“One of my concerns is, will automated technologies make us think that it doesn't matter that people get to tell their stories?”
“Culture is so complicated. It's ever changing, so diverse. It's very difficult for AI to really understand how to develop culture in a way that actually will be sustainable to a business independent of human intervention.”
“Humans exist through storytelling, and our world is shifting all the time. And we're in the world first before the machines are.”
“The barriers to entry are lower so people who had been historically excluded can now make their own TV shows and distribute them.”

Season 02 Episode 06

The Future of Visual Storytelling

Featuring AJ Christian

Television, our most universal form of visual storytelling, has undergone a digital revolution. Open Television founder AJ Christian joins Dirk and Jon to discuss the medium today and how it may change in the future.

AJ Christian, the author of Open TV, Founder and Head of Development at Open Television, and Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Northwestern University, joins Dirk and Jon to take a deep dive into television. Moving from past to present to future and analyzing the development and distribution sides from both a corporate and independent perspective, Dr. Christian provides a rich foundation to explore. We delve into computational augmentation, automation, and the social opportunities and challenges that the present and future have to offer.

AJ Christian

Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Northwestern University

Aymar Jean "AJ" Christian is an assistant professor of communication studies at Northwestern University. A scholar, media producer, and social practice artist exploring the convergence of television, video art, and creative R&D, Dr. Christian uses artistic development as a tool for community-building, cultural critique, and experimentation.

Dirk Knemeyer

Producer

Dirk is a social futurist, helping to imagine and implement social systems that better humanity. His research on the human condition has taken him around the world, from North Korea to Nepal, and from an anti-immigration parade in Germany to meeting with a community leader in Ferguson, Missouri. Previously a design entrepreneur, he created successful technology companies in Silicon Valley, Boston, and his native Ohio.

Jonathan Follett

Producer

Jon is a writer, musician, and emerging tech researcher who is a principal at GoInvo, a design practice dedicated to innovation in healthcare. His published books include science fiction novel "Marvin and the Moths" with Scholastic and "Designing for Emerging Technologies" with O’Reilly. He produces electronic dance music under the name Jonny Fallout.

Season 02 Episode 06

The Future of Visual Storytelling

Featuring AJ Christian

On This Episode

AJ Christian

Dirk Knemeyer

Jonathan Follett

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