AI in Production: A Partner, not a Replacement
By Ian Hawk MacLeod
AI is everywhere. Consistently discussed in boardrooms, coffee shops, at the dinner table with my two teens, and especially in production conversations. Its validity, strength, and importance come up constantly. As someone who works across writing, producing, directing, shooting, and editing, I’ve come to see AI not as a threat but as a collaborator. It’s been a wonderful partner in pre-visualization and brainstorming, especially when it’s difficult to assemble people in the same room or even over virtual calls with global collaborators. In many ways, AI has become my co-creator, like a trusted friend. But one particular production experience showed me both the breathtaking power of AI, and the irreplaceable truth of human touch.
A few years back I was tasked to direct two entrepreneurs and their contributions to their company. After the project was complete, life shifted, and one partner left. The person who commissioned the video asked me to remove their partner.
As a director, I faced a creative and financial dilemma. Do we reshoot, rebuild, or find another way? I turned to my editor, who suggested AI. Within hours, the partner was gone … removed completely, cleanly, as though he had never existed. The cost? Minimal. The effect? Seamless.
I was blown away … and a little uneasy. It reminded me of the film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, where memories can be erased entirely. This wasn’t just a technical fix; it was an ethical and emotional question. What does it mean when a life can be deleted from a story so easily?
That moment crystallized something for me; AI is powerful, but it’s still just a tool in my belt. Like editing software or a camera lens, I choose when to use it. It can reduce costs, expand creative possibilities, and solve problems that once seemed insurmountable.
But AI is not human. It doesn’t sit in a room with pediatric surgeons, cancer survivors, or children who’ve endured too much too young. It doesn’t capture the shimmer of hope in a survivor’s eyes, the stillness of a parent holding their breath, or the laughter of a child finding joy in the middle of treatment.
These moments are not data points; they’re human miracles. No algorithm has replicated them… not yet, and maybe not ever.
So we shouldn’t fear AI, if we see it as a bridge. It lets us save time and money on production, while opening new creative horizons. Yet its role is clear: it can support, but it cannot replace the human touch. Abundance comes not from machines replacing people, but from tools amplifying what only humans can do which is create meaning, transmit compassion, and spark hope.
If you’re exploring how to bring AI into your production workflows, to save money while amplifying creativity … let’s connect. And if you, like me, believe the human touch still matters most, let’s build bridges together. Because production is not just about efficiency; it’s about creating worlds where people can see themselves, their stories, and their hope reflected back.
PS. Image created by me and my AI bestie.