I recently sat down with Joshua Davies, Chief Innovation Officer (CINO) at Artlist, to talk about the intersection of technology and creativity — and what it really means to lead innovation in a company built by and for creators.
From the start, it was clear: Joshua doesn’t just think about the future, he builds toward it. We talked about what drives him, what keeps him up at night, and how new AI tools are reshaping the creative process. More than anything, we talked about the artist’s role in all of it — and why it’s more important now than ever. It was a thoughtful, no-fluff kind of talk — grounded in experience, lit up by possibility, and rooted in a clear belief that creators should always lead the way. Enjoy!
Josh, could you please tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to be the CINO at Artlist?
I founded FXhome 25 years ago with this crazy belief that professional creative tools shouldn’t be locked behind $10,000 price tags. We wanted to democratize filmmaking and VFX, and over the years, we’ve seen millions of creators bring impossible ideas to life with our software. When Artlist acquired us, it felt like coming home — suddenly, I could combine that same philosophy with the world’s highest quality content catalog. As CINO, I get to work on the bleeding edge of what’s possible when you mix AI, creativity, and a massive global community of storytellers.
What keeps you up at night?
My twin toddlers, obviously! But professionally, it’s the incredible pace of AI development. Every week, there’s a breakthrough that could change everything for creators. I’m constantly thinking: “How do we stay ahead of this curve while building tools that actually solve real problems?” The gap between creative vision and execution is shrinking so fast — we have this incredible opportunity to completely reimagine how content gets made. That’s both thrilling and terrifying when you’re responsible for getting it right for millions of creators.
What do you love about your job?
Building tools that empower creatives has been my dream since leaving university, but the real thing I love is working with passionate creative people, be that in design or software development. Whatever I’m doing, even the harder bits of management, I can leave my office and walk into a room full of smart people doing extraordinary things.
As a creator, what excites you about AI tools?
The democratization of creativity. When we aimed to create software that was more accessible to a larger audience, this wasn’t meant to simplify the process; it was meant to empower more people to have a voice and share their story. AI is the ultimate tool to enable people to tell their stories.
What really excites me is watching creators who’ve been held back by technical barriers suddenly break free. I’ve seen wedding videographers create cinematic masterpieces in hours, instead of days, small business owners produce content that rivals major agencies, and independent filmmakers visualize complex scenes before they even pick up a camera. AI isn’t just making things faster – it’s making the impossible possible.
How would you describe Artlist’s core philosophy on AI and creativity?
AI is perhaps the most natural evolution of our mission we’ve ever undertaken. Artlist has always been about removing barriers between creators and their vision. First, we eliminated the nightmare of music licensing. Then we tackled stock footage and sound effects. Now, AI represents the ultimate barrier-removal tool — it eliminates technical complexity, time constraints, and resource limitations that have held creators back for decades.
AI isn’t here to replace creatives or creativity. It’s here to empower creatives, like the best assistant you never had, or the five best assistants you’ve ever had. We want to give you superpowers so you can focus on your artistry and creativity, which AI can’t emulate.
Think of it this way: AI handles the tedious stuff – the color correction, the repetitive cuts, finding the perfect sound effect — while you focus on the soul of your story. We’re building an ecosystem where human creativity and artificial intelligence work seamlessly together.
Our vision is simple: in the coming years, a creator’s only limitation should be their imagination, not their access to tools, content, or technical expertise. The creativity, the vision, the emotional connection — that’s uniquely human and always will be.
When you hear people say AI will replace artists, what’s your first reaction?
I smile because this conversation always reminds me of when digital cameras first appeared and people said they’d replace photographers, or when affordable editing software arrived and supposedly made editors obsolete. I’ve lived through these transitions, and what happens every time is the same — the tools get more accessible, but the most talented storytellers rise to the top and use those tools to create even more incredible work.
Look at creators like Corridor Digital on YouTube — Sam, Niko, and their team have always been exceptional storytellers, regardless of their budget or tools. When you give brilliant creatives new technology, they don’t become redundant — they become superhuman. The vision, the emotional intelligence, the ability to connect with an audience — those are uniquely human skills that no AI can replicate.
What’s your vision for how AI will change the creative process? How have these tools changed your creative process?
It’s completely transformed my entire creative workflow, from the very first spark of an idea through to the final edit. AI has revolutionized how I approach ideation — I can explore concepts and directions I might never have considered. It’s enhanced my writing and planning process, helping me structure narratives and develop ideas more effectively. And increasingly, it’s improving how I edit, search for assets, and construct my videos.
In every case, it allows me to focus on the parts of the creative process I genuinely love rather than getting bogged down by the technical hurdles or tedious tasks that used to slow me down. It’s like having creative barriers lifted so I can spend my energy on pure storytelling and artistic vision.
What’s the one thing you never want AI to do in the creative process?
Make the final creative decision. AI should never choose the story you tell or the emotional tone you want to convey — that’s the essence of human creativity. I want AI to be incredibly smart about technical execution while always deferring to human judgment on artistic intent.
The context matters too — sometimes I want AI to handle most of the editing heavy lifting, other times I want complete manual control. The key is that it should always be my choice, not the algorithm’s. The moment AI starts making creative choices for us rather than with us, we lose authenticity.
What’s your most-used feature or favourite asset on Artlist?
The music catalog is absolutely central to everything I create. There’s so much depth there that it often sparks ideas I never would have had otherwise. I’ll start looking for a specific track and stumble across something that completely reshapes my creative direction.
What’s exciting is how, in the near future, our AI tools will supercharge that discovery process. Instead of just searching by keywords, the system will analyze my actual footage and suggest music that matches the mood, pacing, and energy of what I’m creating. It’ll be like having a music supervisor who intimately knows both my style and my content.
If you could give creators one piece of advice about working with AI, what would it be?
Experiment fearlessly and keep coming back. The AI landscape evolves so rapidly that tools that seem clunky today can become indispensable in just a few months. Don’t wait for perfection — start small, try different approaches, and learn as you go.
Most importantly, think of AI as your creative partner, not your replacement. The creators who thrive will be those who learn to collaborate with AI rather than fear it. Embrace the experimentation, learn from the weird results, and remember that AI is only as creative as the human directing it.
Creators lead, tools follow
Talking with Joshua reminded me that innovation doesn’t start with machines — it starts with people. AI is just a tool, and like every tool before it, its value depends on the hands that shape it. What matters is the vision behind the work, the feeling in the cut, the story only a human can tell. His advice for creators? Don’t be afraid of what’s next. Be part of it. Use the tools, experiment, break things, but hold tight to what makes your voice yours. Because no matter how far technology goes, creativity still begins — and ends — with you. Start creating without fear today on Artlist.
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