AI is overwhelming our senses—Edward Enninful has an answer for that

Amid the deluge of artificially generated online content, the former British Vogue editor is betting on the resurgence of physical media

Sir Tony Blair, the former prime minister of the U.K., has argued that the AI revolution is as consequential as the industrial revolution. Odd then, that many seem satisfied with merely keeping “humans in the loop” at such a moment of change. In the 19^th century, few would have asked the steam engines where they would like to deploy themselves. 

AI is a tool. It can enhance and amplify human endeavor; make connections and sift data that the brain cannot; and assess statistical probability at scale. At some stage in the future, “general intelligence” will make a better stab at invention, creating new products and operational methods that are unimaginable today. In science, health, and engineering, the possibilities are boundless and exciting. Generative partnerships between people and technology will be the new normal. 

Humans will need to be more than “in the loop”; they must be “in the lead”. Morality, intuition, compassion and emotion are uniquely human qualities. In an era when innovation cycles are being compressed, judgment will become an increasingly important skill. When AI enables people to create more things, deciding what to do becomes the most important question. 

No AI bot, however fantastical its powers, could have invented Edward Enninful. As the first Black editor-in-chief of British Vogue, he promoted diversity within the pages of the fashion magazine and made history when he featured nine models of African heritage on its cover in February 2022. At 18, he became the youngest ever fashion editor of an international publication, i-D magazine. Rihanna and Kate Moss are creative soulmates. 

72 magazine covers:

Rihanna by Szilveszter Makó / Courtesy of EE72

Kate Moss by Nick Knight / Courtesy of EE72

Along with his sister, Akua, Enninful is now the co-founder and chief creative officer of EE72, a media and entertainment company. At a time when synthetic content is everywhere, flooding our feeds and our senses with the ridiculous, the brilliant and the risible, Enninful is making a simple pledge—a human will create everything at EE72. 

“What does a company like mine mean in a world that is so digitally focused, so AI focused, and how can we cut through that noise with creativity?” he asks. “What is the new media company?” 

We meet at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity in the south of France. When C-suite leaders are grappling with information overload, identifying where real value lies is a challenge. And when AI can test 300 different routes to market in one overnight training run, the risk of a tech-enabled mediocrity trap (“just good enough”) looms large. 

“I believe in slow digital,” Enninful says. “I don’t have to be up 24 hours a day shouting and screaming and giving people information they don’t need. Everything we do is curated. We sometimes publish one thing a day on the platform, sometimes it’s three. But we’re not part of the noise—people are fed up with that.” 

Quiet is now a valuable commodity. Magazines are seeing a renaissance in the same way that BookTok led to an increase in reading among younger audiences.  

“I didn’t even want a magazine, everyone thought magazines were done,” he tells me, gesturing to the latest edition of 72 which sits on the table next to him (Rihanna is on the cover). “But people were saying we need that from you, because that’s what you know. I guess I’ve always spoken to the world that way.” 

Despite producing a magazine, Enninful is reluctant to describe EE72 as a magazine business. “We don’t even take ads,” he says. “We had to figure out a new business model, something that was more organic, working with clients in an organic way, whether it was through events or collaborations. That allows us to create a magazine that’s just for readers to enjoy creativity. That’s why you don’t see any ads.” 

The magazine is an eclectic mix of high-fashion, long-form narrative storytelling in text and photography (skateboarders in South Africa, the world of the Christie’s auctioneer), art, culture, and skin-care routines. Nothing shouts too loudly.  

“We did a cover shoot with Rihanna, with an incredible photographer called Szilveszter Makó. He’s very analogue. His shoots have a painterly quality and he hand-paints backgrounds,” Enninful says. 

The summer edition of 72, which features Rihanna on the cover, has sold out online. He adds: “It shows that the algorithm still looks for some honesty and new ideas—and that’s cut through more than we could ever imagine.” 

It would be a mistake to believe that human-made is in opposition to artificial intelligence. One tech leader at Cannes told me you could no more ignore AI than you could ignore electricity. He is right. But humans can always switch off electricity when it is right to do so. Natural light often works well on its own. 

Read more: A $5.6 billion valuation and rapid global expansion—this AI European scaler even threw in a free Jude Law

“I always talk about the algorithm,” Enninful said. “Because we can’t talk about the world we live in without talking about social media. But we need people who are also ready to buck the trend.” 

EE72 has partnered with brands, including Moncler and Google. Google’s AI-powered “try-on” tool, which allows people to virtually “wear” clothing before purchasing, was used by EE72 at its New York Fashion Week, so guests could see how they would look in a runway wardrobe. 

“It’s where women can just try on clothes virtually, women who are a bit insecure going into stores,” Enninful says. “Democratizing fashion is always something that’s been very important to me.” 

An interesting application and an amplification of the clothes-buying experience. Never, though, a replacement for the human-led experience. 

“The need for human connection is undeniable,” Enninful adds. “Even if you don’t know something was made with AI, there’s something in the back of your head that tells you it was. I think people just want honesty and truth, something that cuts through the noise, because there is a lot of noise. When you see something that’s genuine, honest and that comes from a new, creative place, that cuts through.” 

The Moss photoshoot for the cover of an earlier edition of 72 was animated by British photographer Nick Knight, using AI. The content was played at London’s Piccadilly Circus. 

Enninful says: “AI is a tool, and like any tools you can use it to edit, you can use it to amplify, you can use it to create. But ultimately, I have to make the decision. I have to make the final product. There needs to be a curator to have the final word.” 

Stay up to date with our on-the-ground coverage from Cannes.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com