Finishing OpenAI's Critterz after Sora disappeared (with director Nik Kleverov) | Rapid Response

Critterz was one of the first feature films built primarily with AI, but OpenAI abruptly shut down Sora, the very tool its director was relying on. Nik Kleverov, Chief Creative Officer of Native Foreign, joins Rapid Response from the Cannes Lions festival to make the case for why AI isn't killing Hollywood, it's about to reinvent it. He breaks down why 2026 is year zero for mass adoption of AI in the film industry, and why human talent is more in demand than ever when great storytelling is the goal. Kleverov also confronts the darker side of the technology: deepfakes, scams, and the blurring line between real and generated, and offers a surprising possible solution. Chapters: 00:00 Introducing Nik Kleverov 2:16 The Cannes pre-boycott and Sora's shutdown 3:17 From a 2022 short to a feature film 5:01 Making the first AI commercial for Toys R Us 7:59 When the core tech disappeared mid-project 10:04 Why human creatives matter more than ever 14:33 AI-assisted, not AI-created: IP and copyright 15:39 How AI collapses pre-production, production, and post 24:28 Deepfakes, scams, and what's at stake ahead 🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xeCvuJ... 💻 LEARN MORE Our website: https://rapidresponseshow.com ⚡JOIN OUR COMMUNITY LinkedIn:   / 102897258   Facebook:   / rapidresponseshow   Instagram:   / rapidresponseshow   X:   / rapidresponsehq   TikTok:   / rapidresponseshow   💡ABOUT US The pace of change in our culture is unprecedented and shows no signs of slowing. So what is most important to pay attention to when striving to innovate, create, and lead? From the team behind Masters of Scale, Rapid Response features candid conversations with today's top business leaders (from companies like Airbnb, Uber, and Apple) navigating real-time challenges. Hosted by the former editor-in-chief of Fast Company, Bob Safian. With guests like Airbnb's Brian Chesky, celebrity chef José Andrés, and former Apple executive Angela Ahrendts, Rapid Response features recognized leaders and under-heard industry voices speaking candidly on their approach to the latest cultural shift. #business #businessnews #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #rapidresponse #businessleadership #leadership #leader #ceo #csuite #economy #openai #sora #ai #artificialintelligence #aivideo #aivideoediting #aivideogenerator #critterz #openaisora #film #filmediting #animation #aianimation