, loses its edge. AI is much more effective when used as a collaborator rather than a replacement. It accelerates the translation of thought into form - turning sparks of imagination into tangible work within minutes. It can give shape to ideas that might have taken hours or days to refine, or might never have existed at all due to the limits of one’s own skills or budget.
It’s an extraordinary creative amplifier, but one that still demands clarity of vision. You have to know what you want to say - to shape your intent, refine your idea, and articulate it with precision. Feed it well-considered prompts, and it will produce well-considered output. Treat it as a shortcut to avoid thinking, and it will reflect that shallowness right back at you. Creativity still demands effort. The muscle still needs work. AI just lets us lift heavier, reach further and expand our creative toolkit.
Bearing all this in mind, we’ve been exploring how to add genuine value in this evolving digital landscape. To find exactly how we can help clients reap the benefits of these technologies, in a way that feels both intentional and respectful to our craft.
We have found the answer in a new, tailor-made ‘service’, built to tackle some of the limitations of today’s highly-demanding, content-driven world. A service that provides us with the means to create efficiently, effectively and with greater creative scope - allowing us to expand your brand universe without the scale or spend of traditional production.
Meet: The Phoney Edit - a hybrid approach that produces high-quality AI-content, refined by hand and defined by our signature Phoney direction. Using a variety of tools - from existing brand assets and studio photography to prompt-based imagery - we can quickly deliver distinctive visuals, videos, and stills that expand your brand’s visual language with consistency and imagination. We provide this service through one-offs, or a subscription - ensuring you always have something to share.
What does that look like, we hear you think? Well, it takes shape in all kinds of image direction. Maybe you’re looking for an atmospheric still to give your feed a sense of mood and story? Or perhaps you’re looking to place a product in a scene that feels tactical and real? Maybe you need a full campaign, sharing a cohesive story across multiple digital touchpoints?
Whatever your content needs may be, The Phoney Edit opens up new ways to think and create - to make more with less, and to explore without limits. But let’s be clear: this isn’t about replacing traditional photography. The craft, the texture, the human presence of a real set can’t be replicated by pixels alone. Those elements remain the backbone of good storytelling. The Phoney Edit simply works alongside them - filling the gaps, expanding the vision, and keeping your brand in motion.