Axios House: Creators are choosing human connection over profit, Dhar Mann says

CANNES, France — Creators are turning down brand partnerships and limiting AI to preserve audience trust, said Dhar Mann, founder of his eponymous studio, at a June 24 Axios event.

Why it matters: Sponsorship dollars and AI can help creators scale, but they can also erode the fan relationship.

Axios' Kerry Flynn moderated the conversation with Mann, which was sponsored by Adobe.

What they're saying: Creators "really care about authenticity in their community," Mann said. "They don't just chase the dollars, they actually chase connection."

• Dhar Mann Studios tried to "create AI-generated content, put it in our videos, no one's going to be able to tell the difference," he said. "Man, was I wrong."
• The response in the U.S. and China was so negative that "we now avoid creating AI-generated content."

Yes, but: AI has "helped us tremendously" in other ways, Mann said. "Everybody is able to come up with creative ideas and move at a much faster speed."

• The company uses AI to focus on audience insights, like identifying what viewers want and which scenes affect retention.

Stunning stat: Dhar Mann Studios reaches "an audience of about 1.5 billion people every single month," Mann said.

What's next: Its new partnership with Fox promises 40 films in the next year.

Content from the sponsor's segment:

"While AI is really, really great at creating content, I think there's still a gap in terms of making that content on brand," said Varun Parmar, Adobe senior vice president and GenStudio and Firefly Enterprises general manager. "You need to make sure that the agents have the same context that humans have."