The future of creative industries lies in technological storytelling

The creative industries are undergoing a seismic transformation – and those who fail to adapt risk being left behind. This was the central message shared by Kristen Davis, CEO and Founder of CinqC and former Head of Technology and Innovation at The New York Times International, during an after-hours session hosted by Tehnopol Startup Incubator’s IDA Hub and the Ida-Viru Investment Agency (IVIA).

In her thought-provoking talk titled “Trash the Past: Thriving in the New Creative Era”, Davis urged creators, investors, and innovators to rethink what the “film and multimedia” industry really means today. According to her, the traditional idea of film and media production is already outdated – the real growth is happening in technological storytelling, where creativity meets data, artificial intelligence, and new modes of audience engagement.

“What we think we know about the creative media industry is not what it’s going to be in the very near future – in fact, that shift is happening right now,” Davis noted.

Drawing on her extensive experience in media and technology, Davis illustrated how AI, emerging platforms, and changing consumer habits are redrawing the industry map. Once dominated by studios and streaming giants, the landscape now includes unexpected players such as OpenAI, Nvidia, and even Walmart, all competing in a space where content, commerce, and technology increasingly overlap.

She emphasised that authenticity will define the next era of media. As synthetic and AI-generated content becomes mainstream, audiences will crave stories that feel emotionally real and connect to genuine experiences or brands.

“Authenticity is not the same as truth,” she explained. “But it is the new currency of value in storytelling.”

Other key insights from the session included:

• Ownership and IP are being disrupted, as creators must now produce content for both people and “agents” – the AI systems that curate and deliver media.
• New business models such as advertising-based video-on-demand (AVOD), hybrid live-streaming events, and in-content commerce are reshaping how audiences engage and how revenues flow.
• Cross-sector collaboration is fuelling innovation: gaming, live events, and streaming are converging to form a single ecosystem driven by interactivity and emotional connection.
• AI-driven startups like Runway ML, ElevenLabs and AudioShake are leading this change, showing how rapidly value is shifting toward tech-enabled storytelling.

Davis illustrated her points through real-world examples – from Lady Gaga’s live-streamed concert in Rio, which generated over $100 million in revenue for the city, to French YouTuber Inoxtag, who transformed a personal documentary into a nationwide cinema event. These cases show how creativity, technology, and community can combine to create new forms of value and engagement.

Her final message to the audience – which included investors, startup founders, and creative professionals – was clear: embrace innovation, look beyond old definitions, and build for the future, not the past.

“If you’re thinking about this industry through the old lens of film and multimedia, you’re missing out. The next wave of opportunity lies in technological storytelling,” Davis concluded.