Day 1 of Upscale Conference, the AI get-together from Freepik, was a little less of a hyperbolic AI takeover and a more reasoned cautionary note on how AI can be used, not that it’s a magic bullet to faster, cheaper art and design. Listening to three creative leaders, Joaquín Cuenca of Freepik, Marten Kuipers of DEPT®, and Max Ottignon of Ragged Edge, and one message kept resurfacing: AI is only as creative as the intent behind it.
Today wasn’t really about tools or prompts at all; it was about intent, taste, and what it means to stay creative when ideas come faster than ever. The speakers agreed that AI can empower creativity by removing friction and opening up new ways to experiment, but only when used with purpose and craft. It’s not about speed or scale; it’s about how thoughtfully you use it.
