From Lennon & McCartney to Human + Machine

What do the world’s greatest creative duos have in common, and what can they teach us about collaboration in the age of AI? In this intimate fireside chat, Ian Leslie and Mark D’Arcy explore the dynamics behind iconic human partnerships like Lennon and McCartney and ask how those lessons apply when AI enters the creative process. This session challenges us to think about AI as a collaborator: one that sharpens ideas, introduces friction and ultimately helps creative work reach a higher standard.

• How might we use AI not just as a tool for efficiency, but as a creative counterpart that provokes stronger thinking, richer exploration and more ambitious ideas?
• How can we design creative processes that protect human taste, authorship and discernment while using AI to accelerate iteration, widen possibilities and enhance constructive tension?
• What if we applied the principles of great partnerships – trust, challenge and complementary strengths – to build more dynamic and effective collaboration between people and intelligent systems?